A California human relations commission bill and hate mail in Seattle

Vol. 130, No. 21, May 26, 2000. 8 pages. View this issue

A proposed California commission and a hate-mail case led the news. The brother of slain postal worker Joseph Ileto joined supporters of AB 2000, a bill by Assemblyman Antonio Villaraigosa that would create a 13-member state commission to coordinate California’s 60 human relations commissions. Seattle JACL member James Tanaka received hate literature days after publishing an op-ed, and National Director John Tateishi condemned it. A second profile in the series on national office candidates introduced David H. Kawamoto, with Karen-Liane Shiba profiled on page 6.

Other pages covered the NAPALC immigration reform coalition, Census 2000 response rates, and the JACL national convention in Monterey. Christina Shigemura wrote about a Manzanar pilgrimage, and Emily Murase paid tribute to Issei mothers. The restoration of the Amache site in Colorado is also reported. Letters from Toshio Kato and Thomas M. Naito rounded out the opinion page.

What’s in this issue

National

• California Looks at State-wide Human Relations Commission, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. The brother of slain Filipino American postal worker Joseph Ileto joins supporters urging passage of AB 2000, which would create a 13-member commission to coordinate California’s 60 separate human relations commissions. Assemblyman Antonio Villaraigosa proposed the bill to strengthen the state’s ability to prevent hate crimes and build multicultural community relations.
• Wash. Resident Target of Hate Mail, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seattle JACL member James Tanaka received hate literature including swastika-emblazoned material days after publishing a pro-choice op-ed in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. National Director John Tateishi condemned the act as cowardly, while Tanaka reported the incident to police and vowed not to be silenced.
• NAPALC Joins Coalition Calling for Immigration Reform, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A broad coalition including NAPALC, business groups, labor unions and religious organizations proposed ‘H-1B Plus,’ calling for updating the immigration Registry Date, allowing status adjustment within the U.S., and reducing family sponsorship backlogs. NAPALC director Karen Narasaki argued Congress must address undocumented immigrants’ needs alongside expanding H1-B visas for skilled workers.
• Committee of 100 Celebrates 11 Years, by Martha Nakagawa, page 3. The Committee of 100’s 11th anniversary conference in Los Angeles drew more than 700 attendees to discuss business, entertainment, and ethnic profiling issues affecting Chinese Americans. Keynote speaker Bill Moyers announced a four-part PBS series on Chinese American history, drawing parallels between anti-Chinese sentiment today and the WWII internment of Japanese Americans.
• Early Census Reports Show Increased Minority Participation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Civil rights advocates praised better-than-expected mail response rates in Census 2000, particularly in historically undercounted minority communities, crediting national and local civil rights organizations. Leadership Conference on Civil Rights director Wade Henderson and Census Bureau director Kenneth Prewitt both noted the reversal of a three-decade decline in census participation.
• Aratani Receives APAICS Achievement Award, by P.C. Staff, page 5. George Tetsuo Aratani, founder of Mikasa Chinaware, Kenwood Electronics, and AMCO Medical Supplies, received an achievement award at the APAICS sixth annual gala dinner in Washington, D.C. Aratani, who was interned during WWII, is noted for founding the Aratani Foundation supporting numerous Asian Pacific American institutions.

JACL

• Candidates for National Office Outline Their Vision, by P.C. Staff, page 1. This second installment in a series profiles JACL national office candidates, including David H. Kawamoto running for V.P. for General Operations, based on their nomination forms. Kawamoto discusses his JACL background, leadership philosophy, and qualifications including experience with the 1990 San Diego national convention.
• Unveiling the History of JA Fishermen in Monterey, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL national convention in Monterey will feature a panel on the history of Japanese American fishermen in Monterey Bay, who once owned 125 of 180 fishing boats in 1907 and earned significantly more than farm laborers. The event also includes a cocktail mixer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and a tour of the National Steinbeck Center arranged by West Valley JACL.
• Candidates for National Office Outline Their Vision (V.P. for Planning and Development), by P.C. Staff, page 6. Karen-Liane Shiba, a SELANOCO chapter member running for V.P. for Planning and Development, discusses her leadership philosophy and JACL background including national budget process experience. She also describes her work developing the JACL website, including plans to have George Takei record voiceovers for the site.
• Nakano, Honda Proclaim May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, by P.C. Staff, page 8. California Assembly members Debra Bowen and Mike Honda introduced a resolution recognizing May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, co-authored with 73 assembly colleagues and passed unanimously on May 22. The resolution highlights the diversity and growth of the Asian Pacific Islander American community in California.

Community

• Arizona Chapter Hosts 30th Annual Awards Luncheon, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Arizona chapter JACL held its 30th annual scholarship awards luncheon honoring high school and college graduates, attended by 140 people. J.C. Kobashi served as master of ceremonies and recently donated $10,000 to the scholarship fund bearing his name.
• Downtown JACL and Southern California Japanese Women’s Society Honor 5 as Women of the Year, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Five women were honored as Women of the Year at the New Otani Hotel & Garden by the Downtown Los Angeles JACL and the California Japanese Women’s Society, including tea ceremony professor Nobuko Inuma and volunteer Bernadette Fumi Nishimura. The honorees were recognized for decades of community service, teaching, and volunteer work.
• A Search for Mukilteo JAs, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A ceremony on June 9 will unveil the Mukilteo Historic Marker commemorating the cordial relationship between early Japanese sawmill workers and Mukilteo townspeople starting in 1903. The $10,000 marker was initiated by Nisei to honor this history and the community’s welcoming of immigrant laborers.
• Amache Site Gets Face-lift Thanks to Efforts of Optimists Club and Local Community, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Denver Optimists Club, made up mostly of Japanese Americans, led a major restoration of the Amache War Relocation Camp site in Colorado, working with local Granada citizens and students to clean up and landscape the area. The site was rededicated on May 20 with a new flagpole and plans for a historical marker on Highway 50.
• NBC 5 Chicago Honors Sandra S. Yamate, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Sandra S. Yamate was among seven Chicago-area honorees to receive the 2000 Jefferson Award for Public Service for her work publishing children’s books enhancing the Asian American image and her leadership in the legal profession. One of the seven local winners will represent Chicago at the national Jefferson Awards in Washington, D.C.
• APAIT Presents 3rd Annual Benefit Concert, ‘An Exploration in Strings’, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team held its third annual benefit concert at the Regal Biltmore Hotel, featuring Asian American members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic donating their time. The event was organized by violinist Roy Tanabe with long-time supporters including public affairs figures.

Commentary

• Travels, by Christina Shigemura, page 6. The author reflects on a series of weekend trips including a Manzanar pilgrimage with fellow teachers through a class offered by the Asian Pacific Committee of United Teachers of Los Angeles. She discusses the enduring power of visiting the former internment camp site and an upcoming screening of the film ‘Conscience and the Constitution’ about wartime resisters of conscience.
• A Tribute to Issei Mothers, by Emily Murase, page 6. The author describes growing up as part of the ‘Nisei-han’ or 2.5 generation, children of Issei mothers and Nisei fathers who grew up bilingual and bicultural. She lists humorous distinguishing characteristics of this generation and thanks Issei mothers for enriching their children’s lives with Japanese language and culture.
• Re: Disney’s Pearl Harbor Movie, by Toshio Kato, page 7. A letter writer argues against JACL’s suggestion to remove a segment from Disney’s ‘Pearl Harbor’ film depicting a Japanese dentist spying, since it is a factual part of history. The writer compares removing this history to Holocaust or internment camp denial and insists the truth should prevail regardless of consequences.
• Making Education a Priority, by Thomas M. Naito, page 7. A letter writer discusses the University of California’s shrinking admissions percentage plan, noting it dropped from eight percent to four percent over decades, leaving most graduating seniors unserved. The writer urges JACL to prioritize continuing educational opportunity programs for economically disadvantaged students of all backgrounds.

Obituaries

• Death Notice: Allan Isami Hagio, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Allan Isami Hagio, 81, born in Stockton, Calif., passed away Feb. 3 in Skokie, Ill. He is survived by his wife Toyo, three children, and numerous siblings, with memorial services held at Midwest Buddhist Temple of Chicago.
• Death Notice: Mike M. Imoto, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Mike M. Imoto, 79, retired president of Imoto Farms Inc. in Lindsay, Calif., passed away May 2, having been honored as Lindsay’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year in 1976 and served on numerous community boards. He is survived by his wife Alyce, three sons, several siblings, and five grandchildren, with funeral services held May 5.

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