Watada’s mistrial, a Chinese food news report, and Day of Remembrance

Vol. 144, No. 3, February 16, 2007. 12 pages. View this issue

The mistrial in the court-martial of 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, who refused deployment to Iraq, ran across the front page and the letters page, where readers including Leo Fosoda, Paul A. Dawn and Ef Sayama disagreed about the JACL national board’s neutral stance. Lynda Lin reported on protests in New York over a CW11 news report about Chinese food, and Caroline Aoyagi-Stom told how two sisters set out to thank the 442nd Regiment veterans who rescued their father in the Lost Battalion rescue.

Day of Remembrance stories followed: the House passed a resolution for a National Day of Remembrance marking Executive Order 9066, and approved the Bainbridge Island memorial as a satellite of Minidoka. Elsewhere are a JACL budget surplus, a tribute to Norman Mineta, Tadd Fujikawa’s win at the Pearl Open, and Iris Yamashita’s screenplay for Letters from Iwo Jima.

What’s in this issue

National

• N.Y. APA Community Decries News Report of ‘Sickening Surprise’ in Chinese Food, by Lynda Lin, page 1. A New York CW11 news report alleging a customer found a mouse in her Chinese food sparked protests from APA community leaders who call the coverage ethnic stereotyping and sensationalistic journalism. Protesters demanded an apology and the firing of reporter Chris Glorioso, while the restaurant owner faces threatening calls and lost business.
• Fort Lewis Judge Declares Mistrial in 1st Lt. Ehren Watada’s Court-Martial, by Melanthia Mitchell, Associated Press Writer, page 1. A military judge declared a mistrial in the court-martial of 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, who refused deployment to Iraq, after determining Watada did not fully understand a stipulation of facts he signed. A new trial was set for March 19, though Watada’s lawyer argues a retrial would violate double jeopardy protections.
• House Approves Bainbridge Island Internment Memorial, by Associated Press, page 3. The U.S. House unanimously approved a bill making the Bainbridge Island Nidoto Nai Yoni Memorial part of the national park system as a satellite of Minidoka Internment National Monument. The memorial commemorates the 227 Japanese Americans forced from their homes in March 1942, and survivor Fumiko Hayashida testified in support of the effort.
• House Passes Resolutions to Create Nat’l DOR, Remember Pinedale Assembly Center, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. The House unanimously passed HR 122 supporting a National Day of Remembrance for the 65th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, and HR 109 recognizing the historical significance of the Pinedale Assembly Center in Fresno. Congressmen Mike Honda, Jim Costa, and David Wu spoke in support of preserving this history.
• JACL Blasts Attorney General’s Challenge of Habeas Corpus, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. JACL criticized Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’s Senate testimony suggesting the Constitution does not explicitly grant habeas corpus rights to individuals. Interim JACL director Floyd Mori called Gonzales’s reasoning flawed, noting habeas corpus was central to challenging WWII Japanese American incarceration.
• Robertson Says Too Much Plastic Surgery Results in ‘Oriental’ Eyes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Christian Broadcasting Network host Pat Robertson drew criticism for anti-Asian remarks on ‘The 700 Club’ about plastic surgery resulting in ‘Oriental’ eyes. The article notes this is not his first offensive remark about religious or ethnic groups.
• U.S. Lawmakers Introduce House Resolution Urging Japan to Apologize to WWII ‘Comfort Women’, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. A nonbinding resolution sponsored by Rep. Mike Honda and Rep. Christopher Smith calls on Japan’s prime minister to formally apologize for the WWII sexual enslavement of so-called comfort women. The resolution demands Japan accept historical responsibility in a clear and unequivocal manner.
• Disputed JA Autobiography to Stay, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Hawaii’s Department of Education decided to keep Yoko Kawashima Watkins’s autobiography ‘So Far from the Bamboo Grove’ in schools despite a South Korean consulate officer’s concerns it distorts Japanese colonial history in Korea. Teachers using the book must warn students that historical opinions differ, though the book has been removed from schools in some other states.
• Chinese Food Protest Continues as CW11 Stands by Report, by Lynda Lin, page 4. The controversy over CW11’s ‘Sickening Surprise’ report continued as attorney John Yong and activist Steven Wong questioned the credentials of the lab that identified the food item as rodent, while CW11 defended its reporting as accurate. The restaurant, New Food King, has suffered harassing calls and lost business despite passing a health inspection, and another protest was planned for Feb. 26.

In-Depth

• A Wave of Heartfelt Thanks, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. Sisters Janet Hardwick Brown and Susan Hardwick left a note of thanks on the Japanese American National Monument for the 442nd Regiment, who rescued their father Sgt. Bill Hardwick during WWII’s Lost Battalion rescue. Their journey to locate and thank the veterans has moved both the soldiers and their families, decades after the rescue.
• A Wave of Heartfelt Thanks: The Rescue of Sgt. Bill Hardwick, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 12. This continuation details how sisters Janet and Susan Hardwick located 442nd veterans online after their mother’s death revealed their father’s wartime journal about being rescued as part of the Lost Battalion. The sisters plan to attend the final 442nd reunion in Honolulu in 2008 to thank the veterans in person.

JACL

• JACL National Board Announces Budget Surplus, Nomination of New Nat’l Director, by Lynda Lin, page 1. The JACL reported a fourth consecutive year of budget surplus of about $128,000, though only $14,000 without restricted life membership funds, raising concerns about meeting revenue expectations. The national board also approved a candidate to replace John Tateishi as executive director and discussed investment and staffing plans.
• JACL Leaders Meet with Director-General of Japanese Consular Affairs, page 5. JACL National President Larry Oda and Floyd Shimomura met with Yasuaki Tanizaki, director-general of Japan’s consular affairs bureau, to discuss expanding consular programs to Nikkei living overseas including in the United States. Gifts including a JACL photographic history book and a copy of the Pacific Citizen were exchanged.
• JACL Monterey Chapter Celebrates Diamond Anniversary, page 6. The Monterey Peninsula JACL celebrated its 75th anniversary with over 100 attendees at Rancho Canada Golf Club in Carmel. Surviving charter member Fusako Nakamura attended, and former Monterey Mayor Dan Albert received the Chapter Citizenship Award.

Community

• Students Foster Love Through Mentorship of Adopted Chinese Children, by Liann Ishizuka, page 1. UCLA’s China Care Bruins club connects college student mentors with adopted Chinese children through activities that build positive identity and cultural appreciation. The national China Care Foundation, founded by Matt Dalio, now has 17 college chapters raising funds and providing mentorship and medical support for Chinese orphans.
• AALDEF to Honor Leaders of Justice, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund will honor Javade Chaudhri and author Helen Zia with the 2007 Justice in Action Award at its Lunar New Year Gala in New York City. ABC News correspondent Juju Chang will host the event.
• ‘Secret Asian Man’ Gets Syndicated, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. Tak Toyoshima’s comic strip ‘Secret Asian Man’ has been picked up by United Features Syndicate, making it the first daily American comic strip featuring an Asian lead character. The strip launches May 7, timed for Asian American heritage month.
• Lee Is Appointed to Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. Sansei Merijane Lee of Portola Valley, Calif. was selected by the Treasury Department to serve on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel to help improve IRS customer service. She was named chair of the panel’s ad-hoc committee focused on IRS publications and multilingual initiatives.
• Member of Sen. Inouye’s Staff to Represent Hawaii at the National Cherry Blossom Festival, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. Erin Masui, a legislative correspondent on Sen. Daniel Inouye’s staff, was selected by the Hawaii State Society of Washington, D.C. to represent Hawaii at the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Masui, 23, was born and raised in Honolulu.
• JACL, APIA Community Pay Tribute to Mineta, page 5. JACL and other APIA organizations along with the Smithsonian honored former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta at a tribute dinner in Washington, D.C. Mineta was praised for his role in forming national APIA organizations and for driving passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.
• Tri-Valley JACL Installs New Leaders, page 5. The Tri-Valley JACL and San Benito County celebrated the installation of their 2007 officers and board members at a luncheon in Hollister, Calif. Over 100 members and friends attended, including retired judge Joseph F. Biafore Jr. who administered the oath of office.
• Who’s Who in Asian American Communities Committee Accepting Nominations for 2nd Annual Gala, page 5. The WWAAC Committee is accepting nominations for its July 21 gala honoring 50 outstanding Asian Americans across 10 Southeastern states. Proceeds will benefit the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund.
• Arizona Hosts Teacher Training Workshop, page 5. The Arizona JACL, Arizona Historical Society Museum, and National JACL Education Committee hosted the 10th Annual Teachers Workshop in Tempe. Seventeen local high school teachers participated, including a panel connecting the JA WWII experience to post-9/11 Arab American experiences.

Commentary

• Reader Supports National JACL’s Position on Watada, by Leo Fosoda, page 2. A WWII and Korean War veteran writes in support of the JACL national board’s neutral stance on Lt. Ehren Watada, arguing that military discipline is essential and that Watada should be subject to the orders of his superiors. He suggests JACL members opposed to the Iraq war direct their influence toward Washington instead.
• Vietnam War Vet Supports Watada, by Paul A. Dawn, page 2. A retired Army major who served two tours in Vietnam expresses support for Lt. Ehren Watada’s refusal to deploy to Iraq, calling the war illegal and comparing it to his own experiences in Vietnam. He commends Watada’s bravery and offers to help him.
• Here the People Rule, by Yorkie Ushigune Tanabe, page 2. The writer draws a parallel between President Ford’s post-Watergate remarks about the rule of law and Ehren Watada’s stand against the Iraq war. The letter calls on citizens to remind the new Congress of its duty to end the war.
• An Historic Obligation, by Ef Sayama, page 2. The writer criticizes the JACL national board’s decision not to actively support Lt. Ehren Watada, arguing the organization has a historic obligation to do so. He praises former executive director John Tateishi for recognizing this obligation.
• War is Hell, by Bull Fujita, page 2. The writer states simply that war is not the answer and urges government officials to watch the film ‘Letters from Iwo Jima.’ He thanks filmmakers Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg for the thought-provoking work.
• DOR Recommended Reading, by Gabe Karasawa, page 2. The writer suggests that Day of Remembrance events include encouraging young people to read ‘Dear Miss Breed,’ a book about Japanese American WWII incarceration. He notes JACL chapters have been asked to promote the book as part of school curriculum efforts.
• Learning About Family History Through Questions, by Emily Mitarai, page 8. The author reflects on regretting never asking her grandmother about her experiences at Heart Mountain internment camp before she passed away, and describes her subsequent research interviewing aunts who were interned there. She discusses the responsibility to document firsthand experiences of internment as that generation dwindles.
• An Inspection Tour of JACL Chapter Websites, by Harry Honda, page 8. Harry Honda reviews the websites of 25 JACL chapters found through the national JACL webpage, describing standout features like chapter histories, event listings, and archival materials. He highlights unique offerings from chapters including Denver, New York, Cleveland, and others.

Sports

• Bill Would Build New Sports Site, Tear Down Aloha Stadium, page 7. A Hawaii legislative bill proposes selling the land under the aging Aloha Stadium to fund a new $300 million sports complex near Kapolei. State officials are debating the plan amid concerns over the stadium’s structural problems and a federal deed provision restricting the property’s sale.
• Tadd Fujikawa, 16, Wins Pearl Open, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 7. Sixteen-year-old amateur Tadd Fujikawa shot a final-round 68 to win the Hawaii Pearl Open, a month after becoming the youngest player in 50 years to make a PGA Tour cut at the Sony Open. Fujikawa, a Moanalua High School sophomore, has drawn national attention for his performances against professional golfers.
• Wie’s Wrist, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 7. Michelle Wie injured her left wrist in a fall while running, requiring a hard cast and sidelining her from golf for at least a month. The injury raises questions about whether she will be ready for the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the year’s first LPGA major starting March 29.
• Matsuzaka Heads Up Pitching Changes, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 7. Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona and pitching coach John Farrell are preparing to work with new pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, signed after a $51.11 million posting fee to the Seibu Lions plus a six-year, $52 million contract. The team plans not to change Matsuzaka’s approach despite the transition to American baseball.

Arts & Entertainment

• Iris Yamashita Goes from Web Programmer to Oscar Contender with ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’, by Lynda Lin, page 9. Screenwriter Iris Yamashita, a Shin Nisei, was nominated for an Academy Award for her screenplay ‘Letters from Iwo Jima,’ after being recruited by Paul Haggis to write the companion film to Clint Eastwood’s ‘Flags of Our Fathers.’ Yamashita researched the story of Japanese soldiers at Iwo Jima, drawing on her own family’s connections to WWII and the Korean War.

Obituaries

• USBC Hall of Famer Rokuro ‘Fuzzy’ Shimada Passes, page 11. U.S. Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Rokuro ‘Fuzzy’ Shimada, who promoted bowling among Japanese Americans and organized national championships, died at age 85 in Greenville, N.C. Shimada was barred from American Bowling Congress membership due to a Caucasian-only rule that was in effect prior to 1950, and was the first Asian American to roll a 300 game in organized play, though it went unrecognized.

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