Vol. 138, No. 6, April 2, 2004. 12 pages. View this issue
Calls for redress and the fight against hurtful language ran through this issue. Lynda Lin reported on a UN rapporteur urging Canada to consider reparations for the Chinese head tax, while Caroline Aoyagi covered the long effort to rename “Jap Road” and “Jap Lane” in Texas and the backlash to an “Asian or Gay?” piece in Details magazine. The Go For Broke Monument in Little Tokyo was vandalized, and a Claremont professor was suspected of staging a hate crime.
Elsewhere, JACL joined a coalition to preserve camp sites, and the Manzanar entrance needed volunteers for an archeological dig. Bacon Sakatani wrote about former internees returning to Santa Anita. Ann Fujii Lindwall appealed for support for the paper, and Harry K. Honda’s column honored long-serving chapter leaders. Sports covered Grace Park’s first major win and the Yankees in Tokyo.
What’s in this issue
National
- Canada Maintains No Reparations Stance for Chinese Canadians, by Lynda Lin, page 1. A UN special rapporteur recommended Canada consider paying reparations for the historical Chinese head tax, but the Canadian government reaffirmed its 1994 position against financial compensation. The issue continues to divide the Chinese Canadian community, with some demanding redress while others feel the matter should be closed.
- Efforts to Rename ‘Jap Road’ and ‘Jap Lane’ in Texas Still an Ongoing Struggle, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. More than a decade after Sandra Nakata Tanamachi began campaigning to rename ‘Jap Road’ in Jefferson County, Texas, the racial slur remains on the map despite a federal civil rights complaint. Neighboring Orange County voted to keep ‘Jap Lane’ but agreed to name a nearby highway ‘Kishi Road’ after a Japanese American pioneer.
- Alleged Hate Crime Hoax Enrages Community, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Claremont McKenna College visiting professor Kerri Dunn, who claimed her car was vandalized with anti-Semitic slurs, is now suspected by police of staging the incident herself. The revelation has shocked students and reignited debate over race relations and diversity requirements at the Claremont Colleges.
- ‘Asian or Gay?’ Piece in ‘Details’ Magazine Angers AA Community, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. Details magazine’s ‘Asian or Gay?’ feature, meant as satire on social stereotypes, drew widespread condemnation from Asian American and LGBT advocacy groups for its offensive stereotypes. The magazine issued an apology statement for the May issue, but critics including AAJA and activist Daniel Lee are pushing for a boycott of its advertisers.
- Judge Rules Against Petition Aimed at Ending Affirmative Action, by Tim Martin, page 3. A Michigan judge ruled that a state board improperly approved a petition seeking to end affirmative action at public universities and agencies, ordering the board to rescind its approval. The ruling could delay the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative’s effort to get the issue on the November ballot.
- Muslim Army Chaplain Reprimanded on Charges of Adultery, Downloading Pornography, by Matthew Barakat, page 3. Capt. James Yee, once suspected of espionage at Guantanamo Bay, was found guilty of adultery and improperly downloading pornography in a military disciplinary proceeding and received only a reprimand. His attorney called the case a ‘drive-by act of legal violence,’ asserting Yee’s Muslim faith led to improper suspicion.
- JA LAPD Officer Wins $4 Million Settlement in Discrimination Lawsuit, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. Japanese American LAPD officer Richard Nagatoshi won a $4 million settlement after the Los Angeles City Council chose to settle a discrimination lawsuit rather than appeal a jury’s verdict. Nagatoshi had faced years of discrimination and retaliation as a member of the department’s K-9 unit.
Commentary
- Spring Campaign: The P.C. Needs Your Help, by Ann Fujii Lindwall, page 1. The author appeals to readers to donate to the Pacific Citizen’s spring fundraising campaign, describing the newspaper’s severely limited staff and resources. She emphasizes the dedication of the small editorial team and urges the community to support the publication financially.
- Letter: Re: Al Franken, by Laurence Okamura, page 2. A reader criticizes Al Franken’s casual use of the slur ‘Jap’ in his book, arguing that Franken’s political rhetoric spills into careless racial language. The letter urges JACL leaders to press Franken on the historical inaccuracy of linking ‘Japs’ with wars of aggression, given Japan’s constitutional renunciation of war.
- Letter: On Same-Sex Unions and Marriage, page 2. A reader responds to a previous letter supporting same-sex unions, arguing that comparisons between bans on interracial marriage and same-sex marriage are flawed. The writer contends traditional marriage requires both legal and biological union, and objects to equating same-sex civil unions with marriage.
- JA Identity 101, by Jessica Kawamura, page 5. A young Japanese American reflects on what it means to be Yonsei, describing how her sense of identity is shaped by family traditions, community history, and awareness of past discrimination. She argues that ethnic identity, unlike race, is a choice, and hopes her generation will use JA identity to promote civil rights for all.
- Orchids for JACL’s ‘Emperors and Empresses’, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Columnist Harry Honda reflects on a cymbidium orchid exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum and uses it as inspiration to compile a list of JACL chapter leaders who served the longest terms, dubbing them ’emperors and empresses.’ He also recounts attending a Samurai Parade in Little Tokyo and the Japanese American Historical Society’s annual installation event.
Community
- Go For Broke Monument Vandalized, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Go For Broke Monument in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo was vandalized with more than 20 star-like symbols etched into its granite donor pillars, prompting an LAPD hate crime investigation. Veterans and community leaders expressed disappointment, noting the monument’s significance as a civil rights symbol honoring WWII Japanese American soldiers.
- San Jose Chapter Wins Membership Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The JACL San Jose chapter won the grand prize of a Hawaiian vacation for leading the 2003 membership drive with the largest increase in paid memberships. Other top chapters included Honolulu, Arizona, Mt. Olympus, Sacramento, Wasatch Front North, and Reedley.
- NPS Calls for Volunteers, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The National Park Service is recruiting volunteers to assist archeologist Jeff Burton with archeological investigations at the historic Manzanar entrance in mid-April. Volunteers will help with digging, screening sediments, and other archeological tasks under professional supervision.
JACL
- Ambassador Kato Hosts JACL Wash., D.C. Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Japan’s Ambassador Ryozo Kato and his wife hosted the JACL Washington, D.C. chapter to celebrate 150 years of U.S.-Japan relations and JACL’s 75th anniversary. Prominent attendees included National JACL president Floyd Mori and several members of Congress.
- JACL Joins Coalition to Preserve Internment Camps, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. JACL passed a resolution to join the Japanese American National Heritage Coalition, which supports federal legislation to preserve ten internment camp sites. National President Floyd Mori advocated for JACL’s involvement, citing its legislative experience and advocacy network.
- JACL GLAS Chapter Announces Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The JACL Greater L.A. Singles chapter is offering its annual $1,000 Hana Uno Memorial Scholarship to Japanese American students from single-parent families in Los Angeles or Orange County. The scholarship, established in 1992, honors Hana Uno Shepard, a longtime JACL supporter and redress activist.
Sports
- Kodama Wins Hawaii State Amateur Golf Championship, by P.C. Staff, page 7. University of Hawaii senior Matt Kodama won the Hawaii State Amateur Golf Championship after sinking a 20-foot birdie on the final hole. Kodama, also the reigning Nevada State Amateur champion, is ranked among the top 50 NCAA Division I golfers.
- Grace Park Wins First Major, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Grace Park held off teen sensations Michelle Wie and Aree Song to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship, her first major title in a five-year LPGA career. Park sank a clutch 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole to secure the victory.
- Michelle Wie Nominated for Newcomer of Year Award, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Teen golfer Michelle Wie has been nominated for a World Sports Award in the Newcomer of the Year category, competing against athletes including LeBron James and Maria Sharapova. Wie made history as the first female to shoot a sub-par round on the men’s PGA Tour.
- Yankees Get Royal Treatment in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The New York Yankees lost 8-3 to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the first of two season-opening games in Tokyo, despite a warm welcome from Japanese fans. The games marked a homecoming for Japanese star Hideki Matsui and highlighted MLB’s efforts to boost baseball’s popularity in Japan amid competition from soccer.
- Kwan Places Third in World Championship, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Michelle Kwan finished third at the World Figure Skating Championships as Japan’s Shizuka Arakawa won with a triple jump-packed routine, while Sasha Cohen took second. A streaker briefly disrupted the event before Kwan’s skate, though she still earned her ninth consecutive world championship medal.
Arts & Entertainment
- A Director’s Meditation on His New Film, by Lynda Lin, page 9. South Korean director Kim Ki-Duk discusses his film ‘Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring,’ Korea’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, in which he also stars. Kim shares his views on the portrayal of women in his films, Korean cinema’s identity, and his disdain for Hollywood blockbusters like ‘The Lord of the Rings.’
In-Depth
- Former Internees Return to Santa Anita, by Bacon Sakatani, page 10. Sixteen former internees who lived in the stables and barracks at the Santa Anita Assembly Center during WWII returned for a nostalgic and emotional tour organized by Japanese American Korean War Veterans. Survivors recalled the harsh conditions and dehumanizing experience of being housed in horse stalls after the Pearl Harbor attack.
Obituaries
- Shirow Enomoto, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Shirow Enomoto, 82, of Playa del Rey and formerly of Colorado Springs and Alamosa, Colo., passed away March 5 at his daughter’s home in Centennial, Colo. A memorial service was held March 13 at Good Shepherd UMC in Colorado Springs with inurnment at the church columbarium.
Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.