The Samurai Bears, Ben Kuroki and Yuki Llewellyn’s return to Manzanar

Vol. 141, No. 4, August 19, 2005. 12 pages. View this issue

Baseball and a wartime story shared the front page. Caroline Aoyagi followed the Samurai Bears, an all-Japanese professional team playing in the Golden Baseball League without a home base. Associated Press reported that Ben Kuroki, the only known Japanese American to have flown over Japan in World War II, was approved for the Distinguished Service Medal. Lynda Lin wrote about Yuki Llewellyn, who prepared to return to Manzanar for the first time. John Tateishi, JACL Executive Director, looked at an aging JACL membership and how to reach younger generations.

Other pages cover a conference on preserving Little Tokyo, JACL chapter scholarships for graduating students, and a new legal initiative to protect immigrant rights. Lynda Lin also interviewed Filipino actor Cesar Montano about his role in The Great Raid. Sports briefs include Paul Kariya’s signing with Nashville and Bryan Clay’s decathlon gold, and Harry K. Honda and Floyd Mori wrote commentary.

What’s in this issue

Sports

• Pursuing the American (Baseball) Dream, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. The Samurai Bears, the first all-Japanese professional baseball team, play in the independent Golden Baseball League while pursuing dreams of major league careers. The team, without a home base, travels constantly and has built a loyal fan base in cities like Fullerton and Long Beach despite a rough start to the season.
• Kariya Sees New Rules, Nashville as Perfect Fit for Himself, by Teresa M. Walker, page 7. NHL veteran Paul Kariya signed a two-year, $9 million contract with the Nashville Predators, citing the team’s speed and the league’s new rules as a perfect fit. Owner Craig Leipold and coach Barry Trotz expressed confidence that Kariya will help elevate the small-market franchise.
• Arizona Cardinals Cut Chang, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 7. The Arizona Cardinals released record-setting quarterback Tim Chang, a former University of Hawaii standout, along with three other players. Chang held NCAA records in passing but was undersized by NFL standards and never rose above fourth string.
• Bryan Clay Earns Decathlon Gold, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 7. Bryan Clay, of Japanese and African American heritage, won the decathlon gold medal at the world track and field championships in Helsinki, defeating Olympic champion Roman Sebrle. Clay, who trained at Azusa Pacific, said the birth of his son was still the highlight of his summer.
• Former Mariners Closer Sasaki to Retire After 2005 Season, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 7. Former Seattle Mariners closer Kazuhiro Sasaki announced he will retire at the end of the 2005 season after struggling with the Yokohama BayStars. Sasaki was an All-Star during his time with Seattle, setting franchise saves records before returning to Japan in 2004.
• Samurai Bears Continue Historic Season, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 12. The Samurai Bears, the first all-Japanese professional baseball team, continue their inaugural season in the Golden Baseball League despite lacking a home base and struggling with early losses. Team members, including manager Warren Cromartie, say the experience has united the players and helped some advance toward major league opportunities.

National

• Ben Kuroki to Receive Distinguished Service Medal, by Associated Press, page 1. Ben Kuroki, the only known Japanese American to have flown bombing missions over Japan during WWII, has been approved to receive the Distinguished Service Medal. The Nebraska farm boy flew 58 missions despite facing prejudice and later became a journalist after the war.
• Workers Celebrate Decade of Freedom After Sweatshop Bust, by Laura Wides, Associated Press, page 3. Ten years after being freed from a sweatshop in El Monte, California, Thai garment workers reflect on how their case changed labor law enforcement and corporate responsibility standards. Despite reforms, abuse continues in the garment industry as work moves overseas and enforcement funding declines.
• Texas Is the Newest Major Minority State, by Alicia A. Caldwell, Associated Press, page 3. New Census Bureau estimates show Texas has become a majority-minority state, joining Hawaii, D.C. and other states. Experts say the demographic shift, driven largely by Hispanic population growth, will require increased investment in minority education and could shift political representation.
• Protests of Hawaiian Only Schools Ruling Held Throughout the Islands, by Alexandre Da Silva, Associated Press, page 3. About 15,000 people marched in Honolulu to protest a federal court ruling striking down Kamehameha Schools’ Hawaiians-only admissions policy as unlawful race discrimination. School officials and Native Hawaiian community members vowed to fight the ruling, calling the school the last hope for the Hawaiian people.
• National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Briefs cover the arrest of two men in the 1970 death of Japanese American Berkeley police officer Ronald Tsukamoto, a Waffle House discrimination settlement, a $1.5 million grant for the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center in Maui, and changing language demographics in Salt Lake City.
• APAs in the News, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Filipino American Cristeta Comerford was named the first woman White House executive chef, and author Linda Sue Park won the Chicago Tribune Prize for Young Adult Fiction. Other honorees include pharmacy dean Debbie Sasaki-Hill, sports figures honored with Aki Komai Memorial Awards, and scientist Dr. Gordon Hisashi Sato who won the Blue Planet Prize.
• New Initiative Protects Immigrant Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund launched a new initiative to protect immigrants’ rights through education, advocacy and legal representation amid increasing state and local enforcement of immigration laws. The group cites the Real ID Act as an example of policies deterring immigrants from accessing government services.
• New Report Highlights Problems Faced by APA Voters, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A report by the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium found that APA voters in four states did not receive adequate language assistance during the 2004 elections, violating the Voting Rights Act. Researchers recommend better poll worker training and increased recruitment of bilingual staff as Section 203 nears expiration in 2007.
• Kuroki Continued: A Life Fighting Prejudice, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Continuing the story of Ben Kuroki, this section details his enlistment despite discrimination, his eventual approval to fly B-29 missions over Japan after intervention by the Secretary of War, and his post-war career in journalism. Kuroki has spent over 60 years speaking out against racial intolerance.

Commentary

• Looking at the JACL, by John Tateishi, page 1. JACL Executive Director John Tateishi reflects on a demographic study showing the JACL’s membership is aging, with the Nisei generation making up the most financially supportive but oldest segment. He argues the organization must find ways to make its civil rights mission relevant to younger generations while honoring the sacrifices of the Nisei.
• Japanese Heritage in Transition, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Harry Honda reflects on Arthur K. Miki’s keynote address at the Pan American Nikkei Association convention about the future of Japanese heritage in Canada amid rising intermarriage rates and assimilation. Miki discussed the history of Japanese Canadian internment and the challenges of preserving cultural identity across generations.
• 2005 National JACL Golf Tournament, by Floyd Mori, page 8. Floyd Mori recaps the Second National JACL Golf Tournament held at Rolling Hills Country Club, thanking sponsors including the George Aratani Foundation and volunteers who made the event possible. Next year’s tournament is planned for the San Francisco Bay Area.

In-Depth

• Yuki Llewellyn Returns to Manzanar, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Yuki Llewellyn, the little girl famously photographed by Clem Albers during the WWII evacuation, is preparing to return to Manzanar for the first time to research her past. A retired educator, she plans to write an autobiography and bring closure to her fragmented childhood memories of internment.

Arts & Entertainment

• JA Artists Reflect on the 60th Anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings, by Amy E. Ikeda, page 1. Artist Clement Hanami created the exhibit ‘Fat Man/Little Boy’ inspired by his mother’s experience as a hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivor. The exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum accompanied a program of music, poetry and performance commemorating the 60th anniversary of the bombings.
• Cesar Montano: Inserting Filipino Pride in Hollywood’s Version of History, by Lynda Lin, page 9. Filipino actor Cesar Montano discusses his breakthrough role as Capt. Juan Pajota in Miramax’s ‘The Great Raid,’ making him the first major Filipino actor to cross over to Hollywood. Montano describes his research into Pajota’s story, meeting the war hero’s family, and his hopes to bring more international attention to Filipino cinema.

Community

• Community Gathering to Preserve Historic Little Tokyo, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The ‘Ties That Bind 3′ conference will focus on preserving Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo amid rapid new development threatening the historic neighborhood. Speakers including Bill Watanabe and preservation experts will lead discussions on revitalization strategies and heritage education.
• Buddhist Temples Hold Obon Memorial Service for Departed Japanese Students, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The New York Buddhist Church along with Seabrook and Ekoji Buddhist Temples held their 21st annual Obon memorial service at Willow Grove Cemetery in New Brunswick, N.J. The service honors seven Japanese-born Rutgers College students and the daughter of a Japanese diplomat who died between 1870 and 1886.
• PSWD Trust Fund Donates to Local Nisei H.S. Diploma Project, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The JACL Pacific Southwest District presented a $2,000 check to help fund a graduation ceremony for Nisei students denied diplomas due to wartime evacuation. The ceremony is planned for Aug. 21 at Los Angeles Trade Tech.
• JACL Health Benefits Administrators Celebrate 40th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the partnership between JACL Health Benefits Administrators and Blue Shield of California. The board of trustees was recognized for their continued service.

JACL

• JACL Chapters Continue to Give to Accomplished Youth, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 6. JACL chapters across the country including Berkeley, South Bay, Greater Los Angeles Singles, Chicago, Diablo Valley and Sequoia awarded scholarships to graduating high school and college students for scholastic and community achievements. Recipients were honored at various chapter luncheons for excellence in academics and extracurricular involvement.

Obituaries

• Kara Kondo, Yakima County Community Leader, Passes, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Kara Matsushita Kondo, a longtime Yakima County civic leader known for her decades of service with the League of Women Voters and Regional Planning Commission, passed away at age 89. Kondo, who was interned at Heart Mountain during WWII, later donated part of her redress payment to establish a scholarship at Heritage University.
• Eleanor Gerard Sekerak Death Notice, page 11. Eleanor Gerard Sekerak, who taught for the War Relocation Authority at Topaz, Utah during WWII and later spent 30 years as a teacher-counselor at Hayward High School, died July 4 at age 88. She is survived by three children, four grandchildren, and was active in numerous historical and civic organizations.
• George Musubu Teshima Death Notice, page 11. George Musubu Teshima, an 85-year-old WWII veteran of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Purple Heart recipient, passed away July 22 in Albuquerque. He was a longtime maintenance supervisor for Gallup McKinley schools and active volunteer in Little League and youth activities.

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