Vol. 143, No. 1, July 7, 2006. 12 pages. View this issue
The JACL national convention in Chandler, Arizona, shaped this 12-page issue. The council elected the 2006-2008 national board, with Larry Oda as president, and adopted a new biennial budget built on a dues increase and new fundraising plans. John Tateishi announced his resignation as national executive director, and Lynda Lin reported on it and on the election controversy around it. Caroline Aoyagi-Stom covered Hilary Shelton’s keynote at the Sayonara Banquet and the convention awards.
Elsewhere, First Lt. Ehren Watada’s refusal to deploy to Iraq drew two pages of reader letters, including one from a Heart Mountain draft resister. The paper also marked the resignation of Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and reported on Sandra Tanamachi’s campaign to remove “Jap Road” names from Texas counties. A piece on hepatitis B and a Cynthia Kadohata award round out the issue.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- JACL’s Executive Director John Tateishi Resigns After More Than Six Years, by Lynda Lin, page 1. JACL Executive Director John Tateishi announced his resignation at the June 25 national board meeting in Chandler, Arizona, citing personal and job-related reasons including stress and lack of staff support. His decision came amid controversy over the national board elections, though he insists the resignation was not prompted by threats made against him.
- JACL Sets New Course with Next Biennial Budget, by Lynda Lin, page 1. The JACL national council adopted a new biennial budget featuring aggressive fundraising measures including a dues increase, a gala dinner, and a golf tournament to address membership erosion and fund vacant staff positions. Districts and chapters were also given new membership recruitment targets to help reverse declining membership trends.
- David Kawamoto Honored as JACLer of the Biennium, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 3. David Kawamoto, a former national vice president and PSW district governor, received the JACLer of the Biennium Award for his extensive service including revitalizing the National JACL Scholarship Program. The award was presented by immediate past president Ken Inouye at the convention’s Awards Luncheon.
- Cedar Grove Productions and Tanamachi Honored at Sayonara Banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Cedar Grove Productions founders Chris Tashima and Tim Toyama received the Japanese American of the Biennium Award for their films highlighting Asian American experiences, including work on Chiune Sugihara’s WWII heroism. Sandra Tanamachi received the Edison Uno Civil Rights Award for her decade-long campaign to remove derogatory ‘Jap Road’ and ‘Jap Lane’ names from Texas counties.
- Awards: Portland Chapter and Playwright Soji Kashiwagi Recognized, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Portland JACL chapter won the George J. Inagaki Chapter Citizenship Award for membership growth and community programs, while playwright Soji Kashiwagi received the Ruby Yoshino Schaar Playwright Award for his play ‘Camp Dance’ about WWII internment camps. Additional recognition went to Jeffery Burton and Mary Farrell for preserving internment camp archaeological sites, and Michelle Sugi for her Mike Masaoka Fellowship experience.
- Tateishi Reflects on Resignation, Election Controversy and JACL’s Future, by P.C. Staff, page 9. In an exclusive interview, outgoing Executive Director John Tateishi discussed his decision to resign, revealing he had been considering it for about a year due to job stress and insufficient staffing. He also addressed the election controversy that arose after the new board was chosen and offered suggestions for JACL’s future, including hiring an associate director and relocating headquarters to Washington, D.C.
National
- NAACP Director Highlights JACL’s Civil Rights Legacy in Keynote Address, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP’s Washington Bureau, delivered the keynote address at JACL’s Sayonara Banquet, drawing parallels between civil rights struggles of the past and present threats to civil liberties. He praised JACL’s history of fighting for justice alongside the NAACP and urged younger generations to continue the fight.
- JA Officer Makes It Official, Refuses Deployment to Iraq, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. First Lt. Ehren Watada became the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse deployment to Iraq when his unit deployed June 22. The 28-year-old Honolulu native is also believed to be the first Asian American officer to take this stance.
- Mineta Resigns, Citing ‘Time to Move On’, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 1. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, the first Asian Pacific American Cabinet secretary, announced his resignation effective July 7 after serving over five years, the longest tenure of any transportation secretary. JACL passed an emergency resolution honoring his service amid the convention’s activities.
- Mineta’s Legacy of Firsts Celebrated Amid Resignation, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Norman Mineta’s resignation as Transportation Secretary prompted tributes highlighting his career of historic firsts, including being the first Asian Pacific American Cabinet secretary and first to serve as mayor of a major U.S. city. Political leaders including Rep. Mike Honda and Sen. Daniel Akaka praised his decades of public service and leadership following the September 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina.
Commentary
- Strong Foundation, Strong Future, by Larry Oda, page 1. In his President’s Corner column, incoming JACL National President Larry Oda reflects on the leadership transition following the biennial convention and praises outgoing Executive Director John Tateishi’s contributions during his tenure. Oda expresses confidence that the national board and staff will build on Tateishi’s foundation for JACL’s future.
- P.C. Readers Add Their Voices to Watada Debate, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Pacific Citizen readers wrote in with a range of opinions on Lt. Ehren Watada’s refusal to deploy to Iraq, with some praising his moral courage and others criticizing his choice as a violation of military duty. The letters reflect a broader national divide over the Iraq War and Watada’s unprecedented stand as a commissioned officer.
- More Reader Letters on the Watada Controversy, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Additional letters from Pacific Citizen readers continued the debate over Lt. Ehren Watada’s refusal to deploy to Iraq, including WWII veterans and a Heart Mountain draft resister sharing perspectives shaped by their own wartime experiences. Opinions ranged from calling Watada courageous and principled to criticizing him for not fulfilling his military commission.
Arts & Entertainment
- Newbery Medal Winning Author Cynthia Kadohata Honored With Vision Award, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 3. Author Cynthia Kadohata received the Vision Award from the JACL National Youth/Student Council for inspiring youth through her writing about Japanese American experiences. Her novel ‘Weedflower,’ set at the Poston internment camp, reflects her personal connection to her father’s incarceration during WWII.
Community
- Calling Out the Silent Epidemic, by Lynda Lin, page 3. Gilbert Lee has made it his mission to raise awareness about hepatitis B after losing his father to the disease in 2003, launching a website highlighting how the illness disproportionately affects Asian Pacific Americans. JACL’s national council passed an emergency resolution supporting the National Hepatitis B Act and encouraging educational outreach programs on the disease.
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