Heart Mountain, Sacramento’s Japantown and the Minidoka expansion

Vol. 146, No. 9, May 16, 2008. 16 pages. View this issue

Preserving Japanese American history ran through the front page and much of this 16-page issue. Caroline Aoyagi-Stom reported on the effort to renovate Sacramento’s Nisei War Memorial Hall, the last remnant of the city’s Japantown. Floyd Mori wrote about funding for a Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center, and Al Simpson and Norman Mineta were named co-chairs of its campaign. President Bush signed a bill expanding the Minidoka monument. Lynda Lin also covered how JACL’s history with immigration shaped its support for immigrant rights today.

Other pages carried a profile of Erik Spoelstra, named head coach of the Miami Heat, and the announcement that astronaut Dan Tani will keynote the JACL national convention. Hiroshi Shimizu thanked the paper for its coverage of Tule Lake legislation, and the issue listed JACL national board nominees. Harry Honda reviewed a 1939 memorial book of Japanese families in America.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Old Friends Work to Promote Heart Mountain Preservation, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. Shig Shimazu and other Sacramento community members recall the once-thriving Japantown that has now been reduced to the Nisei War Memorial Hall. A committee has formed to raise funds to renovate the historic building, which is jointly owned by the VFW Post and Sacramento JACL chapter.’
• In Immigrant Rights Movement, New Activism Meets an Old Injustice, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Sonoma County JACL members, including Sachiko Chermin, Lina Hoshino and Gary Sugiyama, joined a May 1 immigration rights rally, drawing on JACL’s historic fight against anti-immigrant discrimination faced by Japanese Americans. The article explores JACL’s history with immigration issues and today’s efforts to support immigrant rights at the grassroots level.
• S.F. Chapter Receives School District Commendation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL San Francisco chapter was honored with a commendation from the San Francisco School Board for two decades of support including curriculum development and book donations about the Japanese American experience. The chapter recently donated 480 copies of a curriculum guide and continues collecting books for the district’s Teacher Resource Center.
• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 5. This roundup profiles several notable APAs including Jani Iwamoto, the first APA woman running for public office in Utah; Gary Yamauchi, inducted into the Japanese American National Bowling Association Hall of Fame; Sam Inouye, honored by MetLife for volunteer work; and Col. Lisa Onaga and Maj. Gen. David Clary, praised by Sen. Akaka for their service in Iraq. Each feature highlights their achievements and community contributions.
• Oxnard Japanese Cemetery Celebrates 100th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The historic Japanese Cemetery in Oxnard, Calif., marked its 100th anniversary with a May 10 cleanup organized by the Ventura County JACL chapter. The cemetery, the final resting place for pioneering Japanese immigrants excluded from Caucasian cemeteries, has been maintained by VC JACL members for over 40 years despite decades of neglect and vandalism.
• PSW District Holds 3rd Annual Golf Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Pacific Southwest district held its third annual golf tournament on May 3 at Los Robles Golf Course in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Over 72 golfers competed across five divisions.

Sports

• The Heat is on for NBA’s 1st APA Head Coach, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Erik Spoelstra, of Irish, Dutch and Filipino descent, was recently promoted to head coach of the Miami Heat, becoming the NBA’s first Asian Pacific American head coach at age 37. He succeeds Pat Riley after 13 seasons working his way up within the organization, starting as a video coordinator.
• Spoelstra: Destined for Success, by Lynda Lin, page 10. This continuation profile details Erik Spoelstra’s rise from a video coordinator with the Miami Heat to becoming the NBA’s first Asian Pacific American head coach, tracing his upbringing in Portland, his parents’ story, and his dedication to basketball. Colleagues and family describe his relentless work ethic and humble beginnings before his historic promotion succeeding Pat Riley.

National

• Astronaut Dan Tani to Keynote JACL Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. NASA astronaut Daniel M. Tani, a third-generation Japanese American with deep JACL family ties, will be the keynote speaker at the JACL National Convention’s Sayonara Banquet on July 19 in Salt Lake City. Tani has flown two missions with NASA and follows Ellison Onizuka as the second Japanese American in space.
• Bush Signs Bill Expanding Borders of Minidoka Monument, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 1. President Bush signed a massive public lands bill that expands the borders of the Minidoka Internment National Monument and designates Bainbridge Island’s Nidoto Nai Yoni memorial as part of the national park system. The bill was championed by Reps. Jay Inslee and Mike Simpson along with Idaho senators Mike Crapo and Larry Craig.
• For WWII Internees, UW Degrees Come After 66-year Wait, by Associated Press, page 3. The University of Washington is planning to issue honorary degrees to Japanese American students who were forced to leave campus after the Pearl Harbor attack and subsequent internment. A ceremony honoring the former students was scheduled for May 18 at Kane Hall on the Seattle campus.
• Al Simpson and Mineta Join Forces to Promote Heart Mountain, by Associated Press, page 3. Former Sen. Al Simpson and former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, who met as Boy Scouts at the Heart Mountain camp in 1943, are co-chairing a nationwide fundraising campaign for a proposed $5.5 million interpretive learning center at the site. The campaign has raised $1.2 million so far toward the center featuring a theater, barrack replicas, and interactive exhibits.
• JACL Celebrates APA Heritage Month at the White House, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL participated in a May 1 White House ceremony where President Bush recognized Japanese American veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 100th Battalion, and Military Intelligence Service, including WWII hero Ben Kuroki. APA leaders including Norman Mineta, Elaine Chao, and Congressman David Wu were also recognized at the event marking Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
• National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. A roundup of national news briefs covers a University of Colorado student newspaper controversy over an anti-Asian column, a missed deadline for an anti-affirmative-action petition in Missouri, Burmese Americans’ relief efforts after Cyclone Nargis, an Alabama hate crimes bill, and Hawaiian school scholarships for Native Hawaiian students. Each brief details a separate news item affecting APA and civil rights communities.
• Minidoka Monument Expansion Signed Into Law, by P.C. Staff, page 12. This continuation article provides further detail on the bill signed by President Bush expanding the Minidoka Internment National Monument and incorporating the Nidoto Nai Yoni memorial into the national park system. JACL National Director Floyd Mori and Friends of Minidoka chair Emily Momohara commended the legislation’s passage.
• Dan Tani Convention Keynote Details, by P.C. Staff, page 12. This continuation article provides additional details on astronaut Dan Tani’s upcoming keynote address at the JACL convention’s Sayonara Banquet, noting his NASA Spaceflight Medal and past recognition as JACL’s ‘Japanese American of the Biennium for Science and Technology.’ The 2008 convention theme, ‘Legacy of Leadership,’ will also commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.
• Mori: Heart Mountain Preservation Funding Efforts Continue, by Floyd Mori, page 12. This continuation of Mori’s column details the Preservation of Japanese American Confinement Sites law and ongoing efforts by the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation to raise $2 million in matching funds for a $6.2 million preservation project. Mori thanks those working on camp preservation projects during the 20th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.
• Immigrant Rights Movement Rooted in JACL History, by Lynda Lin, page 13. This continuation article traces JACL’s historic fight against discriminatory laws like the Alien Land Act and the successful push for the Walter-McCarran Bill of 1952, led by Mike Masaoka. It connects this history to current JACL involvement in immigrant rights advocacy, including a Sonoma County chapter forum and national organizing efforts by groups like NAKASEC.

Commentary

• National Director’s Report: Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center, by Floyd Mori, page 2. Floyd Mori reports on a visit from Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation board members Shirley Higuchi and Doug Nelson, who updated JACL on fundraising efforts for an Interpretive Learning Center at Heart Mountain expected to open in 2010. The piece details the involvement of Norman Mineta, Alan Simpson, and Raymond Uno in supporting the foundation’s preservation and education efforts.
• Keeping Members on the ‘Other’ Coast Informed, by Margie Yamamoto, page 2. Margie Yamamoto reflects on a nostalgic visit to Los Angeles and Little Tokyo, recalling childhood memories of the area after her family’s return from internment camps. She discusses living as a JACL member in New England, far from Japantown communities, and the importance of the Pacific Citizen in connecting far-flung JA communities.
• Tule Lake Committee Thanks P.C. for Coverage, by Hiroshi Shimizu, page 2. Hiroshi Shimizu, chair of the Tule Lake Pilgrimage Committee, thanks the Pacific Citizen for its coverage that helped spur congressional action on HR 2506, legislation to study converting Tule Lake into a National Park site. He notes that after years of inactivity, Reps. Doolittle and Matsui acted quickly following the P.C.’s reporting on the stalled bill.
• Glendale Should Honor Munemori, by Betty Morita, page 2. Betty Morita describes visiting a statue honoring Medal of Honor recipient Sadao Munemori in Pietra Santo, Italy, and expresses hope that Glendale, Calif. will similarly honor him. She urges readers to contact Glendale officials about the effort.
• Oba-mania!, by Peter Shigeki Frandsen, page 8. In his debut column, Peter Shigeki Frandsen, a self-described political ‘halfie’ raised in a predominantly white community, explores why he is drawn to Barack Obama despite leaning Republican. He argues that America’s unique ability to embrace seemingly contradictory identities simultaneously is embodied by Obama’s mixed racial heritage and by Americans’ own complex histories.
• A Treasure: ‘Memorial Book of Japanese Families in U.S.A.’, by Harry Honda, page 8. Harry Honda reviews a rare 1939 photographic memorial book published by the New World Sun newspaper documenting Japanese immigrant families across the western United States, organized by region with photos and Japanese text. He notes the poignant history that many such books were destroyed by Nikkei families after Pearl Harbor out of fear, making this surviving copy especially valuable.
• Yamamoto: Continued Reflections on JACL and the Pacific Citizen, by Margie Yamamoto, page 12. This continuation of Yamamoto’s column discusses the Pacific Citizen’s Spring Campaign fundraising drive to hire an online reporter and enhance the paper’s web presence. She encourages readers to donate to support the newspaper as a vital service connecting JA communities nationwide.

JACL

• JACL Announces 2nd Annual D.C. Gala, by P.C. Staff, page 3. National JACL announced its second annual Gala Dinner will be held Sept. 25 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C., focusing on the 20th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Sen. Daniel Inouye will serve as honorary chairman with Rep. Mike Honda as master of ceremonies.
• Mori Receives ‘Voices of Courage Award’, by P.C. Staff, page 4. JACL National Director Floyd Mori was presented the ‘Voices of Courage Award’ by the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno for speaking out against racial profiling of Muslim and Arab Americans after Sept. 11. Mori, who was JACL’s national president in 2001, had the organization speak out in support of Muslim and Arab Americans the day after the attacks.
• JACL Announces Slate of National Board Nominees, by Submitted by the JACL Nominations Committee, page 6. The JACL Nominations Committee released biographical statements from candidates running for national board positions ahead of the July convention, including Larry Oda for president, Sheldon Arakaki for VP General Operations, David Kawamoto for VP Planning & Development, and youth candidates Brandon Mita and Kimberly Shintaku. Several positions, including VP Public Affairs, VP Membership, and Secretary/Treasurer, remain vacant.

Arts & Entertainment

• Drama Queen, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Actress Joan Chen discusses her career from being discovered by producer Dino De Laurentiis to her latest films including ‘The Home Song Stories,’ for which she won a best actress award, and ‘Lust, Caution.’ Chen reflects on her identity as an immigrant, becoming a U.S. citizen, and her evolving comfort with the Asian Pacific American label.

In-Depth

• Nisei War Memorial Hall: A Gathering Place and Moving Symbol, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 11. This continuation article details the history of Sacramento’s Japantown, destroyed by urban renewal, and the Nisei War Memorial Hall that remains as its last physical legacy. Community members including Erin Komatsubara, Dean Okimoto, and Suzanne Sasaki are working to raise $250,000 for renovations, with a fundraising screening of ‘Only the Brave’ planned for June 7.

Obituaries

• Paul T. Ohtaki, Journalist and Businessman, Dies at 83, by P.C. Staff, page 15. Paul T. Ohtaki, who wrote a wartime column about Bainbridge Island Japanese Americans in the Manzanar camp for the Bainbridge Review, passed away April 27 at age 83. His friendship with publisher Walt Woodward, who defended JA civil rights in his editorials, became known as a relationship that ‘made island history,’ and Ohtaki later served in the MIS and built a successful printing business.
• Mildred Loving, Whose Interracial Marriage Led to Landmark Ruling, Dies at 68, by Associated Press, page 15. Mildred Loving, whose 1967 Supreme Court case struck down bans on interracial marriage across the United States, died May 2 at her home in Virginia. Her marriage to white husband Richard Loving in 1958 led to the landmark ruling that overturned laws banning racially mixed marriages in at least 17 states.

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