Vol. 131, No. 16, October 6, 2000. 8 pages. View this issue
Racial profiling ran through the news of this eight-page issue. Caroline Aoyagi reported on Alberta Lee, who became the public voice for her father, jailed nuclear scientist Dr. Wen Ho Lee, and was honored with an inspiration award by the OCA-Greater Los Angeles chapter. Civil rights groups, including JACL, asked President Clinton for an independent, bipartisan probe of the Lee case. California Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill outlawing racial profiling, and Tracy Uba covered criticism of a Las Vegas car dealer’s TV ad.
On the sports page, cyclist Mari Holden won the silver medal in the women’s time trial at the Sydney Olympics. Harry Honda toured the former Japanese Canadian incarceration camp sites in British Columbia, and Brian Niiya wrote on a Hawaii trustee appointment. JACL pages list the 2000 National Scholarship winners, and a column by Kristine Minami looked at preserving the camps.
What’s in this issue
National
- Community Honors Alberta Lee, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. Alberta Lee, daughter of jailed nuclear scientist Dr. Wen Ho Lee, was honored with an image award at the OCA-Greater Los Angeles chapter’s ninth annual Image Awards banquet. Lee, who became her father’s spokesperson and an outspoken advocate against racial profiling, received the inspiration award alongside author Helen Zia and UPS.
- AAs Say TV Ad Depicts Racial Stereotypes, by Tracy Uba, page 1. A Findlay Toyota TV ad in Las Vegas featuring a stereotyped Asian villain accent and a Caucasian character putting an Asian character in a headlock has drawn criticism from local Asian Americans who say it perpetuates racial stereotypes. The dealership’s general manager defended the ad as a spoof of martial arts films, while Las Vegas JACL and the Anti-Defamation League received complaints and considered further action.
- Civil Rights Groups, Including JACL, Want Independent, Bipartisan Probe of Lee Case, by Associated Press, page 1. Civil rights groups including the Asian Law Caucus, NAPABA, and Chinese for Affirmative Action wrote to President Clinton asking for an independent, bipartisan investigation into the handling of the Wen Ho Lee case and possible racial profiling. They expressed dissatisfaction with congressional inquiries, calling them mere finger-pointing rather than a thorough accounting of the impact on Asian Pacific Americans in national labs.
- Gov. Davis Signs Bill to Outlaw Racial Profiling in California, page 3. California Gov. Gray Davis signed legislation authored by Sen. Kevin Murray that outlaws racial profiling in California and mandates police training on the issue. The bill also establishes a committee to advise the state on preventing racial profiling practices and commits funding to reimburse local jurisdictions for data collection costs.
Sports
- Mari Holden Clinches Silver Medal, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 1. Cyclist Mari Holden, a Hapa athlete from Ventura, California, won the silver medal in the women’s time trial at the Sydney Olympics after a disappointing road race earlier in the games. Leontien Zijlaard of the Netherlands won gold while Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli of France took bronze.
Community
- Close to 500 Attend Sacramento Reunion, page 3. Close to 500 people attended a Sacramento-area reunion event featuring speakers including Congressman Matsui and Consul General Nobuai Tanaka. Cherry Tsutsumida of the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation spoke about the upcoming dedication of the Memorial to Patriotism in Washington, D.C., and thanked the region for its fundraising support.
JACL
- 2000 National Scholarship & Awards Program Letter and Winners, by Ruwada, National Youth Director, page 4. The JACL National Youth Director announced the conclusion of the 2000 National Scholarship and Awards Program, highlighting two new scholarships: the Railroad & Mine Workers Memorial Scholarship and the Kajiwara family scholarship. The letter thanks chapters for disseminating scholarship information and profiles numerous student winners including Stephen Yano, Stacy Yamaoka, Elizabeth Williams, Marc Uemura, Lynsie Ishimaru, Erin Masuoka, Jordan Kawano, Scott Kagawa, Elizabeth Hara, and Erika Chiba.
Commentary
- Japanese Canadians: ‘A Place of Our Own’, by Harry Honda, page 6. Harry Honda writes about the grand opening of Canada’s National Nikkei Heritage Centre in Burnaby, B.C., which houses the Japanese Canadian National Museum and commemorates the 1988 Japanese Canadian redress settlement. The piece recounts a tour of former internment campsites including Greenwood, Kaslo, Sandon, New Denver, and Slocan, detailing their wartime history and current status as museums or tourist attractions.
- Troubled in Paradise: Middlemen Redux, by Brian Niiya, page 6. Brian Niiya expresses concern over Charles Ota’s appointment as the first non-Hawaiian trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs following the Rice v. Cayetano decision, arguing it places a Japanese American in an awkward scapegoat position. He compares this to past instances where JAs were placed in middleman roles amid conflicts between other communities and mainstream institutions, and points to the Akaka bill as a more significant long-term issue.
- Unfinished Business, by Kristine Minami, JACL Wash., D.C. Rep., page 7. Kristine Minami reviews positive developments on JACL’s civil rights priorities since the July convention, including progress on hate crimes legislation and Bill Lann Lee’s confirmation. She reminds readers that the White House budget request to fully fund preservation of internment camps at $4.8 million remains unfinished business requiring continued advocacy.
- Good Hate Crimes?, by Ryan Chin, V.P. Public Affairs, page 7. Ryan Chin recounts how Ferndale, Washington responded to a hate crime by declaring itself a ‘hate-free zone’ and having students organize a Promoting Educating and Celebrating Everyone (PEACE) Week. He argues that instead of focusing solely on hateful acts, communities should highlight and honor positive responses like Ferndale’s to combat hate proactively.
Obituaries
- Renowned Landscape Architect Sasaki Dies at 80, page 7. Hideo Sasaki, a renowned landscape architect who grew up on his family’s truck farm in Reedley, California, and was interned at Poston, Arizona during World War II, died August 30 at a hospital in Walnut Creek. He went on to chair Harvard’s Department of Landscape Architecture for 12 years and ran an internationally known design firm based in Watertown, Massachusetts.
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