Five years after 9/11, and a look at the 2006 JACL scholarship winners

Vol. 143, No. 6, September 15, 2006. 12 pages. View this issue

Five years after September 11, the issue looked at how the attacks changed life for Muslim Americans, with Rasha Madkour reporting on suspicion, discrimination and a turn toward civil rights activism. Caroline Aoyagi-Stom explained why 911 service on internet phones does not work like a landline, a concern for APAs, the largest group of VoIP customers. Lynda Lin reported on the Gulf Coast APA community a year after Hurricane Katrina and on CBS’s decision to split Survivor teams by race.

Pages 6 and 7 list the 27 National JACL scholarship winners, who shared 57,000 dollars. Harry K. Honda’s column recalled JACL’s national conventions from 1980 to 2006, and a story told of three Nisei siblings who received belated diplomas from Redlands schools. Lynda Lin also profiled filmmaker Ham Tran and his film Journey from the Fall.

What’s in this issue

National

• Calling 911 Doesn’t Always Mean Help Is on the Way, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. Many VoIP phone users, especially APAs who make up the largest group of VoIP customers, do not realize that 911 service on internet phones does not work like traditional landline 911. The article details tragic cases including the John family shooting and the death of an infant in Florida when 911 calls failed to connect properly.
• AsianBoston Magazine Creates Peculiar Buzz, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. AsianBoston magazine, published by a White Bostonian with no ties to Asia, has stirred controversy among local Asian American groups over its motives and content. Critics say the publisher is exploiting Asian women through his simultaneous modeling agency venture, though the magazine’s second issue toned down its content from the first.
• Personal Belongings of Fallen Sept. 11th Hero Are Donated to World Trade Center Tribute Exhibit, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 1. Zack Zeng, a Bank of New York analyst and trained EMT, died while providing emergency first aid during the Sept. 11 attacks and was the only known Asian Pacific American to assist victims that day. His personal belongings were donated to the WTC Tribute Center, and a street in Manhattan’s Chinatown was renamed in his honor.
• Katrina APA Community One Year Later: Still in a Fog, by Lynda Lin, page 1. A year after Hurricane Katrina, the Asian Pacific American community along the Gulf Coast is still struggling to recover with little media attention compared to other groups. JACL and APA aid organizations are returning for a second legal education clinic to address ongoing issues with benefits, bankruptcy, and immigration documents.
• Racially Segregated Teams on ‘Survivor’ Spark Controversy, But Have You Seen So Many APAs on TV Before?, by Lynda Lin, page 1. CBS’s ‘Survivor’ divided its 13th season contestants into four racial teams, drawing criticism from groups and sponsors who pulled advertising, while also bringing an unprecedented five APA cast members to the show. Former contestant Bruce Kanegai and current APA contestant Yul Kwon expressed mixed feelings about the format’s potential to both showcase and stereotype communities.
• Life for Muslim Americans Drastically Different After 9/11, by Rasha Madkour, page 3. Muslim Americans describe how their lives changed dramatically and negatively after the September 11 attacks, facing suspicion, discrimination, and government scrutiny. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani and others recount personal stories of backlash, while advocates say Muslims are increasingly engaging in civil rights activism and politics to defend their rights.
• APAs Called the ‘Sleeping Giant’ in Calif. Politics, page 3. A UCLA Asian American Studies Center analysis finds that Asian Pacific Americans are emerging as a significant voting bloc in California, similar to Hispanics two decades ago, due to population growth and rising citizenship rates. Researchers say the challenge remains converting growing numbers of APA citizens into actual voters.
• Bill to Provide Interpreters in Courts Passes Calif. State Legislature, page 3. California’s AB 2302, which would guarantee interpreters in civil court proceedings, passed the state legislature and awaits the governor’s signature. Supporters say the bill is crucial for the seven million Californians who need language assistance to navigate the legal system.
• Grocers Sue Wal-Mart, Andrew Young Over Racist Remarks, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. Korean grocers filed a libel suit against former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young and Wal-Mart after Young made comments claiming Korean, Jewish, and Arab store owners overcharged Black customers. The suit seeks at least $7.5 million in damages.
• Allen’s Lead Narrowing After ‘Macaca’ Gaffe, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. Republican Sen. George Allen’s polling lead has nearly evaporated after he referred to a Democratic campaign aide of Indian descent as ‘Macaca’ at a rally. A new poll shows Allen at 46 percent support against Democrat Jim Webb’s 42 percent.
• Bishop Museum Reclaims Native Hawaiian Artifacts from Big Island Cave, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. The Bishop Museum retrieved 83 priceless Hawaiian artifacts from a Big Island cave with court approval, angering a Native Hawaiian group that had buried them years earlier. The dispute has dragged on for years, including a month-long jailing of an activist to force disclosure of the burial site.
• Peters Is Chosen to Succeed Mineta as Secretary of Transportation, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. President Bush selected Mary Peters, former head of the Arizona Department of Transportation, as the new U.S. transportation secretary. She succeeds Norman Mineta, who became the longest-serving transportation secretary before stepping down in July.
• CBS’ Hit Show ‘Survivor’ Will Divide Teams by Race, page 4. The continuation of the Survivor race-team story details reactions from contestants like Yul Kwon and advocacy groups like the National Asian American Media Coalition about the risks and potential benefits of the show’s racial division format. Major sponsors including General Motors and Home Depot pulled advertising amid the controversy, while CBS defended its decision as producing valuable diverse representation.
• 911 Services Not Always Guaranteed on VoIP Phones, page 4. The continuation of the VoIP 911 story explains the technical reasons why internet phone 911 calls can fail, including the disconnect between IP addresses and physical locations. The FCC is pushing VoIP providers to implement Enhanced 911 service and translate materials into Asian languages to better inform APA consumers.
• Katrina APA Community One Year Later: Still in a Fog (Continued), by Lynda Lin, page 12. The continuation of the Katrina feature follows the Ryan family’s journey from evacuation to their eventual return to Louisiana, detailing struggles with housing costs, job loss, and emotional trauma. Aid organization Boat People SOS continues working with dozens of case files as displaced APA families struggle to rebuild a year after the storm.

Commentary

• Readers Commend Pacific Citizen Coverage, page 2. A Nisei Coast Guard officer writes to praise the Pacific Citizen for covering APA issues and achievements not found elsewhere. Another reader, given the paper by Betty Ong’s sister, commends the publication’s coverage of Betty Ann Ong and Angel Island immigration.
• Reader Relates to Sept. 1-14 P.C. Issue, by Takuya Maruyama, page 2. A reader with an anthropology background reflects on an epiphany about identity versus racial profiling prompted by a previous issue’s article. He also relates a personal anecdote connecting to the paper’s story on Scott Fujita.
• Readers Continue to Debate 1st Lt. Watada, by Sam Ozaki and Larry Nakata, page 2. Two readers offer opposing views on 1st Lt. Ehren Watada’s refusal to deploy to Iraq, with one supporting Watada and blaming the Bush administration for the war, and the other arguing there are no civil rights at stake and that Watada simply disobeyed a command. Both letters reflect ongoing community debate over the case.
• Final Convention Glimpses, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Harry Honda recounts the history of JACL’s biennial national conventions from 1980 through 2006, covering key events like the redress campaign, presidential signings, leadership elections, and notable keynote speakers. The column reflects on decades of organizational milestones leading up to the 50th biennial anticipated in 2028.

Community

• Inouye Chairs Human Relations Commission, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. Ken Inouye, immediate past JACL national president, was elected chair of the Orange County Human Relations Commission. He has volunteered with the organization since 1993 and prioritizes educating the public about human relations as part of public safety.
• Mile-Hi JACLer Receives Minoru Yasui Award, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. Mariagnes Aya Medrud received the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award and a $2,500 check, which she donated to the Mile-Hi JACL for the Minoru Yasui Project. She has led the chapter’s Living History Committee and efforts to improve the Minoru Yasui Building in Denver.
• Three Nisei Siblings Receive Their Belated Diplomas, page 5. Three Nisei siblings from the Wada and Sakato families received belated diplomas from Redlands Unified School District decades after their education was interrupted by World War II internment. The diplomas were issued under California Assembly Bill 781, which allows retroactive diplomas for Japanese Americans affected by the wartime evacuation.
• San Jose JACL to Recognize Distinguished Volunteers, page 8. The San Jose JACL will honor several community volunteers, including S. Ruth Hashimoto, Henry Uyeda, and others, at its 5th Annual Community Recognition Dinner on Sept. 30. Honorees were selected for their dedication to the chapter’s mission of education, civil rights, and community partnerships.

JACL

• JACL Announces 2006 Scholarship Winners, page 6. National JACL awarded 27 scholarships totaling $57,000 to students in undergraduate, graduate, law, and arts divisions. Recipients’ personal statements reflect on the Japanese American experience, internment history, redress, and lessons for American society today.
• JACL Scholarship Winners Continued: Arts and Law Divisions, page 7. Additional scholarship recipients in the arts and law divisions shared personal essays about multiculturalism, civil rights, and the lessons of Japanese American internment for contemporary society. The article also thanks San Diego and Berkeley JACL chapter volunteers who assisted with the national scholarship program selection process.

Arts & Entertainment

• The ‘Fall’ Gives New Rise to Vietnamese American Filmmaker, by Lynda Lin, page 9. UCLA film school graduate Ham Tran directed ‘Journey from the Fall,’ the first film to depict the Vietnam War and the boat people crisis from the Vietnamese perspective, drawing acclaim at Sundance despite lacking a distribution deal. Tran has resisted pressure to Americanize the film for wider release, insisting on preserving its authentic voice for the Vietnamese American community.

Obituaries

• In Memoriam — 2006, page 11. This edition’s obituary listings include a range of Japanese American community members who passed away in mid-2006, including WWII and Korean War veterans. Notable entries include Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Sifoa Loa, killed in Iraq, among many others survived by extended families.
• Mrs. Mary Yano, page 11. Mary Yano, 80, a retired administrative assistant, fashion designer, and artist, died Aug. 26, 2006, survived by her husband Yukio, daughters Deborah and Colleen, son Roger, and three grandchildren. The family requested details on a planned memorial service be directed to them.
• Aya M. Endo, page 11. Aya M. Endo, 91, passed away Aug. 31, 2006, after a long illness, survived by her husband of 64 years Minoru Endo and children Keith and Larry. She was the eldest daughter of Kunisaku and Kane Mineta and sister of Norman Mineta, and was devoted to her family, garden, and flower arrangement despite her terminal illness.

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