After Sept. 11: war hysteria, the media and Japanese American memory

Vol. 133, No. 9, November 2, 2001. 12 pages. View this issue

The aftermath of Sept. 11 shaped much of this 12-page issue. Martha Nakagawa reported on a roundtable at the Japanese American National Museum where ethnic and mainstream journalists discussed gaps in coverage, including reaching the Afghan American community. Gordon Hirabayashi wrote a pacifist’s response to terrorism, and Bill Marutani took on the yearly claims of Japanese American sabotage that surface near the Dec. 7 anniversary. A commentary compared the treatment of Arab Americans and Muslims with the World War II incarceration (often called internment) of Japanese Americans.

Elsewhere, Kenneth Tanemura interviewed poet Amy Uyematsu about her second book, and Harry Honda surveyed historic Japanese gardens across the United States and Canada. A roundup covered preservation work at Heart Mountain, Manzanar, Minidoka and Gila River. The issue also announced the 2001 JACL National Scholarship winners, 38 awards totaling $68,000, and a new agency for gay and lesbian Asian Pacific Islanders.

What’s in this issue

Arts & Entertainment

• Q&A with Poet Amy Uyematsu, by Kenneth Tanemura, page 1. Sansei poet Amy Uyematsu discusses her second poetry collection, ‘Nights of Fire, Nights of Rain,’ and how her themes have evolved from Japanese American identity to broader topics like nature, aging, and race. She reflects on her early work ‘Roots: An Asian American Reader’ and her connection to women of color and racial memory tied to her Japanese heritage.

National

• Ethnic Media Roundtable Highlights Gaps in Mainstream Coverage of Sept. 11 Aftermath, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. A roundtable discussion at the Japanese American National Museum brought together ethnic and mainstream media to discuss coverage gaps following the Sept. 11 attacks. Panelists including Los Angeles Times writer Teresa Watanabe admitted difficulty connecting with the Afghan American community, while others criticized mainstream media for ignoring positive community contributions and misrepresenting Islam.
• National Newsbytes: Violence Down but Workplace Discrimination Up, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 3. Civil rights groups report a decline in violent hate crimes against Arabs, Muslims and South Asians since Sept. 11, but workplace discrimination complaints have risen, with 960 total complaints filed between Sept. 11 and Oct. 22. Additional briefs cover ‘hate-free zone’ poster campaigns and archaeological discoveries at a 19th century Chinatown site.
• Coverage Gaps Persist as Media Struggles to Reach Afghan American Community, page 5. This continuation piece details panelists’ criticisms of mainstream media’s coverage failures following 9/11, including Aslam Abdullah’s critique of disproportionate coverage given to figures like bin Laden versus mainstream Muslim voices. Mozghan Mojab and John Paley also discussed U.S. foreign policy history in the Middle East and the underreported positive contributions of Arab American communities.

Commentary

• War Hysteria, Race Prejudice and the Failure of Political Leadership, page 1. The article draws parallels between post-9/11 treatment of Arab Americans and Muslims and the WWII internment of Japanese Americans, citing the 1983 Commission on Wartime Relocation report’s findings of race prejudice, war hysteria, and failed political leadership. It warns against proposed legislation allowing indefinite detention without judicial review, urging Americans to defend constitutional rights for all groups.
• Letters to the Editor: In Remembrance of a Dedicated Nurse, page 2. A letter writer pays tribute to Thelma McBride, a registered nurse at the Rohwer Relocation Center during WWII who cared for internees including a hospitalized quadriplegic patient. The writer expresses gratitude for having known McBride as a friend and colleague.
• A Pacifist’s Response to Terrorism, by Gordon Hirabayashi, page 3. Longtime pacifist Gordon Hirabayashi reflects on his reaction to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and questions how the U.S. and world define terrorism and its perpetrators. He compares the internment of Japanese Americans and Nazi concentration camps to raise questions about consistent standards for identifying terrorism and victims.
• Whose Nation? Troubled in Paradise, page 9. The columnist critiques Eric L. Muller’s characterization of the Sept. 11 attackers as being of a different race and culture than ‘this nation,’ pointing out America’s multicultural makeup. The piece warns that language distinguishing ‘Americans’ from other ethnic groups reinforces attitudes that led to Japanese American internment and could justify similar treatment of Arab Americans today.
• The Japanese Gardens in Our Midst, by Harry Honda, page 9. Harry Honda catalogs dozens of historic Japanese gardens across the United States and Canada, from San Antonio to Seattle to Vancouver, drawing on clippings from the Pacific Citizen archive. He details the origins, designers, and preservation status of gardens including those at the Huntington Library, Descanso Gardens, and various internment camp memorial sites.
• The Annual Smear Fest, by Bill Marutani, page 11. Bill Marutani criticizes the recurring pattern of unsubstantiated claims about Japanese American espionage or sabotage that resurface around the Dec. 7 anniversary, citing the 1982 CWRIC report’s finding that internment was not justified by military necessity. He challenges those making such claims to provide actual evidence or cease the racial profiling rhetoric.

Community

• Support Agency Launched for Gay, Lesbian APIs, by Tracy Uba, page 1. Augustin Paculdar’s experience of discrimination at a gay club by his own community sparked support for a new social service agency serving LGBTQ Asian Pacific Islanders. The Asian Pacific Islander Hate Crimes/Harassment Response Intervention Team launched to provide community education, media tolerance campaigns, and support services.
• Youngest CCLPEP Recipients Showcase Youth Perspectives, page 10. Kenji M. Treanor and Yukiya Jerry Waki, the youngest-ever CCLPEP grant recipients, are producing an independent zine called ‘wirecutting’ to showcase young Nikkei perspectives on history, identity and politics. The duo are touring West Coast conferences and hosting workshops to solicit submissions and mentor young writers and artists.

JACL

• CCLPEP Announces Informational Meeting Schedule for 2002 Grants, page 4. The California Civil Liberties Public Education Program announced a statewide series of informational meetings to assist applicants seeking funding for fiscal year 2001-2002. The program, created through legislation by then-Assemblyman Mike Honda, funds public education about the Japanese American WWII experience.
• Facilitators Needed for Go For Broke Education Program, page 4. The Go For Broke Educational Foundation seeks workshop facilitators to train educators about the Japanese American WWII experience through its American Story Teacher Training Workshop Program. Since 1999, 16 workshops have trained over 400 educators throughout California on JA immigration, internment, and the reparations movement.
• National JACL Scholarship Winners Announced for 2001, page 6. JACL announced its 2001 scholarship winners across freshman, undergraduate, graduate, law and arts categories, awarding 38 scholarships totaling $68,000. Winning essays explored themes of Japanese American cultural identity, assimilation, and community engagement in the 21st century.

In-Depth

• Camp Updates: Heart Mountain, Manzanar, Santa Fe, Minidoka, page 4. This roundup covers preservation and development progress at former internment camp sites including Heart Mountain’s honor roll and interpretive center, Manzanar’s new visitor center construction, and Santa Fe’s historical marker fundraising campaign. It also details cleanup efforts at Gila River’s Canal Camp and Butte Camp sites and Minidoka’s new National Park status.

Obituaries

• Obituaries, page 11. This issue’s obituary section lists numerous Japanese American community members who passed away, including Shozo Adachi, George Keiichi Aoyagi, Sadayo Fajii, and many others, detailing their survivors and hometowns. Entries span individuals born in Japan, Hawaii, and across the mainland United States.

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