The 2003 Holiday Issue: JACL at 75, looking back and ahead

Vol. 137, No. 11, December 2003. 120 pages. View this issue

JACL’s 75th anniversary was the theme of this 120-page Holiday Issue. Executive Editor Caroline Y. Aoyagi introduced it, and the commentary pages asked what the organization should become. Gail Tanaka asked whether JACL is mainly a civil rights group or a Japanese American one. Floyd Mori and John Tateishi reflected on 75 years, including the redress campaign. Gil Asakawa and Phil Shigekuni compared the USA PATRIOT Act to the World War II incarceration (often called internment).

Chapter histories fill much of the middle: Sawtooth in Idaho, New York, Monterey Peninsula and Twin Cities. Andy Noguchi wrote on the Nisei draft resisters and the JACL, and Harry K. Honda wrote on the Day of Remembrance and Executive Order 9066. Lillian Kimura shared her memories of JACL. Holiday greetings from chapters and friends run across about 69 pages.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• 2003 Holiday Issue Celebrates JACL’s 75th Anniversary, by Caroline Y. Aoyagi, page 4. Executive Editor Caroline Aoyagi introduces the annual Holiday Issue themed around JACL’s 75th anniversary, reflecting on the organization’s past accomplishments and future challenges. She thanks staff, volunteers, advertisers and chapters who contributed to the fundraising issue.
• The Newest JACL Chapter: Sawtooth in Idaho!, by Maya Hata Lemmon, page 22. Maya Hata Lemmon details the founding and activities of the newest JACL chapter, Sawtooth in Twin Falls, Idaho, chartered in 2002. The chapter has been active in Day of Remembrance events, the Minidoka pilgrimage, teacher training seminars, and hosting a bi-district conference.
• 75 Years — A Time for Reflection, by Floyd Mori, page 28. National JACL President Floyd Mori reflects on his childhood experiences with racial bigotry and his brothers’ World War II military service, contrasting the era of racial hostility with today’s greater assimilation. He calls for JACL to continue asserting political and economic strength for the next 75 years.
• 75 Years of Achievement, Now a Focus on the Future, by John Tateishi, page 37. National JACL Executive Director John Tateishi reflects on JACL’s 75-year history including its pivotal role in the redress campaign, while acknowledging the organization must evolve to remain relevant to younger generations. He argues civil rights should remain JACL’s primary mission while broadening its vision to address new concerns.

Commentary

• A Vision for JACL in the 21st Century, by Gail Tanaka, page 6. Gail Tanaka argues JACL must decide whether it is fundamentally a civil rights organization or a Japanese American organization to develop a clear mission and vision for the future. She outlines steps including developing new leaders, promoting JA culture, and creative membership recruitment strategies to attract younger generations.
• Patriotism, Civil Rights and Media, by Gil Asakawa, page 10. P.C. Editorial Board Chair Gil Asakawa discusses the USA PATRIOT Act and its successor legislation, comparing government profiling of Muslims and Arabs after 9/11 to the historical targeting of Japanese Americans. He highlights JACL’s continued civil rights advocacy work defending marginalized communities today.
• San San Kudo, by Emily Teruya, page 11. Emily Teruya reflects on attending her cousin’s wedding and the traditional Japanese San San Kudo sake ceremony, drawing parallels to her appreciation for JACL as a family-like organization. She discusses the importance of youth activism and JACL’s role in fighting stereotypes and discrimination.
• From Redress to Re-examination: A New Role for JACL, by Carl Takei, page 13. Carl Takei argues JACL should re-examine its own WWII history, including internal community conflicts over cooperation with government authorities, to help guide Muslim and Arab American leaders facing similar dilemmas today. He contrasts the traditional internment narrative with the lesser-known story of conflict between those who cooperated with authorities and those who resisted.
• The Face of the Japanese American Community, by Kristine Minami, page 14. JACL’s Washington D.C. representative Kristine Minami examines census data showing the Japanese American community has grown more diverse since JACL’s founding in 1929, with increasing rates of outmarriage and multi-ethnic identity. She argues JACL remains relevant despite internal disagreements, as diversity should be seen as a strength for the organization.
• An Affirmative Action Wake-up Call, by Maya Yamazaki, page 18. National JACL Youth/Student Council chair Maya Yamazaki describes a college affirmative action bake sale protest and the student mobilization that followed, arguing this shows young people still care about civil rights. She urges JACL chapters to recruit on college campuses to capture this latent activism.
• Social Functions Will Attract More Youth, by Andrea Parker, page 33. Mountain Plains district youth representative Andrea Parker argues that her own involvement in JACL began through social events like holiday parties rather than political activism. She urges chapters struggling to recruit youth to offer more social functions as an entry point before introducing civil rights work.
• The USA Patriot Act and the JA Community, by Phil Shigekuni, page 36. Phil Shigekuni details provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act that threaten civil liberties, comparing the current treatment of Arab and Muslim Americans to the WWII internment of Japanese Americans. He highlights community outreach efforts by JACL chapters and other organizations to support Muslim and Arab communities.
• JACL’s Future After Nearly 75 Years, by Michael Hoshiko, Ph.D., page 64. Michael Hoshiko examines the demographic challenges facing JACL as the pre-WWII Japanese American population shrinks and diversifies through intermarriage, while the broader U.S. population mix shifts toward Hispanic and other Asian American groups. He questions whether younger generations will continue supporting JACL or if the organization needs to expand its outreach to postwar Japanese immigrants.
• JACL, My Second Home, by Ann Fujii Lindwall, page 68. Pacific Citizen editorial board Pacific Northwest representative Ann Fujii Lindwall reflects on her decades of JACL involvement, starting from a high school protest against a racist mascot. She argues the organization remains essential for advocating civil rights in a post-9/11 world where discrimination persists in different forms.
• Having Fun With Friends, by David Kawamoto, page 71. National JACL Vice President David Kawamoto reflects on more than 40 years of JACL involvement beginning with family conventions and community events in San Diego. He credits the friendships developed through JACL as the primary reward of his long organizational involvement.

In-Depth

• New York Chapter JACL: ‘The Big Apple Chapter’, by Stanley Kanzaki, page 26. Stanley Kanzaki chronicles the 60-year history of the New York JACL chapter, founded in 1944, profiling notable past presidents and members including Thomas Hayashi, Lillian Kimura, Michi Weglyn, Mine Okubo, and Yuri Kochiyama. The article traces the chapter’s evolution from its wartime origins through the redress movement to today’s leadership.
• Different Paths, Same Destination? The Nisei Draft Resisters and the JACL, by Andy Noguchi, page 32. Andy Noguchi describes the grassroots effort leading to JACL’s 2000 resolution recognizing the Nisei draft resisters and the 2002 National JACL Resister Ceremony. He explains why honoring the resisters’ principled civil rights stand is relevant today for Arab, Muslim and Sikh Americans facing similar wartime backlash.
• The JACL of the Monterey Peninsula — Established 1932, by Larry Oda, page 42. Larry Oda recounts the 70+ year history of the Monterey Peninsula JACL chapter, from its origins assisting Issei immigrants through its athletic programs, its giant American flag tradition, and hosting the 2000 national JACL convention. The chapter has also been active in historic preservation and community partnerships including a Chiura Obata mural campaign.
• A Haven From Shame: Beyond the Good Times of Today, by John Fuyuume, page 46. John Fuyuume details the history of Seabrook Farms, New Jersey, which became the largest employer of Japanese Americans released from WWII relocation camps starting in 1944. The article describes the Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center established in 1994 to preserve this unique settlement history.
• The Seabrook Nikkei Saga, by John Fuyuume, page 46. This article details how Seabrook Farms became a major destination for Japanese Americans leaving WWII internment camps, eventually becoming the largest employer of Nikkei released from confinement. It also covers the establishment of the Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center in 1994 to preserve this history.
• Memories of JACL, by Lillian Kimura, page 49. Former national JACL president Lillian Kimura shares personal memories spanning nearly 50 years of JACL involvement, from Chicago chapter activities in the 1950s through national conventions, the redress campaign, and her tenure as the first woman national JACL president in 1992.
• Feb. 19: DOR — Day of Remembrance for the Bloodiest Beachhead in the Pacific, by Harry K. Honda, page 52. Harry K. Honda examines the historical coincidence of Feb. 19 marking both Executive Order 9066 and the WWII Battle of Iwojima, highlighting the overlooked contributions of Nisei Military Intelligence Service linguists in that battle. The article details Nobuo Furuiye’s experiences translating captured documents and interrogating prisoners during the bloody campaign.
• Two JACL Women Who Have Made a Difference, by Raymond Uno, page 57. Former national JACL president Raymond Uno profiles Alice Kasai and Mary Kawakami, two lifelong JACL women from Utah who made significant community contributions. Kasai was honored at a tribute dinner for her decades of civic organization work, while Kawakami successfully defended her property against a bulldozer sent by a national retailer.
• Moving Forward: Twin Cities (Minnesota) Chapter, by Tom Hara, page 63. Tom Hara chronicles the history of the Twin Cities JACL chapter since its 1947 charter, detailing its scholarship program, youth activities, and community partnerships including the Minnesota Nikkei Project and Japanese American Veterans of Minnesota. Recent activities include education committee efforts to add JA WWII history to state academic standards and various commemorative programs.

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