Veterans Day 2008: Nisei vets’ stories, JACL and the 1988 redress law

Vol. 147, No. 9, November 7, 2008. 16 pages. View this issue

Veterans Day set the tone for this issue. Caroline Aoyagi-Stom wrote about Yonsei grandchildren of Nisei soldiers, including Robyn Tofukuji, who use films, volunteering and reunions to keep the Go for Broke story alive for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 100th Battalion and the Military Intelligence Service. On the front page, Bill Yoshino paid tribute to Edwin Endow, the former JACL vice president for membership. Floyd Mori reported on the second National JACL Gala Awards Dinner honoring Champions of Redress, and Kathy Aoki spoke with Jerry Enomoto about raising $700,000 for the Redress bill that became the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.

Also inside: a lawsuit over a feedlot planned near the Minidoka National Historic Site, filmmaker Kevin Walker’s road trip to the camps, including Tule Lake, and John Tateishi’s column on fear and civil liberties. Lynda Lin covered the economic squeeze on APA nonprofits and autism in APA families.

What’s in this issue

Obituaries

• Remember the Weeds … and Ed, by Bill Yoshino, page 1. A tribute to Edwin Endow, former JACL vice president for membership, who passed away Oct. 25. The author recalls Endow’s plain-spoken demeanor, his dedication to JACL, and their friendship dating back to the 1998 JACL Convention.
• Yukiko Sugihara, Wife of Former Japanese Consul, Passes, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 15. Yukiko Sugihara, wife of the late Japanese Consul Chiune Sugihara who helped save thousands of Jews during the Holocaust, passed away Oct. 8 at age 94. She supported her husband’s defiant issuance of visas to Jewish refugees in Lithuania during WWII.
• JACL Expresses Sympathy For Endow’s Passing, by P.C. Staff, page 15. JACL leaders including national president Larry Oda and national director Floyd Mori expressed condolences following the death of former national board member Edwin Endow. Endow served as Stockton JACL chapter president and national vice president for membership, working tirelessly to grow the organization.

In-Depth

• Yonsei Grandchildren of Nisei Vets Help Keep ‘Go for Broke’ Story Alive, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. Grandchildren of Nisei WWII veterans, including Robyn Tofukuji, are working to preserve and pass on the stories of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 100th Battalion and Military Intelligence Service. Through films, volunteering and reunions, these Yonsei feel a responsibility to keep their grandfathers’ legacies alive as the veterans age.
• Portland, Maine Marks Little-known Chinese American History, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. A local attorney named Gary Libby is spearheading a project to place 20 historical markers at sites significant to Portland, Maine’s once-thriving Chinese American community, including the former Goon Family Laundry. The project highlights the pioneering Goon family and other Chinese American businesses dating back to the 1850s.
• Jerry Enomoto Looks Back at LEC and Redress, by Kathy Aoki, page 7. Former JACL national president Jerry Enomoto recalls his role chairing the Legislative Education Committee, which raised $700,000 to support the Redress bill that led to the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Enomoto also discusses his groundbreaking career in the California Department of Corrections and his hopes that younger generations will learn about Redress history.

National

• In an Economic Downturn, APA Nonprofits are Struck Hardest, by Lynda Lin, page 1. The economic downturn is severely impacting APA nonprofit organizations like Asian American LEAD and Asian Counseling and Referral Services, which serve vulnerable communities. Reduced funding, corporate cutbacks, and increased demand for services are creating a perfect storm for these vital organizations.
• Breaking Down the Silence Barrier, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Autism affects families across all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, but the APA community often struggles with stigma and silence around developmental disorders. The article follows several APA families, including Sophia Shi and her son Kevin, as they navigate diagnosis, cultural barriers, and finding support communities like the Fremont-based Dream Center.
• Lawsuit Filed to Stop Idaho Feedlot Near Minidoka, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. JACL and a coalition of groups filed a lawsuit to stop a 13,000-animal dairy feedlot from being built near the Minidoka National Historic Site in Idaho. The lawsuit challenges a state law restricting who can participate in feedlot approval decisions and alleges zoning violations by Jerome County commissioners.
• Judge Blocks Retrial of 1st Lt. Watada on 3 of 5 Counts, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. A federal judge ruled the Army cannot retry Iraq war objector 1st Lt. Ehren Watada on several charges due to double jeopardy protections. Two conduct unbecoming charges were sent back to military court for further consideration, leaving Watada in continued legal limbo.
• Filipino Vets May Get Another Chance at Benefits, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. Sen. Daniel Akaka plans to negotiate a bill during a potential lame-duck Congressional session to secure benefits for an estimated 18,000 surviving Filipino WWII veterans. Sen. Richard Burr has expressed willingness to discuss a more limited pension compromise in the next Congressional session.
• S.F. Japanese Tea Garden Hopes to Regain Authenticity, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department is seeking new operators for the Japanese Tea Garden’s teahouse and gift shop after criticism that current offerings lack cultural authenticity. The search follows a controversial process two years ago involving competing bids from Chinese American and Japanese American operators.
• National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. A roundup of national news briefs including Angel Island’s reopening after a fire, an APA man forced at knifepoint to say ‘I love America’ in Boulder, a court refusing to free Chinese Muslim detainees at Guantanamo, low diabetes rates in Hawaii, an insurance fraud ring targeting Asian drivers in NYC, and hate crimes against Sikhs in New Jersey.
• Growing APA Vote Sheds Passive Past, by Associated Press, page 5. Asian Americans are becoming increasingly politically active and assertive, particularly in swing states like Virginia and Nevada, as the population grows and becomes more educated. Both major party campaigns conducted targeted Asian outreach efforts in the 2008 election, with many voters drawn to Obama’s story as reflecting their own immigrant experiences.

Commentary

• A Successful Gala but Membership Numbers are Still Down, by Floyd Mori, page 2. National JACL Director Floyd Mori reports on the successful second National JACL Gala Awards Dinner honoring Champions of Redress, while noting declining JACL membership numbers remain a serious concern. He thanks sponsors and supporters and urges members to help recruit lapsed members back to the organization.
• Reader Commends Black Reparations Coverage, by Kelli M. Rucker, page 2. A letter to the editor commends the Pacific Citizen’s coverage of JA-Black reparations, praising how it captured JACL’s inclusive mission. The writer emphasizes the differing historical contexts of slavery versus Japanese American internment in discussing reparations.
• Two Brave Men: George Takei and Brad Altman, by Lee Lipp, page 2. A letter to the editor expresses appreciation for the Pacific Citizen’s coverage of George Takei and Brad Altman’s wedding. The writer reflects on how the couple’s public celebration of love encourages support for civil rights for all people.
• ‘I Felt Truly a Part of the JACL Family’, by Meilee Wong, page 7. Meilee Wong reflects on completing her term as the first Norman Mineta fellow in Washington, D.C., describing her experiences in advocacy work and travels across the country. She thanks JACL staff and expresses hope to remain involved with the organization.
• Election Season in Japan, by Yumi Sakugawa, page 8. The author reflects on experiencing the historic 2008 U.S. presidential election while living and teaching English in rural Japan. She describes feeling both connected to and isolated from the excitement back home, gaining new appreciation for American political engagement through the distance of living abroad.
• Reign of Fear: The Unnecessary Price of Democracy, by John Tateishi, page 8. Former JACL national director John Tateishi argues that post-9/11 fear-based governance has eroded American civil liberties and democratic principles over the past seven years. He calls for renewed courage from leaders to reject fear-mongering and restore the moral foundations of American democracy.

Community

• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 5. A roundup of community achievements including San Jose JACL’s recognition dinner honoring five community leaders, a San Gabriel post office renamed for former mayor Chi Mui, and PSW JACL’s new Mike Honda Fellow Tracy Huang. Also featured are Melany Dela Cruz-Viesca’s appointment to LA’s Human Relations Commission, SELANOCO’s first Hiromi Ueha Scholarship award, and Lillian Kimura being honored by the Anti-Defamation League.
• S.F. Chinatown to Get New College Campus, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 5. A Superior Court judge refused to block construction of a new City College of San Francisco campus in Chinatown, ending a decade-long legal battle. The new campus will include a 14-story tower and house 42 classrooms serving 6,500 students, with construction slated to begin next summer.
• U.S. Army Awards $450,000 to Go for Broke, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Go For Broke National Education Center received a $450,000 grant from the U.S. Army to collect oral histories from Japanese American MIS linguists who served in occupied Japan. The three-year program will interview 30 Nisei linguists annually and support a sequel to a 2006 Army publication on Nisei linguists.

JACL

• Youth, Leadership are the Focus of PSW’s ’09 Programs, by P.C. Staff, page 6. JACL Pacific Southwest District has developed a slate of youth leadership programs for 2009 including Bridging Communities, Mobilize for Policy 2009, and Project Community, aimed at training over 100 youth in advocacy and community leadership. The programs are designed to develop young community advocates while staying true to JACL’s civil rights mission.

Arts & Entertainment

• Finding a Part in Internment History, by Lynda Lin, page 9. Yonsei filmmaker Kevin Walker is road-tripping across America to film a documentary on the lingering effects of Japanese American internment, visiting all 10 main campsites and 17 assembly centers. His interest was sparked by his grandmother’s stories about Tule Lake, where his grandparents met and married.

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