The 36th JACL national convention in Monterey, 2000

Vol. 131, No. 4, July 14, 2000. 8 pages. View this issue

The close of the 36th JACL biennial convention in Monterey filled this eight-page issue. U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno keynoted the Sayonara Banquet, where Paul Kawata was named JA of the Biennium. Martha Nakagawa reported on the national council’s votes: a distribution policy for the JACL Legacy Fund that kept dues from rising, aging issues added to the Program for Action, and amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws. Floyd Mori, newly elected national president, thanked the organizers.

The resolution recognizing the Nisei Resisters of Conscience drew a page of reader letters, some for it and some against, along with a staff Q&A. Bill Hosokawa wrote on presidential statements about the World War II incarceration (often called internment), and Bill Marutani on his years with Mike Masaoka. Kristine Minami covered the Washington tribute to Medal of Honor recipients, and Lyndsey Shinoda covered Helen Zia’s youth luncheon keynote.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno Keynotes California Sayonara Banquet, by Tracy Uba, page 1. U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno delivered the keynote address at JACL’s Sayonara Banquet in Monterey, capping off the 36th biennial convention. She spoke about the fragility of democracy and referenced the Japanese American internment as a warning against taking civil liberties for granted, while other speakers including Norman Mineta, Lon Hatamiya, Paul Igasaki, and Mike Honda also addressed attendees.
• JA of the Biennium: Kawata Continues Fight Against AIDS, by Tracy Uba, page 1. Paul Kawata, executive director of the National Minority AIDS Council, was named JA of the Biennium for his work promoting AIDS awareness among gay and lesbian Asian Pacific Islanders. He gave an emotional acceptance speech at the Sayonara Banquet, crediting his father’s example of courage during internment as inspiration for his activism.
• Ross Hopkins, Ken Inouye, Seattle Chapter Honored at Awards Luncheon, by Tracy Uba, page 1. At the 36th biennial awards luncheon, JACL honored individuals and groups for their contributions, including Ross Hopkins with the Edison Uno Civil Rights Award for his work as Manzanar National Historic Site superintendent, and Ken Inouye of the SELANOCO chapter as JACLer of the Biennium. The Seattle chapter received the George Inagaki Chapter Citizenship Award.
• Legacy Fund Distribution Staves Off Dues Increase, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. The national JACL council adopted a moderate distribution policy for the JACL Legacy Fund, freeing up roughly $180,000 for the operating budget and preventing a membership dues increase for 2001-2002. The decision followed extensive debate over how to distribute capital gains from the $8 million fund, guided by legal analysis from the firm Silk, Adler & Colvin.
• National Council Adds Aging Issues to Program for Action, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. The national council debated and revised JACL’s Program for Action, ultimately creating a standing PFA committee and adding aging issues as a priority under Section IV addressing the changing dynamics of the Japanese American community. The amendment was championed by John Yamada, who argued there was nothing in the PFA for older JACL members.
• Constitution and Bylaw Amendments, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. The national council reviewed and voted on several proposed amendments to JACL’s Constitution and Bylaws, covering topics such as national board structure, the national director’s duties, and floor nominations for candidates. Some amendments passed while others, like allowing the immediate past president to serve as an ex-officio non-voting member, failed to pass.
• Author Helen Zia Keynotes Youth Luncheon, by Lyndsey Shinoda, page 3. Author and journalist Helen Zia keynoted the JACL youth luncheon, sharing her childhood experiences as a Chinese American growing up in New Jersey and discovering her voice through civil rights activism at Princeton. Youth director Jaclyn Kuwada also introduced a new JACL e-mentoring program, and youth speaker Nicole Inouye urged increased efforts to recruit younger members.
• Legacy Fund and Budget Details Finalized at Convention, by Martha Nakagawa, page 8. Following the Legacy Fund distribution decision, the national council passed the 2001-2002 budget with the freed-up $180,000 preventing a dues increase, though delegates like Jeff Itami cautioned against over-committing unrealized funds. The budget passed with all but four chapters voting in favor after debate over increasing funding for various JACL programs.
• Awards Luncheon Honors JACLer of the Biennium and Special Recognitions, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Ken Inouye was named 1998-2000 JACLer of the Biennium for his service on national, district, and chapter levels, while his daughter Nicole spoke about her experience as a Masaoka fellow interning in Rep. Patsy Mink’s office. JACL also presented the George Inagaki Chapter Citizenship Award to Seattle and Special Recognition Awards to the national JACL Credit Union and JACL Health Insurance.

Commentary

• A Job Well Done, by Floyd Mori, page 3. Newly elected National JACL President Floyd Mori thanks Larry Oda, Edith Ichiuji, and everyone involved in organizing the successful 36th biennial convention in Monterey. He pledges his support for JACL programs, chapters, and members, and commits to strengthening the organization’s legislative advocacy work over the coming biennium.
• Facts About the Resisters, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This staff-prepared Q&A explains the JACL resolution recognizing the Nisei Resisters of Conscience, clarifying what the resolution calls for, why it was proposed, and addressing common points of confusion about the resisters’ wartime stance. It notes the resolution seeks recognition, reconciliation, and an apology, initiated by JACL members rather than the resisters themselves.
• The Last Hurrah, by Bill Marutani, page 6. Bill Marutani reflects on his long association with Mike Masaoka, including his role in establishing the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation and the Mike M. Masaoka Fellowship Fund, amid controversy over Masaoka’s legacy and the JACL Creed. He shares his personal epiphany about the Creed’s limitations as a forward-looking mantra for Nikkei Americans and his final conversations with Masaoka about the memorial’s meaning.
• Getting on With Life, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Bill Hosokawa’s column reviews the history of presidential statements on Japanese American internment, from FDR’s Executive Order 9066 through Clinton’s 2000 White House ceremony honoring Medal of Honor recipients. He argues it is time to move past bitterness over the wartime injustice and get on with life.
• Resister Debate: Veteran Objects to Recognition Ceremony, by Tom Masanori, page 7. A veteran writes to object to JACL’s proposed public ceremony recognizing the resisters, arguing that veterans who fought and died deserve more recognition than those who refused service. He states he would not attend such a ceremony and feels ashamed of his past JACL involvement if the resolution proceeds.
• Resister Resolution Needed More Debate, by Frank Nishio, page 7. A reader argues the resisters’ resolution was one of JACL’s most controversial issues and criticizes the organization for pursuing an apology that neither the resisters requested nor opponents believe is warranted. He suggests JACL reconsider what he views as an inflated non-issue.
• Reader Pleased With Passage of Resolution, by Marvin T. Uratsu, page 7. A reader expresses relief that the resolution on the Resisters of Conscience passed, calling it a fitting closure to a painful chapter in Japanese American history despite the discomfort it caused some. He calls for community reconciliation and continued vigilance against the failures of political leadership that caused the original injustice.
• A Thank-You From a Resister, page 7. A resister writes to thank the JACL community for taking what they describe as a giant step forward with the passage of the resolution. The letter expresses gratitude for the recognition after decades of stigma.
• Re: Barbie Dolls, page 7. A young Hapa reader responds to a previous article about Barbie dolls and racial identity, describing how she once denied her Asian heritage as a child wishing to look like Barbie. She credits writers like Minami as inspirational role models who helped her become proud of her culture.

National

• APA Community Pays Tribute to APA Medal of Honor Heroes, by Kristine Minami, page 6. The Washington D.C. Asian Pacific American community held a tribute event at the Washington Hilton following the White House ceremony awarding the Medal of Honor to 22 Japanese American WWII veterans, including medic James Okubo. Emcee George Takei and family members of honorees, including relatives of Robert T. Kuroda and Yukio Okutsu, spoke about the significance of the long-delayed recognition.

Obituaries

• Joseph Tadashi Oyama, Longtime Contributor to Pacific Citizen, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Joseph Tadashi Oyama, 88, of Berkeley, died June 19; he was a Suisun-born editor at the Santa Anita Pacemaker and the Denson Magnet during WWII incarceration, working alongside his wife Asami. He later became a longtime New York City resident and frequent contributor to the Pacific Citizen through his column, Manhattan Echoes.

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