Sept. 11 two years on, the JACL gala dinner and the Prop. 54 fight

Vol. 137, No. 6, September 19, 2003. 12 pages. View this issue

Two years after Sept. 11, the news turned to its aftermath and to civil liberties. The front page told of Kazusada Sumiyama, who answered his son Yoichi’s death at the World Trade Center with a book of poems. Caroline Aoyagi covered JACL’s national gala dinner, where Sen. Daniel Inouye, Secretary Norman Mineta and Reps. Robert Matsui and Mike Honda were honored, along with the late Rep. Patsy Mink. Speakers warned of parallels between the World War II incarceration (often called internment) and the U.S.A. Patriot Act. Proposition 54, the proposed ban on collecting racial data in California, also drew coverage.

Elsewhere, the paper reported that Fox did not renew ‘Banzai’ after protests, and it listed the 2003 National JACL Scholarship winners. Hy Shishinas wrote about free books on Manzanar and Minidoka, and the National Park Service asked for donations back to Minidoka. Harry K. Honda reported from Bolivia. A sports page followed Paul Kariya and Candie Kung.

What’s in this issue

National

• Father of Japanese Sept. 11 Victim Publishes Collection of Poems, by Associated Press, page 1. Kazusada Sumiyama, whose son Yoichi died in the World Trade Center attacks, turned his grief into a collection of traditional Japanese poems titled ‘Odes to the Soul of Ground Zero.’ He self-published 1,500 copies to share with other victims’ families and remind fellow Japanese that the attacks were a real tragedy, not distant news.
• Poll: Support for ‘Racial Privacy Initiative’ Drops Significantly, by Associated Press, page 1. A Field Poll found support for Proposition 54, which would ban California governments from collecting racial data, has fallen to an even split among likely voters ahead of the Oct. 7 recall election. Proponent Ward Connerly blamed an organized opposition campaign for creating doubt about the measure’s impact, particularly on health care.
• Fox’s ‘Banzai’ Taken Off Air but APA Groups Vow to Remain Vigilant, by P.C. Staff, page 1. After weeks of protests, boycotts, and withdrawal of corporate sponsorships organized by MANAA, JACL, and Modelminority.com, FOX decided not to renew the controversial show ‘Banzai.’ Organizers say the effort shows the community’s power to hold networks accountable for negative APA stereotypes.
• Gov. Davis Signs Legislation to Grant Diplomas to JAs Interned during WWII, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Gov. Gray Davis signed AB 781, authorizing school districts to retroactively grant high school diplomas to Japanese Americans interned during WWII who were unable to graduate with their class. Assemblymember Sally Lieber and Congressman Mike Honda praised the law as a measure of educational justice decades overdue.
• New York’s Asian Americans Struggling to Recover from Sept. 11, by Associated Press, page 3. A study by the Asian American Federation of New York found many Asian Americans are still suffering psychologically two years after 9/11 but lack culturally appropriate mental health services. Researchers interviewed family members of AA victims and held focus groups revealing widespread depression symptoms with no use of mental health services.
• Gov. Davis Signs AB 309, Consumer Protection Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Gov. Gray Davis signed AB 309, requiring businesses to provide contracts translated into Chinese, Tagalog, Korean and Vietnamese, the languages in which they were negotiated. The bill, authored by Assembly Member Judy Chu and sponsored by APALC and Chinese for Affirmative Action, aims to prevent bait-and-switch contracting scams against immigrants.
• Prop. 54 Sponsor Now Says Passage Unlikely; Top Recall Candidates Oppose It, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Leading recall candidates Cruz Bustamante and Arnold Schwarzenegger both announced opposition to Proposition 54, with Bustamante pledging nearly $4 million to defeat it. Even the measure’s sponsor, Ward Connerly, acknowledged it would likely be defeated given the funding gap.
• Hawaii Ranks 4th in Foreign-born Residents, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. New census data show 17.9 percent of Hawaii’s residents are foreign-born, the fourth-highest ratio in the nation, with the majority originating from Asia. Hawaii has a long history of immigration from Portugal, China, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, largely for plantation labor.
• Record 20,000-plus Japanese Over 100 Years Old, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Japan’s centenarian population rose to a record 20,561 this year, reflecting the country’s status as the world’s longest-living nation. Despite the milestone, officials expressed concern about Japan’s falling birth rate and its ability to support an aging population.
• Murder of Japanese Woman Worries New Orleans Tourism Officials, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Tourism officials worried that the apparent strangulation of Japanese visitor Kanako Ohyama could hurt international travel to Louisiana, recalling the drop in Japanese tourism after a 1992 shooting death in Baton Rouge. Police found a body believed to be Ohyama’s, though dental records were still being confirmed.
• Librarian Learns of Japanese Consul Who Saved Jews’ Lives, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Tucson librarian Judyth Lessee researched Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat who issued visas saving thousands of Jews during the Holocaust, and developed a school curriculum based on his story. Her research led to a friendship between her synagogue and Sugihara’s hometown of Yaotsu, Japan.
• Poems (continued), by Associated Press, page 9. This continuation details more of Kazusada Sumiyama’s poems reflecting on his son Yoichi’s death in the 9/11 attacks and the birth of his grandson months later. Sumiyama hopes to share his collection with other victims’ families and eventually publish translations in multiple languages.
• Racial Privacy (continued), by Associated Press, page 9. This continuation covers Ward Connerly’s counteroffensive radio campaign for Proposition 54 and the endorsement from former candidate Bill Simon. Opponents argue the measure would harm civil rights enforcement and public health data collection under the guise of promoting a colorblind society.
• Banzai (continued), by P.C. Staff, page 9. This continuation lists the nine corporations, including General Motors, Pepsi, and Sony, that pulled sponsorship from ‘Banzai’ and the organizations that supported the protest against the show. Advocates say the campaign demonstrates the community’s buying power and ability to hold networks accountable.

JACL

• Reflections on 9/11 as Honorees Gather for JACL Gala Dinner Tribute, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. At JACL’s national gala dinner, honorees Sen. Daniel Inouye, Secretary Norman Mineta, Reps. Robert Matsui and Mike Honda, and the late Rep. Patsy Mink were celebrated for their achievements while warning about parallels between the WWII internment and the U.S.A. Patriot Act. Speakers stressed the need for continued vigilance on civil liberties in the post-9/11 era.
• Gala Dinner (continued), by Caroline Aoyagi, page 2. This continuation of the gala dinner coverage details Rep. Robert Matsui’s warnings about the Patriot Act enabling ‘individual evacuation’ and his reflections on the 1988 Redress Bill and the Wen Ho Lee case. It also covers Secretary Mineta’s remarks on how public understanding of the WWII internment influenced government treatment of Arab and Muslim Americans after 9/11.
• National JACL Scholarship Winners, by P.C. Staff, page 5. National JACL announced its 2003 scholarship winners, awarding 28 scholarships totaling $48,500 to graduate, law, and arts students including Lesley Date, Daniel Inouye, Dori Takata, Karen Tani, Raymond Wunder, Lynda Yoshikawa, Lori Amano, Darren Nakata, Mariko Nakasone, and Kimberly Ishii. The article features excerpts from winning essays describing their community involvement and academic pursuits.
• Gala Dinner (continued from page 2), by Caroline Aoyagi, page 12. The tribute continues with Sen. Inouye dedicating his award to his family, and a posthumous tribute to Rep. Patsy Mink for her landmark Title IX legislation and career achievements. JACL leaders Floyd Mori and John Tateishi praised all the honorees as inspirational figures who gave the community pride and hope.

Commentary

• Have the Veterans of WWII Been Recognized?, by Lea Arasada, page 2. A letter writer questions whether WWII veterans, especially those of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team, have been sufficiently honored compared to political figures. The writer credits the veterans’ service and achievements for helping secure redress legislation and civil rights gains for Japanese Americans.
• Ordering Books on Camp Experience, by Hy Shishinas, page 2. A reader describes books by Jeff Burton and Mary Farrell on Manzanar and Minidoka available free from the National Park Service, and recounts how a prior letter led to over 12,750 requests for the book ‘Confinement and Ethnicity.’ The book is now being reprinted and sold by Western Publishing House and the Japanese American National Museum.
• Remember Rep. Pat Saiki, by Rep. Barbara Marumoto, page 2. The writer reminds readers to also remember Pat Saiki of Hawaii, who served two terms in the U.S. House, alongside other notable Japanese American elected officials like Senators Hayakawa and Matsunaga. She calls for gratitude toward Saiki’s years of service to her state and people.
• Black Box Voting, by Gordon Kobayashi, page 2. The writer raises concerns about paperless electronic voting machines made by companies with Republican ties, warning they are not tamper-proof and could be manipulated to change election outcomes. He suggests voting absentee with a notarized ballot as a way to create a verifiable paper trail.

Community

• APA and Latino Voters Urged to Vote Early, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center is urging Californians, especially APA and Latino voters, to vote early ahead of the confusing special recall election on Oct. 7. APALC will host an Early-voting Kick-off Day on Sept. 24 to help minimize expected Election Day confusion.
• Health Professionals Protest Proposed Racial Data Collection Ban, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Health care professionals rallied against Proposition 54, warning it would severely hamper collection of critical race and ethnicity data needed to address health disparities, including high hepatitis B and liver cancer rates among Asian Pacific Americans. They argued the measure’s medical research exemption is dangerously narrow and misleading.
• Awards, Appointments, Announcements, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Nobuo Renge was honored by the NAACP for his decades running a pharmacy serving Fresno’s Chinatown community, having survived internment at Jerome, Ark. Charlene Hatakeyama was appointed to the California Republican Party’s Executive Committee, and Garrett Yee is stepping down as Citizens for Better Community president to be succeeded by Anna Muh.
• WWII Internment Exhibit to Open in North Dakota, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A new exhibition, ‘Snow Country Prison: Interned in North Dakota,’ will open at the site of the former Fort Lincoln internment camp, now United Tribes Technical College, examining the internment of German and Japanese nationals during WWII. The exhibit, curated by Laurel Reuter, includes historic photos, murals, and public programs featuring documentary producer Satsuki Ina and other scholars.
• Poston Restoration Project Plans Workshops, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Colorado River Indian Tribe is restarting the Poston Restoration Project to restore camp buildings and capture living histories of Japanese American internees and tribal community members. The project has received grants and will hold planning workshops in October bringing together tribal leadership, surviving internees, and Parker, Ariz., residents.
• Monterey Peninsula Chapter Donates 1930s American Flag, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Twenty-five members of the Monterey Peninsula JACL chapter traveled to the Japanese American National Museum to celebrate the donation of a 40-by-70-foot American flag made by the chapter in the 1930s. Chapter members participated in a panel discussion with pioneer Monterey Nisei residents Masami Higashi and Frank Tanaka about the community’s early history.
• Park Service Asks for Donations Back to Minidoka Internment Camp, by Associated Press, page 9. The National Park Service is asking Magic Valley residents to donate artifacts from the former Minidoka internment camp, including barracks materials and personal belongings, to the developing national monument. Former internee Jeff Itami donated his family’s steamer trunk, which his mother kept packed for over three decades fearing reinternment.

Sports

• Kariya Settling in With Avalanche, by Pacific Citizen and Associated Press, page 7. NHL star Paul Kariya signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the Colorado Avalanche after spending his career with Anaheim, taking a significant pay cut to join a team stacked with scorers like Joe Sakic and Teemu Selanne. Kariya expressed excitement about the opportunity and about adjusting to Denver’s altitude and sports culture.
• NCAA Strips Hawaii Volleyball Team of National Title, by Pacific Citizen and Associated Press, page 7. The NCAA vacated the University of Hawaii men’s volleyball team’s 2002 national championship and fined the school $5,000 for using an ineligible player who had played professionally in Greece. Athletic director Herman Frazier said the school intends to appeal the decision.
• Candie Kung — LPGA’s Hottest Player Right Now, by Pacific Citizen and Associated Press, page 7. Candie Kung, a 22-year-old golfer from Rowland Heights, Calif., has won three LPGA tournaments in her second season and sits sixth on the money list. Born in Taiwan, Kung became a standout junior and collegiate golfer at USC before turning pro in 2001.
• Goalie Jamie Storr Signs With Russian Hockey Team, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Former Los Angeles Kings goalie Jamie Storr signed a one-year deal with Omsk of the Russian Men’s League after nine seasons with the Kings. Storr has also had international success, winning gold with Team Canada and other tournaments.
• Hawaii No Match for No. 4 Trojans, by Associated Press, page 7. Fourth-ranked USC dominated Hawaii 61-32 behind strong performances from freshmen Reggie Bush and LenDale White and quarterback Matt Leinart’s two touchdown passes. The win extended USC’s win streak to 11 games and its perfect record against Hawaii to 5-0.

In-Depth

• The Wonders of Bolivia and Its Nikkei, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Harry Honda recounts touring Bolivia for the COPANI XII/PANA convention, highlighting the successes of Nikkei communities including Colonia Okinawa and Colonia San Juan, agricultural colonies established by Japanese immigrants in the 1950s. The piece also covers PANA convention proceedings, tributes to Nikkei leaders, and reflections from fellow JACL travelers.

Obituaries

• Obituaries, by P.C. Staff, page 11. This compilation lists numerous obituaries of Japanese American community members who passed away in August and September 2003, including internment camp survivors, veterans, and longtime residents across California and other states. Entries include survivors’ names and brief biographical details.
• Medal of Honor Recipient Okutsu Dies, by Associated Press, page 11. Yukio ‘Yuki’ Okutsu, a WWII veteran of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team whose Distinguished Service Cross was later upgraded to a Medal of Honor, died at age 81 from stomach cancer. He was honored by President Clinton in 2000 after Congress ordered a review of records affected by wartime anti-Japanese sentiment.
• Katherine Cheung, First Licensed AA Woman Pilot, Dead, by Associated Press, page 11. Katherine Cheung, the first licensed Asian American female pilot in the U.S. and a contemporary of Amelia Earhart, died of cancer at age 98. Born in Canton, China, she earned her pilot’s license in 1932 and later became an accomplished air racer and stunt flier.

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