JACL finances and the INS special registration, January 2003

Vol. 136, No. 1, January 17, 2003. 16 pages. View this issue

JACL’s money troubles led this 16-page issue. Caroline Aoyagi reported on a special meeting of the national board’s executive committee, which projected a deficit for 2002 and agreed that membership and revenue had to be the focus. Floyd Mori, the national president, looked ahead to the new year in his column. Aoyagi and Tracy Uba also covered JACL and other groups protesting the federal special registration program for men from mostly Muslim countries, which they called racial profiling.

Other news included the Senate fallout over Trent Lott’s remarks and Robert Matsui’s nomination to lead the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. A bill to study the Eagledale Ferry Dock on Bainbridge Island went to the White House, and a new website told the story of the Rohwer and Jerome camps in Arkansas. Harry K. Honda and Bill Marutani wrote columns, and an in memoriam list for 2002 appears on page 10.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• JACL Executive Committee Holds Special Meeting to Discuss Finances, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. JACL’s national board executive committee met to address ongoing financial troubles, projecting a $178,586 deficit for 2002 despite expense cuts. Leaders emphasized the need to boost membership and fundraising through the Three Pillars Plan while considering a possible second withdrawal from the Life Trust Endowment Fund.
• JACL Corner: Chapter News Roundup, page 6. The Central California District Council held its 53rd annual installation dinner honoring veterans, while the Venice-Culver Chapter hosted a leadership development luncheon featuring LEAP intern Carly Hamaguchi. The Watsonville-Santa Cruz Chapter hosted a Veterans Day reunion unveiling a new Honor Roll tribute listing over 200 Nisei WWII veterans.
• JACL Puts Legacy Fund Program on Hold, page 6. JACL announced it would put the national Legacy Fund grants program on hold until June 2003 due to the organization’s financial crisis, as the fund’s portfolio value remained below its donated threshold. The committee continues reviewing prior grant reports while the decision will be reevaluated quarterly.

National

• Groups, Including JACL, Continue to Protest Targeted INS Registration, by Caroline Aoyagi and Tracy Uba, page 1. Civil rights groups including JACL protested the DOJ’s special registration program targeting men from mostly Muslim countries, calling it discriminatory racial profiling. Thousands registered under the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System by the Jan. 10 deadline amid fears of mass detentions like those seen in Los Angeles in December.
• Judge Rules Shooting of APA Girl Justified, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 1. A judge ruled that a Ventura County police officer’s shooting of 14-year-old Anna Guo was justified after she allegedly rushed at the officer with a knife. Asian Pacific American groups, including JACL, had protested the shooting as excessive given the girl’s suicidal state at the time.
• Trent Lott Steps Down After Groups Protest Racist Remarks, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 3. Trent Lott stepped down as Senate Republican majority leader following backlash over his comments praising Strom Thurmond’s segregationist 1948 presidential run. JACL and other civil rights groups condemned his remarks and called for his resignation, though he later took over the Senate Rules Committee.
• Robert Matsui Named to Lead DCCC, First APA to Hold Position, page 3. Congressman Robert Matsui was nominated to lead the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, becoming the first Asian Pacific American to chair the organization. JACL leaders praised Matsui’s decades of policy experience and longtime support of the organization since his days as Sacramento JACL chapter president.
• Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial Study Act Heads to the White House, page 3. A bill authorizing a study of the Eagledale Ferry Dock in Bainbridge Island for potential inclusion in the National Park System passed Congress and was sent to the White House. The dock is the site from which the first Japanese Americans were removed to internment camps during WWII, and JACL praised the Washington legislators for the effort.
• Debts Forgiven, Japanese Cultural Center to Remain Open, page 5. The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii avoided foreclosure after four banks forgave $1.5 million in debt following a fundraising effort that raised more than $6 million in 47 days. The center plans to revise its operational strategy and expand membership to avoid future financial problems.
• Democrat Case Lands Mink’s Seat in Congress, page 5. Democrat Ed Case won the special election to fill the remainder of the late Rep. Patsy Mink’s Hawaii congressional seat, garnering 43 percent of the vote against 43 other candidates. This victory capped an up-and-down political season for Case following his earlier loss in the gubernatorial primary.
• Judge Otaka Thanks Staff, Supporters for Victory, page 5. Newly elected Cook County Circuit Court Judge Sandra Otaka became the first Asian American to serve in that court following the November election. She thanked supporters from multiple communities including African American, Hispanic, Jewish, and gay and lesbian communities for her victory.
• Mixed Marriages Becoming More Common, page 5. An analysis of Oregon state health records found that mixed-race marriages rose to one in eight marriages in 2001, up from one in twelve a decade earlier. The trend is contributing to a growing multiracial population and blending of cultures in the state.
• Gates Millennium Scholarship Materials Now Available, page 6. Nomination materials for the 2003-2004 Gates Millennium Scholars awards are now available for minority students with strong academic records and leadership. The program, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, requires nominations from educators rather than institutions.

Commentary

• Looking Forward to a Great Year, by Floyd Mori, page 1. JACL National President Floyd Mori reflects on the New Year, emphasizing values, legacy, and community over material wealth. He calls on JACL to continue preserving ancestral culture and values for future generations.
• Letters to the Editor: Under God in Pledge, page 2. Multiple readers wrote in response to JACL’s stance urging the Senate to reject ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance, with most supporting the separation of church and state while one reader challenged JACL’s involvement in religious matters. The letters debate civil rights implications and historical parallels to wartime discrimination.
• Addressing JACL’s Financial Crisis, page 2. A reader suggests JACL commission a management audit and consider restructuring as a leaner, more efficient lobbying organization similar to the NAACP or ADA. The letter proposes re-characterizing scholarship funds for general operating needs and questions the value of national board meetings.
• Re: Macy’s Buddha Boxers, by Linda Wack, page 2. A reader from Fresno expresses outrage that Macy’s continued selling ‘Buddha’ boxer shorts at a reduced price despite claims of removing them from shelves. She emphasizes the responsibility to respect religious images and beliefs different from one’s own.
• What is an American?, by Wayne, page 2. A reader reflects on a visit to Japan, his ancestral homeland, and realizing through the experience that he is fundamentally American despite his Asian appearance. He condemns the ‘Kung Fool’ Halloween costume and Abercrombie & Fitch’s offensive advertisement as insulting to Asian Americans.
• PANA Bolivia Will Be Ready July 24-27, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Columnist Harry Honda previews the upcoming Pan American Nikkei Association convention in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, detailing registration costs, hotel accommodations, and planned workshops and cultural events. The piece describes the camaraderie and unique flavor of Latin American Nikkei gatherings compared to those in the United States.
• Home-boy, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Columnist Bill Marutani muses on the meaning of ‘hometown’ and the Japanese concept of furu-sato, reflecting on his own birthplace in Kent, Washington’s White River Valley. He recounts learning from a community history book that Nikkei dairy farmers, including his own family, were driven out of the dairy business through arson before WWII.

Sports

• O’Neal Says He Was Joking, Not Being Racist About Yao, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 5. Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal defended mock Chinese accent comments about Houston’s Yao Ming as a joke, not racism, after a columnist criticized the remarks. Yao and Lakers coach Phil Jackson both said they believed O’Neal meant no offense, though they acknowledged cultural misunderstanding.

Community

• APAs in the News, page 5. This roundup highlights achievements of several Asian Pacific Americans including Frank Abe’s appointment as communications director for the Metropolitan King County Council, Nelson Akagi’s belated WWII service medals, and Helen Kawagoe’s election to the National League of Cities board. Also featured are Rose Ochi’s new academic position and Sandra Yamate’s Trailblazer Award from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

In-Depth

• Website Tells History of Arkansas’ WWII Camps, by Associated Press, page 6. A new website launched by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, and the Japanese American National Museum documents the history of Arkansas’ two WWII internment camps, Rohwer and Jerome. Project organizers hope the site will generate new information and preserve the legacy of the more than 16,000 Japanese Americans interned there.

Obituaries

• In Memoriam – 2002, page 10. This extensive necrology lists Japanese Americans who passed away in 2002, including many WWII veterans, internees, and notable community figures such as historian Yuji Ichioka, UCLA professor Harry Kitano, and Rep. Patsy Mink. Entries include brief biographical notes on their military service, internment camp experiences, and community contributions.
• Former Nat’l JACL President Denny Yasuhara Passes at 76, page 11. Denny Yasuhara, former national JACL president from 1994-1996 and longtime civil rights advocate, died of cancer at age 76. He was recognized for straightening out JACL’s finances and for successfully suing Spokane County Democrats after a racial slur incident in 1993.
• Founder of JACL Credit Union Shigeki ‘Shake’ Ushio Passes at 88, page 11. Shigeki ‘Shake’ Ushio, who helped found the National JACL Credit Union during WWII when Japanese American bank accounts were frozen, died at age 88 surrounded by family. He served continuously on the credit union’s board since 1943, including 30 years as chairman, and was active in the Topaz Commemorative Committee and his church.

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