After Sept. 11: civil rights, hate crimes and JACL’s finances

Vol. 133, No. 10, November 16, 2001. 12 pages. View this issue

Civil rights after the Sept. 11 attacks ran through this issue. Twenty-seven Dayton, Ohio, organizations, including the Dayton JACL, endorsed a Solidarity Resolution protecting those targeted by bias. Caroline Aoyagi reported on a California hate crimes hearing in Monterey Park, where speakers drew parallels to the World War II incarceration (often called internment). Clyde Owan and Christina Shigemura wrote columns on Pearl Harbor remembrance and the war in Afghanistan. Martha Nakagawa covered the JACL national board meeting in Los Angeles across several pages, including the budget, the Legacy Fund and the Blue Ribbon Committee’s final report.

Elsewhere, Kenneth Tanemura interviewed Art Shibayama about his fight for Japanese Latin American redress, and a short item noted a Senate hearing on the related bill. Other pages covered the completion of the National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism, the plan to name San Jose’s airport after Norman Mineta, the new Masaoka Fellows, and a restoration contract at the Manzanar National Historic Site.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Dayton Community Groups Endorse ‘Solidarity Resolution’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Twenty-seven Dayton, Ohio, area organizations, including the Dayton JACL and various interfaith and pan-minority groups, endorsed a ‘Solidarity Resolution’ calling for protection of civil rights for those targeted or victimized since the Sept. 11 attacks. The resolution, presented to the City of Dayton Commission, urges local governments to condemn hate-related harassment and educate the public to prevent bias-motivated crimes.
• Southern California Supporters Fete Completion of National JA Memorial, by Tracy Uba, page 2. Cressey Nakagawa and George Aratani, board members, toasted the completion of the Washington, D.C. National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism at a Los Angeles reception hosted at the Japanese American National Museum. The event celebrated the memorial’s completion on Nov. 2.
• San Jose City Council Votes to Name Airport After Mineta, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The San Jose City Council voted 10-1 to rename San Jose International Airport after Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, a San Jose native and former mayor and congressman. While many praised the move, including JACL President Floyd Mori, some residents and one council member expressed opposition, citing insufficient public support.
• Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL to Re-enact Japanese American World War II Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL announced plans for a historical re-enactment titled ‘Liberty Lost… Lessons in Loyalty’ commemorating the 1942 evacuation of Nikkei residents from Pajaro Valley. The chapter is seeking donations to fund the event, budgeted at $31,000, scheduled for April 27, 2002.
• Oregon Nikkei Endowment Seeks Support for JA Historical Plaza, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The Oregon Nikkei Endowment is renewing a fundraising campaign to maintain the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Portland by selling remaining copies of the book ‘Touching the Stones.’ The plaza features 13 granite stones designed by landscape architect Robert Murase, with the book chronicling Nikkei history in Oregon.
• Community Celebrates Mineta Birthday, by P.C. Staff, page 10. A community gathering celebrated Norman Mineta’s birthday, with attendees including Sam Chu Lin, Randy Okamura, Reiko Iwanaga, Judy Chu Lin and Joyce Iwasaki. Robert Handa served as co-emcee for the event.
• Cypress College Hosts Panel on Racism, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Cypress College in Orange County held a forum on ‘Racism and National Security’ examining the treatment of ethnic minorities during wartime, from Japanese Americans in WWII to Muslims and Arab Americans post-9/11. Panelists included former PSWD regional director John Saito, Ron Wakabayashi, and representatives from the ACLU and Muslim Public Affairs Council.

National

• Hate Crimes Panel Addresses Rise in Attacks Against Arab and South Asian Americans, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. Michel Shehadeh of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee described being racially profiled at an airport, illustrating the wave of hate crimes facing Arab, Muslim and South Asian Americans since Sept. 11. A California Assembly Select Committee on Hate Crimes hearing in Monterey Park brought together civil rights leaders, law enforcement and victims’ families to discuss the crisis and parallels to the WWII Japanese American internment.
• AA Candidates Score Big in New York, New Jersey, by Associated Press and Wire Reports, page 1. Taiwan-born immigrant John C. Liu became the first Asian American elected to a major office in New York City, winning a City Council seat with backing from Hillary Clinton. Several other Asian American candidates, including Upendra Chivukula in New Jersey, also claimed victory in the Nov. 6 elections.
• National Newsbytes, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 3. This roundup covers several stories: historians comparing media coverage of Pearl Harbor to Sept. 11; growing diversity in children’s books; a Wisconsin jury declining to convict a teen of a hate crime against an Asian American couple; Colorado Senate President Stan Matsunaka entering the governor’s race; and families of Xerox shooting victims suing Xerox and doctors who treated gunman Byran Uyesugi.
• APAs in the News — Awards, Appointments, Announcements, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This roundup highlights achievements of several Asian Pacific Americans: Matt Kelley received a ‘Points of Light’ award from President Bush for his Mavin Foundation work; Kirk B. Nakamura was named a judge of Orange County Superior Court; Sharon Linh Nguyen was appointed to a Presidential Task Force youth advisory council; and Julie Su received a MacArthur Foundation ‘Genius’ Grant.
• Senate to Hold Hearing on JLA Redress Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 9. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled a hearing on Senate Bill 1237, introduced by Sen. Daniel Inouye, which seeks redress equity for Japanese Latin Americans wrongfully imprisoned during WWII. The Campaign for Justice is seeking donations to bring witnesses to testify at the hearing.
• Rep. Honda Pushes for Federalization of Airline Security, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Congressman Mike Honda joined Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt and airline unions in supporting a bill to federalize airport security screeners in the wake of Sept. 11. The bipartisan plan would mandate explosive detection screening for all checked baggage and background checks for airport personnel.
• Manzanar Historic Site Announces Open Contract for Construction Project, by P.C. Staff, page 12. The National Park Service is soliciting proposals from construction firms to restore the historic Manzanar High School Auditorium, including structural and system upgrades and window replacements. The restored building will become the Interpretive Center and Park headquarters for the Manzanar National Historic Site.
• 2002-2003 Gates Millennium Scholars Program Nomination Materials and Guidelines Now Available, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Nomination materials for the 2002-2003 Gates Millennium Scholars Program, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, are now available with a Feb. 1, 2002 deadline. JACL serves on the Asian Pacific Islander American Advisory Committee for the program, which provides scholarships to minority students including Asian Pacific Islander Americans.

JACL

• National Board Looks to Balance JACL’s Financial Future, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. The JACL national board meeting in Los Angeles focused heavily on the organization’s financial troubles, including a revised 2002 budget after the Legacy Fund failed to reach its distribution threshold. The board also addressed the resignation of a regional director, the closure of the CCDC regional office, and authorized hiring a fund developer.
• Two California Women Named Masaoka Fellows, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Allison Kiyomi Kato of Los Angeles and Miho M. Takeshita of San Francisco were named the 2001-2002 recipients of the Mike M. Masaoka Fellowship, which places young leaders in Washington, D.C. congressional offices. Kato will serve in Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office while Takeshita will serve in Rep. Wilma Chan’s office.
• Blue Ribbon Committee Presents Final Report to National Board, by Martha Nakagawa, page 4. The JACL national board favorably received the Blue Ribbon Committee’s final report, which will serve as a blueprint for the organization’s future amid a declining Japanese American population and unclear membership identity. Recommendations included redefining JACL’s mission and vision, restructuring governance, launching new civil rights and cultural values initiatives, and creating a resource institute.
• JACL National Board Looks at Organization’s Finances, by Martha Nakagawa, page 6. Continuing coverage of the JACL national board meeting details extensive discussion of the Legacy Fund, National Endowment Fund, and a revised 2002 budget addressing a $200,000 deficit. The board approved dues increases, investment reallocation recommendations, hiring a fund developer, and roof repairs at headquarters, while also addressing the department of Justice detentions and a new Idaho chapter.

Commentary

• Re: Resisters Resolution, page 2. A letter responding to Hugh Burleson’s earlier letter argues that civil rights legislation wasn’t passed until 1964, long after WWII, so JACL’s wartime leadership had limited legal recourse at the time. The writer, representing Sacramento Nisei Post 8985, states they respect the resisters’ stand but see no need for JACL to apologize for its wartime actions, citing the achievements of the 100th/442nd.
• Stranger Than Fiction: The U.S. and Afghanistan, by Christina Shigemura, page 8. In a poem-style column, the author criticizes U.S. bombing of Afghanistan, tracing the country’s tragic history from Cold War-era CIA involvement funding the Mujahadin to the rise of the Taliban. She argues for including the Revolutionary Association of Women in Afghanistan (RAWA) in peace negotiations to build a stable democratic society.
• Remembering Pearl Harbor, by Clyde Owan, page 8. The author reflects on his family’s experience in America’s WWII concentration camps as the son and grandson of internees, drawing parallels to post-Sept. 11 discrimination against Arabs and Muslims. He calls for Americans to resist hatred and fear, urging tolerance and moral courage rather than repeating the mistakes of the past.

Arts & Entertainment

• 2001 Ammy Awards Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Asian American Entertainers, by Tracy Uba, page 5. The second annual Ammy Awards celebrated Asian Americans in entertainment, featuring co-emcees Amy Hill and Garrett Wang, with awards going to B.D. Wong and Keiko Agena among others. Tsai Chin received the Lifetime Achievement award at the star-studded event.

Sports

• Sacramento Kings Owner Donates to Asian Sports Foundation, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Sacramento Kings and the Maloof family donated $100,000 to the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation to help build a cultural, community and youth recreational facility. The foundation has already raised additional funding from hotel taxes and the State of California toward its 34,000 square-foot complex.

In-Depth

• Q&A with Art Shibayama, Former JLA WWII Internee, by Kenneth Tanemura, page 9. In this interview, Art Shibayama recounts being kidnapped from Peru as a child and interned at Crystal City, Texas, during WWII, and details his decades-long fight for U.S. citizenship and redress. His case, Shibayama v. United States, seeks redress equity for Japanese Latin Americans who did not receive the same compensation as Japanese Americans under the 1988 Civil Liberties Act.

Obituaries

• Obituaries, by P.C. Staff, page 11. This page lists numerous death notices for Japanese American community members from various California cities and beyond, including WWII veterans and Issei and Nisei generation individuals. Each entry details survivors including spouses, children, siblings and grandchildren.
• Toko Fujii, Sacramento Leader, Passes Away at 81, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Toko Fujii, a longtime Sacramento JACL chapter leader since 1942, passed away Nov. 8 from complications after a fall. He was instrumental in starting JACL youth sports programs and spearheaded publication of a chapter history book, and was honored posthumously as a community ‘spark plug’ who bridged generations.
• Hawaii Writer Allan Beekman, 88, Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Writer and Pacific Citizen contributor Allan E. Beekman passed away Oct. 29 in Honolulu at age 88. He wrote prolifically about Japan and Hawaii’s Japanese community, including books about the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and served for 40 years with the Hawaii Herald.

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