Michelle Malkin’s internment book and the community’s response

Vol. 139, No. 6, September 17, 2004. 12 pages. View this issue

Michelle Malkin’s book defending the World War II incarceration (often called internment) ran through this issue. JACL Executive Director John Tateishi wrote a front-page rebuttal, arguing that decades of research and the CWRIC hearings found no evidence for her claims. Two letters to the editor reacted to her book and appearances. Associated Press stories followed a Bainbridge Island sixth-grade course on the incarceration that drew complaints, and the Life Interrupted National Conference in Little Rock, tied to the Jerome and Rohwer camps. Kenneth K. Inouye, the new JACL National President, thanked the Hawaii Convention’s organizers.

Elsewhere, a National Park Service study recommended that the Heart Mountain site be considered for landmark status. Lynda Lin profiled novelist Cara Tanamachi Lockwood, whose book became a Lifetime TV movie. The sports pages covered Brian Ching, Yuta Tabuse and Vijay Singh. Brigham Walker wrote about hate crimes and mistaken identity, and the Pacific Southwest District announced its 75th anniversary dinner.

What’s in this issue

National

• Malkin’s Message: Loud But False, by John Tateishi, page 1. JACL Executive Director John Tateishi rebuts Michelle Malkin’s book claiming WWII internment was justified due to Nisei spying. He argues Magic cable intercepts never proved successful recruitment of Nisei as spies and that decades of research and CWRIC hearings found no evidence to support her claims.
• JA WWII Generation Remembers Fear After 9/11, by Melissa Nelson, Associated Press Writer, page 1. Sam Ozaki and other Japanese Americans who experienced WWII internment draw parallels to post-9/11 treatment of Arab Americans, offering support and advice to avoid repeating history’s mistakes. Ozaki plans to attend the Life Interrupted National Conference in Little Rock commemorating the Arkansas internment camps at Jerome and Rohwer.
• Course on JA Internment Under Fire, by Associated Press, page 1. The Bainbridge Island School District faces criticism over its sixth-grade curriculum ‘Leaving Our Island’ about Japanese American internment, with a resident arguing it lacks historical context and improperly links internment to the Patriot Act. Despite complaints leading to curriculum changes, the superintendent affirmed the course will maintain its central message that internment was a mistake.
• Heart Mountain Considered for Historic Landmark, by Associated Press, page 3. A National Park Service study recommends the Heart Mountain Relocation Center site be considered for National Historical Landmark designation. The Heart Mountain Foundation is evaluating land jurisdiction issues before proceeding with the landmark application process, which would bring funding and preservation support.
• Navy’s Newest Destroyer Named After Chinese American, by Associated Press, page 3. The USS Chung-Hoon, a guided-missile destroyer named after Chinese American war hero Rear Adm. Gordon Paiea Chung-Hoon, arrived at its homeport in Pearl Harbor. Chung-Hoon received the Navy Cross for his leadership during a 1945 kamikaze attack and narrowly avoided the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack while assigned to the USS Arizona.
• National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. A roundup of national news briefs covering topics including UIC Medical School’s admissions changes, threats to Filipino language classes in Hawaii, a lawsuit over translation services, a hate crime investigation in Tucson, and controversy over race data on media credentials. Also includes news on Elaine Chao’s campaign efforts for Asian Pacific American votes.
• 9/11: Life Interrupted Conference Draws Parallels Between Pearl Harbor and Sept. 11, by Melissa Nelson, Associated Press Writer, page 12. The Life Interrupted National Conference in Little Rock will explore parallels between Pearl Harbor and 9/11, featuring survivor Gladys Inouye who was interned at Rohwer and later found refuge with a compassionate family in Kentucky. Inouye and other internment survivors hope the conference will ensure this history is preserved and not repeated for future generations.
• Bainbridge Island Internment Curriculum Faces Scrutiny, by Associated Press, page 12. Further details on the Bainbridge Island School District controversy reveal that the internment curriculum, taught for the first time in 2003-2004, included student field trips and interviews with former internees. District officials say specific curriculum changes have not yet been finalized, with a review expected within a month.

Arts & Entertainment

• From Page to Screen, Lockwood Knows a ‘Bridezilla’ When She Sees One, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Author Cara Tanamachi Lockwood’s chick-lit novel ‘I Do (But I Don’t)’ about wedding disasters was adapted into a Lifetime TV movie starring Denise Richards and Dean Cain. Lockwood discusses her inspiration from real bridezillas, her writing career, and her upcoming novel ‘Dixieland Sushi.’
• Get a Virtual Girlfriend, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 9. Hong Kong-based Artificial Life, Inc. has created ‘Virtual Girlfriend,’ a 3G mobile phone game allowing users to date an animated 3-D character, with a ‘Virtual Boyfriend’ version launching in 2005. In an interview, CEO Eberhard Schoneburg discusses the game’s mechanics, its non-linear relationship dynamics, and plans for ethnic variations of the virtual characters.

In-Depth

• NYC (New Yamato City) Japan Aims to be a JA Enclave on the Japanese Island of Hokkaido, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. Retired Marine Peter Wagner proposes establishing New Yamato City, a Japanese American community in Hokkaido’s Hidaka District, featuring solar dome complexes and an international airport. Wagner is seeking support from JA and Japanese communities to bring his vision to officials in Japan, North America, and South America.

Commentary

• Letters to the Editor: Reactions to Michelle Malkin, by Ed Sugure, Deb Park, page 2. Two readers respond to Michelle Malkin’s pro-internment book and public appearances, with one noting the intimidating atmosphere at her conservative-backed book events in Seattle. The other reader questions the statistical improbability and political significance of an Asian American author promoting pro-internment arguments during a time of heightened suspicion toward other minority groups.
• Hate Crimes and JAs, by Brigham Walker, page 8. JACL Anti-Hate Network Liaison Brigham Walker discusses how anti-Asian hate crimes often stem from mistaken identity, with attackers wrongly conflating Japanese American ethnicity with Japanese nationality. He urges JAs to assert their American nationality while embracing their heritage, and to report hate crimes to local authorities and JACL.

JACL

• Many Thanks, by Kenneth K. Inouye, JACL Nat’l President, page 3. New JACL National President Kenneth Inouye thanks organizers of the Hawaii Convention and outgoing board members under former president Floyd Mori. He outlines plans to visit chapters and co-sponsor town hall meetings during his term, emphasizing JACL’s continued relevance in balancing national security and civil liberties.
• PSWD to Honor the Generations at Annual Dinner Oct. 23, by P.C. Staff, page 4. In celebration of JACL’s 75th anniversary, the Pacific Southwest District will honor the Issei, Nisei, Sansei, and future generations at its annual dinner on Oct. 23. Speakers include Akemi Kikumura-Yano, Warren Furutani, Alayne Yonemoto, and Eric Nakano, representing different generations of Japanese Americans.

Community

• APIHR/Ohana House to Host First Queer API Youth Conference in Southern California, by P.C. Staff, page 3. APIHR/’Ohana House will host ‘Double Vision: Reconciling Multiple Identities,’ the nation’s first API LGBTIQ youth conference, on Nov. 7 in Los Angeles. The conference aims to support and educate API LGBT youth ages 24 and under through workshops on organizing, discrimination, and identity.
• High School Honors Ochi, Other ‘Hall of Fame’ Alumni, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Rose Matsui Ochi, Los Angeles Police Commissioner, will be honored at Roosevelt High School’s Third Annual All Alumni Hall of Fame Luncheon and Dance on Oct. 3. She will be joined by other prominent alumni including L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
• Matsushima Assumes Command, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Lt. Col. Mark Matsushima, a Sansei, was named commander of the 8th Information Warfare Flight at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. He has extensive military experience including Operations Desert Shield, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom.
• First Minority Judge to be Confirmed in 2nd District Court, by P.C. Staff, page 4. John R. Morris, a Japanese American lawyer and Hawaii native, became Utah’s 2nd District Court’s first minority judge. His mother’s family history was largely lost due to their proximity to the Hiroshima nuclear attack.
• Nunotani, Kizuka Receive Community Award, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Wallace Nunotani of San Francisco and Shigeru ‘Shig’ Kizuka of Watsonville received this year’s Takeo Okamoto Community Award. Both are WWII veterans who remain active in their communities, embodying modesty and long-term commitment.

Sports

• Bada-Ching! Brian Ching Becomes Key Offensive Cog for U.S. Soccer, by Ronald Blum, AP Sports Writer, page 7. Brian Ching, the first Hawaiian on the U.S. national soccer team, has become a key scorer in World Cup qualifying after being waived by the LA Galaxy just two years earlier. His goals against Jamaica and El Salvador have boosted his profile, and he currently plays for the San Jose Earthquakes in MLS.
• Suns Sign Japanese Guard Tabuse, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 7. The Phoenix Suns signed Japanese guard Yuta Tabuse, who is set to become the first Japanese-born player in the NBA. The 5-foot-9 guard from Yokohama previously played at Brigham Young University-Hawaii and impressed the Suns during summer league play.
• Fiji Proud of Its New King of Golf, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 7. Vijay Singh, born in Fiji of Indian origin, rose to No. 1 in world golf by beating Tiger Woods at the Deutsche Bank Championship, ending Woods’ 264-week reign. His success is seen as a potential unifying moment for Fiji, a nation with a history of ethnic tension between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians.

Obituaries

• Obituaries, by P.C. Staff, page 11. This issue’s obituary listings include tributes to numerous Japanese Americans who passed away in July and August 2004, including internment camp survivors and their families. The compilation includes detailed family survivor information for individuals such as Janet Aiu, Emiko Ebata, and George Shozo Komatsu.

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