Learning from the incarceration after 9-11: Day of Remembrance 2002

Vol. 134, No. 4, March 1, 2002. 8 pages. View this issue

Day of Remembrance events led this issue, marking 60 years since Executive Order 9066. Tracy Uba reported on a UCLA forum where Dale Minami, a civil rights attorney in the Fred Korematsu coram nobis case, spoke about the World War II incarceration (often called internment) and how it bore on the treatment of Muslim, Sikh and Arab Americans after September 11. Martha Nakagawa covered the LA8 case and the McCarran-Walter Act, and Uba reported on a new book of legal curriculum on the internment.

Also inside: Caroline Aoyagi and Ted Namba on supporting the paper, the settled YWCA dispute in San Francisco’s Japantown, Proposition 40 and the remaining Japantowns, and Apolo Anton Ohno and Michelle Kwan at the Salt Lake City Olympics. JACL news covered the Resisters of Conscience ceremony and the 2002 convention auction.

What’s in this issue

National

• Law Experts, New Book Reflect on Internment Legacy at UCLA DOR Event, by Tracy Uba, page 1. Prominent Asian American law experts gathered at UCLA for a Day of Remembrance forum marking the 60th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, drawing parallels between the Japanese American internment and post-9/11 treatment of Muslim, Sikh, and Arab Americans. Keynote speaker Dale Minami emphasized how the redress campaign gave JAs a political voice to stand with other targeted communities today.
• McCarran-Walter Act at Center of Ongoing Deportation Battle, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. Palestinian American activist Shehadeh, keynote speaker at the L.A. Day of Remembrance, discussed how the McCarran-Walter Act has been used for 15 years in attempts to deport him and other members of the ‘LA8’ case. He urged attendees to critically examine American Middle East policy in the wake of September 11.
• Ownership Dispute Over San Francisco YWCA Settled, by Associated Press, page 1. A legal battle over a Japantown landmark building, the Julia Morgan-designed YWCA building, has been settled with ownership transferring to Nihonmachi Little Friends daycare program. The dispute stemmed from a 1997 lawsuit alleging the YWCA broke a promise made to Issei women in the 1920s to hold the property in trust.
• Judge Dismisses Defamation Case Against Wen Ho Lee, by Associated Press, page 1. A federal judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit against former Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee after government attorneys warned the case could compromise national security. Lee was previously arrested on espionage suspicions in 1999 before charges were dropped and President Clinton apologized for his treatment.
• Lee Becomes First Asian American Woman to Serve in State Legislature, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. Susan Lee was appointed by Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening to a vacant House of Delegates seat, becoming the first Asian American woman in the state legislature. Lee pledged to represent her district as well as underrepresented Asian Pacific American and other minority communities.
• Matsunaka to Run for Congress Instead of Governor, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. Colorado Senate President Stan Matsunaka dropped his gubernatorial bid to instead run for Congress in the 4th District, citing calls from supporters and Democratic leaders. He said he could make a bigger difference for constituents on issues like health care and rural transportation.
• Portland’s Asian Americans a Diverse, United Group, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. U.S. Census figures show Portland has one of the most ethnically diverse Asian American populations in the nation, with no single dominant group. Leaders from various AA communities work together on shared concerns despite still feeling overlooked as a group.
• JA Council Urges ‘Yes’ Vote on Proposition to Save Japantowns, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. The California Japanese American Community Leadership Council urged voters to support Proposition 40, a $2.6 billion park bond measure including $267.5 million for historical and cultural preservation. If passed, it would help preserve the three remaining historical Japantowns in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose.
• LA8 Case Continues Fight Against Deportation Under McCarran-Walter Act, by Martha Nakagawa, page 7. The LA8 case, involving Palestinian activists arrested in 1987, continues through the federal court system after 15 years, having successfully challenged the constitutionality of charges under the McCarran-Walter Act and later the 1990 Immigration Act. Shehadeh noted the case’s importance in preventing the government from using secret evidence against immigrants and setting precedent for detained Arab and Muslim Americans post-9/11.

Commentary

• A Thank-You From the Pacific Citizen, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 2. The Pacific Citizen executive editor thanks donors, including the Arizona JACL chapter and an anonymous donor who gave $14,100, for supporting the paper’s equipment wish list. The piece also details JACL’s financial struggles that forced the paper to shrink from weekly to semi-monthly and from 12 to 8 pages.
• ‘$2002 Challenge’ Urges Chapters to Support Pacific Citizen, by Ted Namba, page 2. The Arizona JACL chapter president explains the chapter’s $2002 donation to the Pacific Citizen and challenges other chapters to make similar contributions. He argues that maintaining the newspaper is vital for communication across JACL’s national membership.
• Jaywalking in Seattle, by Bill Salmon, page 2. A reader writes in response to prior coverage of a jaywalking incident involving Seattle police, arguing that continued emphasis on the story is excessive. The writer supports the paper’s anti-discrimination efforts but questions the significance of this particular incident.

Obituaries

• Medal of Honor Recipient Rudolph Davila Dies, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. Rudolph Davila, who received the Medal of Honor 56 years after saving 130 American soldiers in World War II, died of cancer at age 85. President Clinton awarded him the medal along with 21 other WWII servicemen, mainly Japanese Americans from the 100th/442nd RCT.
• Obituaries, by P.C. Staff, page 8. This section lists detailed obituaries for several community members including Kiyo Hanamura, Shizu Hirabayashi, Akira Izumi, Rev. Chiaki Kazuhara, Calvin Yutaka Nakano, Henry Okubo, Harry Takagi, Bill Shiro Umezu, and others. Many were WWII veterans or internees who made significant contributions to their communities.
• Mary Teruko Kasama Death Notice, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Mary Teruko Kasama of Union City, California passed away, survived by six grandchildren; she was preceded in death by her husband Frank Kasama and brother Shoji Daita. Funeral and burial services were held in Fremont and San Mateo, with remembrance contributions directed to a scholarship fund in her family’s name.

JACL

• Bidding a Brighter JACL: Auction Seeks Donations for 2002 Convention, by Ryan Chin, Natl V.P. of Public Affairs, page 4. National JACL is gathering items for an auction during the 2002 Las Vegas convention, with proceeds benefiting national membership efforts. Donors can split proceeds 50/50 between national JACL and their chapter or district, with items valued at $50 or more sought.
• JACL to Hold Resisters of Conscience Ceremony May 11, by Alan Teruya and Andy Noguchi, page 6. National JACL will hold a public ceremony in San Francisco to recognize and reconcile with the Nisei Resisters of Conscience, over 300 men who refused the draft during WWII while protesting the denial of full constitutional rights to incarcerated Japanese Americans. The ceremony follows a 2000 JACL resolution apologizing for not previously acknowledging the resisters’ principled civil rights stand.

Community

• Florin to Host 20th Annual Time of Remembrance, by P.C. Staff, page 4. JACL Executive Director John Tateishi will speak at Florin JACL’s 20th Annual Time of Remembrance program, drawing parallels between the WWII Japanese American internment and post-9/11 profiling of Muslim and Arab Americans. The event will include awards, a candlelight ceremony, and historical exhibits including a replica barrack.
• San Mateo to Co-sponsor 9-11 Community Dialogue, by P.C. Staff, page 4. San Mateo JACL is co-sponsoring a California Council for the Humanities event to discuss the implications of the September 11 attacks, including hate crime prevention and civil liberties. The Japanese American internment experience will provide historical context, alongside a traveling exhibit and panel of humanities scholars.
• Okura Mental Health Leadership Foundation Seeks Young Leaders, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Okura Asian Pacific American Mental Health Leadership Foundation is accepting applications for its ‘Week in Washington’ leadership seminar for young leaders aged 26-39. Applications are due by March 16 and the seminar includes meetings with top administrators in mental health and policy fields.
• Gilroy, San Benito County and Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL Hold Joint Installation, by Marcia Hashimoto, page 6. Three JACL chapters held a joint installation of officers on Jan. 25 at the San Juan Oaks Golf Club with over 100 attendees. Congressman Mike Honda made a guest appearance while keynote speaker Judge Joseph F. Biafore discussed events of the past year including the 2000 election and September 11.

Sports

• American Minorities Make Mark at Winter Games, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 5. American minority athletes had an unprecedented showing at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, winning seven of the U.S.’s record 30 medals despite representing only about a dozen of 211 athletes. Standouts included bobsledder Vonetta Flowers, figure skater Michelle Kwan, hockey player Julie Chu, and speedskaters Apolo Anton Ohno, Derek Parra, and Jennifer Rodriguez.
• Ohno Takes Home Gold and Silver in Short-Track Speedskating, by Associated Press, page 5. Apolo Anton Ohno won a gold medal in the 1,500-meter and silver in the 1,000-meter short-track speedskating events at the Salt Lake City Olympics. He was disqualified in the 500 meters after a collision and finished fourth in the relay after a teammate’s fall, but expressed happiness with his overall performance.
• Kwan Earns Bronze After Upset in Figure Skating, by Associated Press, page 5. Michelle Kwan lost the gold medal to 16-year-old Sarah Hughes in one of the biggest upsets in Olympic figure skating history, settling for bronze after mistakes in her long program. Russia’s Irina Slutskaya took silver, while Kwan remains uncertain about competing in the 2006 Turin Olympics.

Arts & Entertainment

• Book Reviews: American Fuji and More, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This roundup reviews several new books including Sara Backer’s novel ‘American Fuji’ about cross-cultural mishaps in modern Japan, Yatika Sowa’s ‘To Smell of Sulfur,’ and Warren I. Cohen’s history of U.S.-East Asia relations. Also featured are academic anthologies on Asian American communities and a guide to doing business with Japan.

In-Depth

• UCLA Day of Remembrance Panel Explores Legal Parallels and New Book on Internment, by Tracy Uba, page 7. Panelists including Ketu Katrack, Eric Yamamoto, Frank Wu, Carol Izumi, Margaret Chon, and Jerry Kang discussed their new book ‘Race, Rights and Reparation: Law and the Japanese American Internment,’ funded by a Civil Liberties Public Education Fund grant. The authors described it as the first legal curriculum connecting internment history to contemporary issues like the Wen Ho Lee case and the PATRIOT Act.

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