Medals of Honor, a Cabinet bid and scholarship season

Vol. 131, No. 2, June 30, 2000. 8 pages. View this issue

Recognition ran through the news in this eight-page issue. Twenty-two Asian Pacific American World War II veterans were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, and the report explains how a review of wartime records led to the upgrade of their honors. Norman Mineta was reported on the White House shortlist for Commerce Secretary, and JACL National President Helen Kawagoe wrote to the White House in support. On page 1, Lyndsey Shinoda profiled UCLA soccer player Rochelle Ouchi, and Martha Nakagawa traced the history of Orange County’s Nikkei pioneers.

Inside are scholarship dinners from the Berkeley, San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles chapters, and Colorado’s 45th community graduation. Assemblyman George Nakano announced state funding that included money for restoration at the former Manzanar campsite. Other pages cover a Philip Kan Gotanda play about life after the camps, a Kristine Minami column on Barbie, a Senate hate crimes measure and letters about Shigeo Wakamatsu, a past national JACL president.

What’s in this issue

Sports

• Rochelle Ouchi Kicking Her Way to Success, by Lyndsey Shinoda, page 1. Rochelle Ouchi, a 22-year-old Hapa soccer player, rose from youth leagues in San Jose to become a standout midfielder for the UCLA women’s soccer team. The article traces her athletic development, family support, academic pursuits, and aspirations after graduation, including a possible professional soccer career.

In-Depth

• Orange County Nikkei Pioneers, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. This feature explores the history of Japanese American settlers in Orange County, from early Issei celery farmers to the founding of Buddhist and Christian churches and Japanese language schools. It highlights community figures like Clarence Nishizu and Henry Kanegae and their families’ contributions to the region’s agricultural and cultural development.

National

• Mineta Considered for Commerce Secretary, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 1. Former Congressman Norman Mineta has reportedly made the White House’s shortlist to succeed William Daley as Commerce Secretary, which would make him the first Asian American Cabinet secretary. National JACL and other APA organizations have launched letter-writing campaigns supporting his appointment, while some question whether he would leave his current Lockheed Martin position for a role with only months left in the administration.
• 22 APA WWII Veterans Awarded Congressional Medals of Honor, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 1. Twenty-two Asian Pacific American WWII veterans were awarded the military’s top honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor, after decades during which racial prejudice against Japanese Americans prevented proper recognition. The article details the historic upgrade of these veterans’ honors following a review of WWII records.
• Clinton Nominates Lim to Federal Bench, by P.C. Staff, page 3. President Clinton nominated Hawaii state Intermediate Court of Appeals Judge John Lim to serve as a federal judge in Hawaii, succeeding Judge Alan Kay. Senator Daniel Inouye praised the nomination, and if confirmed, Lim’s salary would increase from about $90,000 to nearly $140,000 per year.
• Senate to Take Up Hate Crimes Measure, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Senate is considering expanding the list of hate crimes and giving federal prosecutors more leeway to pursue cases when state or local authorities decline to press charges. Critics argue the measure infringes on state and local law enforcement powers, while supporters push for a federal fund to help investigate and prosecute hate crimes.

Commentary

• Letter: Support for Norman Mineta Cabinet Appointment, by Helen Kawagoe, page 1. JACL National President Helen Kawagoe sent a letter to the White House supporting Norman Mineta’s appointment as Secretary of Commerce. The letter emphasizes Mineta’s qualifications and the historic significance of appointing the first Asian American Cabinet secretary.
• We Haven’t Come a Long Way, Baby!, by Kristine Minami, page 5. The author criticizes Mattel for excluding an Asian Pacific American Barbie from its ‘Barbie for President 2000’ line, which featured dolls representing other ethnicities and women in leadership roles. She argues this exclusion perpetuates the marginalization of APAs and calls on readers to voice their opposition to Mattel’s decision and its reliance on stereotypical APA dolls.
• How a Death Threat Became an Opportunity to Connect With My Students, page 6. A professor recounts receiving a threatening phone call and the process of reporting it to campus police and university administration, some of whom did not take it seriously as a hate crime. He ultimately used the incident as a teaching moment, sharing the recorded threat with his students and turning it into a discussion about hate violence and support.
• Letter: Editorial Guidelines Regarding JACL Coverage, by Wilae Takahashi, page 7. A Clovis Chapter member writes urging the Pacific Citizen to give proper tribute coverage to the late Shigeo Wakamatsu, a past national JACL president known for exemplary service. The letter argues such articles would inspire future JACL leaders and honor the organization’s history.
• Letter: Response on Convention News Coverage, by Lillian, page 7. A past National JACL President writes regarding coverage priorities, suggesting that certain topics transcend routine convention news. The brief letter reflects on editorial priorities for the publication.
• Letter: Re Gasa Gasa Principle, page 7. A reader responds positively to a previous article titled ‘Gasa Gasa Principle’ by Naomi Hirahara, praising its charm and suggesting readers share similar Japanese onomatopoeic expressions at family gatherings. The letter lists several example expressions like guzuguzu and burabura as conversation starters.

Community

• Funding for JA Community Projects, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Assemblyman George Nakano announced state funding for key Japanese American community projects, including $500,000 for the 100th/442nd/MIS WWII Memorial Foundation and $150,000 for restoration efforts at the former Manzanar campsite. The funding awaits approval from both houses of the legislature and the governor before being finalized.
• Hatamiya to Appear at Monterey, by P.C. Staff, page 3. California constitutional officer Hatamiya, sworn in by Governor Davis in January 1999, previously served as administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was born and raised in California and has a history connected to the commission that investigated Japanese American internment and paved the way for redress.
• Berkeley Chapter Awards Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Berkeley JACL chapter held its 2000 scholarship awards banquet on May 21 at the Silver Dragon Restaurant in Oakland, awarding four scholarships to East Bay high school students. Recipients included Scott Kagawa, Satomi Fujikawa, and Pamela Lu, with Stanford volleyball player Lindsay Kagawa serving as guest speaker.
• San Fernando Valley JACL-JACC Awards Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The San Fernando Valley chapter of JACL and the San Fernando Community Center awarded eight JACL-JACC scholarships and one Merio Mizutani scholar-athlete award to valley seniors excelling in academics and community involvement. Recipients plan to attend universities including Rice, UC San Diego, and UC Irvine, studying various majors from pre-med to communications.
• Press & WWII Camps to be Offered at SJSU, by P.C. Staff, page 4. San Jose State University will offer a new fall course examining American media’s coverage of WWII internment camps for Japanese Americans and the Holocaust concentration camps in Europe. The course will feature first-person historical accounts from JA and Jewish survivors and is open to community members as well as enrolled students.
• West Los Angeles JACL/Auxiliary Honors Scholars, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The West Los Angeles JACL and the WLA JACL Auxiliary honored five high school graduates at a dinner held May 15 at San Gennaro Cafe. The scholars were recognized for their academic achievements and community involvement.
• Lake Washington Chapter Shares Award for History Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Lake Washington JACL chapter was recognized at a ceremony for its role in creating a panel exhibit on the pioneering role of Japanese American families in Bellevue, Washington, including the wartime evacuation and postwar return of Nikkei families. The chapter shared honors with the Bellevue Historical Society, and the project received seed funding from JACL’s Legacy Fund.
• Colorado JA Community Graduation, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The 45th annual Japanese American Community Graduation Program was held on June 10 at Mount Vernon Country Club in Golden, Colorado, recognizing 28 graduating seniors of Japanese descent with scholarships. The event featured musical performances and speeches from student representatives Christina Matsushima and Yuichi Usui, with support from more than 24 community organizations.

JACL

• Union Bank of California Donates $5,000 to JACL Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Robert Shintaku, manager of the Salinas office of Union Bank of California and president of the Salinas Valley chapter, presented a $5,000 donation to Larry Oda, co-chair of the 2000 JACL National Convention. The donation supports the organization’s national convention activities.

Arts & Entertainment

• Philip Kan Gotanda Play Deals With Impact on and Rebuilding of Life After Internment, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Playwright Philip Kan Gotanda and project director Diane Emiko Takei continue developing Gotanda’s newest play about the internment’s impact on Japanese American life in the early 1950s, tentatively titled ‘Bola and Chiz: After the Camps.’ The play explores the challenges evacuees faced returning to rebuild their lives and communities, particularly in San Francisco’s Japantown, drawing on extensive interviews and research funded by the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program.

Obituaries

• Shigeo Wakamatsu, Former National JACL President, Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Shigeo Wakamatsu, a past national JACL president, passed away recently after a lifetime of exemplary service to the organization. He is remembered for his significant contributions and leadership within JACL.

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