The Manzanar Project in Eritrea and the 2001 resisters debate

Vol. 132, No. 6, April 6, 2001. 12 pages. View this issue

Gordon Sato, who spent his World War II years at Manzanar, was the subject of the front-page story by Martha Nakagawa. He founded the Manzanar Project in Eritrea, where local women are trained to grow mangroves and raise fish to feed the hungry. Inside, the Commentary page carried a sharp exchange over JACL’s apology to draft resisters. A group of WWII veterans opposed it, and Hisashi Ishizaki wrote in support of the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee members. Tom Kometani remembered Walt Woodward, and an Associated Press obituary reported his death at 91.

Also in this issue: the 32nd annual Manzanar pilgrimage was set for April 28, and Frank R. Hays was named superintendent of the Manzanar National Historic Site. Brian Niiya wrote about the push for Japanese Latin American redress, and Harry K. Honda looked at Japanese internment in Australia. Census 2000 coverage, hate crime bills and a JACL e-Mentoring program rounded out the news.

What’s in this issue

In-Depth

• Manzanar Project Helps Feed Hungry in Eritrea, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. Dr. Gordon Sato, who was interned at Manzanar during WWII, founded the Manzanar Project in Eritrea to cultivate mangroves and fish using sunlight, sea water and chemicals to feed the hungry. The project, funded initially through Japanese contacts, trains local women to grow mangroves and raise fish to combat famine despite environmental concerns and ongoing border wars.
• The Aussie Nikkei: Evacuees Suffered the Most, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Harry Honda recounts the history of Japanese internment in Australia during WWII, drawing from the book ‘Unwanted Aliens: Japanese Internment in Australia.’ The piece details how Australia interned Japanese nationals and their Australian-born children, arguing they suffered worse treatment than internees in the U.S. and Canada, and that unlike American Nikkei, Australian Japanese never organized to seek compensation.

National

• Bill to Allow U.S. WWII POWs to Sue Japanese Companies Over Slave Labor, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 1. Rep. Mike Honda and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher introduced the ‘Justice for United States Prisoners of War Act’ to allow American WWII POWs to sue Japanese companies that used them as slave labor. The State Department has argued the 1951 peace treaty bars such lawsuits, but JACL has taken no position on the legislation citing its bylaws limiting involvement to domestic issues.
• Kings’ Jason Williams Apologizes for Anti-Asian and Anti-Gay Remarks, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 1. Sacramento Kings guard Jason Williams issued an apology after directing anti-Asian and anti-gay slurs at hecklers during a game against the Golden State Warriors. The NBA fined Williams $15,000 for the incident, which was not his first instance of making offensive comments to fans.
• House Votes to Toughen State Hate Crime Law, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 3. The Illinois House voted to expand the state’s hate crime law following a 1999 racially motivated shooting spree by Benjamin Smith. The bill creates the offense of ‘conspiracy against civil rights’ targeting leaders of hate groups and increases penalties for hate crimes.
• Matsui Reintroduces Hate Crime Legislation as Original Cosponsor, by P.C. Staff, page 3. U.S. Rep. Robert Matsui announced he is co-sponsoring the bipartisan Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (LLEEA), which would streamline investigation and prosecution of hate crimes at the federal level. Asian American civil rights groups are urging Congress to pass the law, which would extend protections to crimes motivated by sexual orientation, gender or disability.
• APA Population Increases Nationwide, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Census 2000 data shows dramatic growth in Asian American and Pacific Islander populations across multiple states including Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Alabama, Washington, California and Hawaii. The report examines regional trends including immigration patterns, business growth, and the new distinction between Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander census categories.
• Report Shows Increased Dropout Rate for API Students in 1999, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A U.S. Census Bureau report found that Asian Pacific Islander children of immigrants contributed to record student enrollment in 1999, with 88 percent having at least one foreign-born parent. The report also found a 4.8 percent dropout rate among API high school students, the highest in five years.
• Census 2000 and the Multiracial Debate, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The 2000 Census allowed Americans to mark more than one race for the first time, and Asian Americans were more likely than other minorities to identify as multiracial. Civil rights groups worry this could dilute the political clout of minority populations in discrimination cases.
• National Newsbytes, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 5. This roundup covers several national stories including a Supreme Court review of an affirmative action case, a court ruling against race-based admissions at University of Michigan law school, opposition to Texas hate crimes bills, and the honoring of Medal of Honor recipients William Nakamura and James Okubo in Seattle. Additional items cover API population rallies in Washington state, arrests of white supremacists in Reno, gang violence in Honolulu, and a rape case involving Japanese students in Spokane.

JACL

• JACL Launches e-Mentoring Program, by Tracy Uba, page 1. JACL has launched an e-Mentoring program pairing Asian Pacific Islander students ages 16-25 with adult professionals for career and life guidance via email. Pacific Southwest Regional Director Beth Au said the program is still in its infancy but has already made several matches, with hopes to expand funding and professional networks.
• Nearly 300 Attend D.C. Reception to Honor Mineta, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Close to 300 people attended a reception organized by JACL and other Asian Pacific American organizations honoring Norman Y. Mineta as the 14th U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Speakers including Rep. Mike Honda and JACL national director John Tateishi praised Mineta’s historic career and role as a mentor to other APAs in public service.
• EDC, MDC, MPDC Tri-District Conference June 28-July 1, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The 2001 EDC, MDC, MPDC Tri-District Conference will be held at the Westin Hotel in Cincinnati with the theme ‘Passing the Torch Through Education.’ The conference will feature workshops on teacher training, financial planning, and a keynote address by Howard University Professor Frank Wu.
• Okura Fellows Program Postponed Due to Founder’s Illness, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The 10th Okura Fellows ‘Week in Washington’ program has been postponed to spring 2002 due to an illness suffered by founder K. Patrick Okura. The more than 200 applicants for the program will be reconsidered next year.
• APAWLI’s Third National Summit Planned for April 6-8, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The Asian Pacific American Women’s Leadership Institute will hold its third national summit in Seattle, gathering APA women to discuss social, political and professional issues. Keynote speakers include Martha Choe, Rev. Wako Puanani Burgess, and Josie Natori, with workshops covering leadership, culture and personal empowerment.

Obituaries

• Community Mourns Passing of JACL Leaders Takahashi and Liggett, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Toyoko Mae Takahashi and Peggy S. Liggett, two prominent Central California District Council JACL leaders, both passed away in March. The two had previously led an investigation into JACL’s national finances that helped bring the organization back to fiscal health.
• Walt Woodward, Publisher Who Opposed JA Internment, Dies, by Associated Press, page 11. Walter C. Woodward Jr., former publisher of the Bainbridge Island Review who editorialized against Japanese American internment during WWII, died March 19 at age 91. He received JACL’s Edison Uno Civil Rights Award and was inducted into Washington state’s Centennial Hall of Honor for his civil libertarian contributions.

Community

• Kitagawa Award Recipients, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Venice Culver JACL announced the first recipients of awards from the Frances Kitagawa Leadership Development Fund: Diane Tanaka, Garrett Ogata and Katina Kubota. Tanaka and Ogata received stipends to attend the JACL/OCA Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., while Kubota will participate in a student ambassador program in Australia.
• Sacramento to Host Annual Dinner Honoring Scholarship Recipients, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Sacramento JACL will hold its annual scholarship dinner on May 24 at the Holiday Villa Restaurant, honoring more than 20 scholarship award winners totaling over $20,000. Tickets are $20 per person and reservations can be made through the JACL office.
• Watsonville JACL to Host ‘American Story’ Education Program, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Go For Broke Education Foundation will hold a community meeting in Watsonville to present its ‘American Story’ Education Program focused on Japanese American WWII history and teacher training. The event is part of a statewide effort to raise awareness of educational programs on Japanese American history.
• Deadline for Poston Reunion Registration is April 25, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The 10th Poston Camp III reunion will be held in San Diego from June 1-3, with a registration deadline of April 25. Keynote speaker Dr. Ruth Okimoto will discuss how the Poston camp site was selected, and the event will feature internee-made artifacts and a full-size barrack reproduction.
• Placer JACL Teams with Sierra College on ‘Standing Guard’ Project, by Debra Sutphen, Ph.D., page 6. Placer JACL and Sierra Community College have partnered on a year-long art and education project called ‘Standing Guard’ documenting the impact of WWII internment on the local Japanese American community. The project includes oral history collection by students and will culminate in a 2002 exhibit featuring photography, artifacts and student projects.
• 32nd Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage Set for April 28, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The 32nd annual pilgrimage to the Manzanar National Historic Site will take place April 28, saluting the Gila River and Topaz War Relocation camps. The event will feature updates from the new site superintendent, a plaque presentation in memory of Shiro Nomura, and taiko drumming performances.
• Nikkei in Sports and Community News Briefs, by P.C. Staff, page 7. This roundup covers achievements of several Japanese Americans including UCLA student Nakamura’s National Society of Collegiate Scholars honor, Mona Pasquil’s appointment as political director for Gov. Gray Davis, teacher Diane Honda’s national journalism award, golfer Kellie Kamimura’s course record, Shinae Chun’s nomination to lead the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau, attorney Sandra Yamate’s ABA presentation, and Assemblyman George Nakano’s appointment to chair California’s first Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus.
• New NPS Superintendent Named for Manzanar National Historic Site, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Frank R. Hays has accepted the position of superintendent for Manzanar National Historic Site, bringing prior experience from national parks and monuments in Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. Hays expressed interest in learning from communities and former internees about the site’s history.

Commentary

• New Friends, Old Issues: Troubled in Paradise, by Brian Niiya, page 8. Brian Niiya writes about meeting James and Yoshie Tanabe through Honolulu JACL and their growing involvement in advocacy for Japanese Latin American (JLA) redress. The Tanabes have lobbied in Washington D.C. and worked on legislation to secure reparations for JLAs who were excluded from the original 1988 Civil Liberties Act settlement.
• WWII Veterans Oppose JACL Apology to Resisters, by Sus Satow, James Tanabe, Leo Hosoda, Kashiwabara, Tom Kometani, Tom Fujimoto, and Shig Yokote, page 9. A group of WWII veterans argue against JACL’s apology to draft resisters, contending that Nisei veterans’ wartime sacrifices and combat achievements were what earned respect and civil rights gains for Japanese Americans. The authors argue that any apologies should instead be directed to fallen and wounded Nisei soldiers and Medal of Honor recipients.
• WWII Veteran Supports Stand Taken by Resisters of Conscience, by Hisashi Ishizaki, page 9. Hisashi Ishizaki, a former WWII veteran, responds to critics of JACL’s apology to draft resisters, defending the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee members’ principled stance against unconstitutional internment. He challenges claims that resisters were disloyal or responsible for violence against JACL leaders, noting many went on to serve their communities after receiving presidential pardons.
• Remembering Walt Woodward, by Tom Kometani, page 10. Tom Kometani reflects on attending the memorial service for Walt Woodward, the Bainbridge Island Review editor who courageously defended Japanese American internees during WWII through his editorials. Woodward was remembered by over 500 community members as a role model for standing up for constitutional rights and justice.
• A Day in the Life, by Beth Au, page 10. PSWD Regional Director Beth Au recounts a day in her work at the JACL office, including attending the sentencing of white supremacist Buford Furrow for the shooting of Filipino American postal worker Joseph Ileto. She reflects on community solidarity in the aftermath of the hate crime and the emotional toll of the courtroom proceedings.

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