Toyo’s Camera and Japanese American history, February 2009

Vol. 148, No. 3, February 20, 2009. 16 pages. View this issue

Photographer Toyo Miyatake and the documentary Toyo’s Camera led this 16-page issue. Lynda Lin wrote about filmmaker Junichi Suzuki, who looked at the World War II incarceration (often called internment) through Miyatake’s lens, and about how Miyatake secretly built a wooden camera at Manzanar. Also on the front pages, John Saito, Jr. profiled Holly Fujie, the first Japanese American woman elected president of the State Bar of California. Nearby, memorials took shape at the former Merced Assembly Center and at Pinedale in Fresno, where Norman Y. Mineta spoke.

In JACL news, the national board passed a leaner 2009 budget, and the organization urged President Obama to name Stuart J. Ishimaru chair of the EEOC. Page 2 carries letters on Proposition 8 and Guantanamo, plus Leslie K. Tamura’s account of her Masaoka Fellowship. Harry Honda reviewed a year of reading, including a memoir of life at Tule Lake, and Lynda Lin spoke with filmmaker Steven Okazaki about his Oscar nomination.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Poster Boy for Membership Recruitment, by Phil Shigekuni, page 2. A letter praises Lt. Brian Moriguchi for challenging racist superior officers and later serving as JACL San Fernando Valley Chapter president. The writer credits regional director Beth Au for supporting Moriguchi’s efforts to establish a county review board and calls him a model for membership recruitment.
• Letter: Support for Prop. 8 Stance, by Fred Shinoda, page 2. A reader praises Harry Nakata’s earlier column opposing Proposition 8 and questions why the Japanese American National Museum hosted a gay wedding. He expresses disappointment as a past donor to the museum.
• Guantanamo, by Roy U. Ebihara, page 2. A former Topaz detainee draws parallels between current debates over relocating Guantanamo detainees to U.S. facilities and the WWII-era protests by western governors against housing interned Japanese Americans. He argues that unlike Gitmo detainees, JAs posed no actual security threat but were treated as such due to racism.
• Re: Holiday Issue, by Yuki Kumaki, page 2. A senior citizen reader thanks the Pacific Citizen for the Holiday Issue and says she enjoyed all the articles. She mentions she worked in Japantown before World War II.
• Re: Oshogatsu, by Barbara Noda, page 2. An Italian American spouse of a Japanese man shares her family’s decades-long tradition of preparing osechi for New Year’s, describing how they maintained the practice even after moving to Ohio. She credits the tradition and her Cincinnati JACL membership with enriching her bicultural family’s life.
• Masaoka Fellow Realizes the Power of Politics, by Leslie K. Tamura, page 2. The JACL’s Mike Masaoka Fellow recounts her four months working in Rep. Doris Matsui’s Capitol Hill office, learning about health care policy and government operations. She reflects on the meaning of public service and how the fellowship, inspired by Mike Masaoka’s legacy, aims to empower young APAs in civic engagement.
• Our Past Year with Books, by Harry Honda, page 8. Columnist Harry Honda reviews several books read over the past year, including Hugh Burleson’s autobiography ‘The Making of a Pacific Citizen,’ Mark Ravina’s biography of Saigo Takamori, and Yukio Kawaratani’s memoir ‘Reluctant Samurai’ about life at Tule Lake. He shares personal reflections and historical context on each work.
• The Gospel According to Obama, by Peter Shigeki Frandsen, page 8. The columnist reflects on Obama’s inaugural address and its inclusion of nonbelievers among religious groups, exploring the historical tension between church and state in America. He discusses the controversy over California’s Proposition 8 and hopes Obama can help reconcile religious and secular divides.

National

• Lasting Memorial for Merced, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 3. Local Japanese Americans and Rep. Dennis Cardoza are raising funds to build a permanent memorial at the former Merced Assembly Center site, where nearly 4,700 JAs were held during WWII. The group has raised close to $100,000 toward a $150,000 goal for a bronze monument and educational storyboards, with survivors like Sherman Kishi and Grace Kimoto sharing their internment stories.
• Seeing JA History Through Toyo’s Lens, by Lynda Lin, page 4. Japanese filmmaker Junichi Suzuki created ‘Toyo’s Camera,’ a documentary examining Japanese American WWII history through the lens of photographer Toyo Miyatake, offering an outsider’s perspective as a Shin Issei. The film explores internment, redress, and reconciliation, featuring interviews with Miyatake’s son Archie and other community figures.
• Raising the Bar to New Heights, by John Saito, Jr., page 4. Holly Fujie became the first Japanese American woman elected president of the State Bar of California, focusing her tenure on diversity in the legal profession. Fujie discusses her career path, her family’s WWII internment history, and her efforts to mentor women and minority attorneys.
• Stimulus Bill Includes Benefits for Filipino Veterans, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 6. President Obama signed a $787 billion stimulus package that includes $198 million in payments to Filipino WWII veterans, an effort championed by Sen. Daniel Inouye. The payments compensate veterans who were stripped of U.S. veteran status by the 1946 Rescission Act despite fighting alongside American forces.
• Obama Lifts Restrictions on Kids’ Health Coverage, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 6. President Obama lifted Bush-era restrictions on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, expanding eligibility for middle-class children. JACL leaders praised the move as a step toward broader healthcare reform benefiting underserved communities including Asian Pacific Americans.
• National Newsbytes, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. Brief news items cover a foreclosure threatening Austin’s Chinatown Center, Margaret Cho criticizing Miley Cyrus for a racially insensitive photo, a dispute over management of San Francisco’s Japanese Tea Garden, APA households lagging in digital TV readiness, and Riverside activists fighting Chinatown site development.
• Tammy Duckworth Nominated to VA Post, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. President Obama nominated Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth, who lost both legs in combat, to serve as assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs. JACL’s Floyd Mori praised her as a role model for the Asian American community and people with disabilities.
• Tia Carrere, Daniel Ho Win Hawaiian Grammy, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Actress Tia Carrere and producer Daniel Ho won the Hawaiian Grammy for their album ‘Ikena,’ marking the first time a non-slack-key album won the award. Both artists are natives of Hawaii now residing in Los Angeles.
• Moon Wins Democratic Nomination for Supervisor, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Korean American Fairfax County school board member Tiryong Moon won the Democratic nomination for Braddock District supervisor in Northern Virginia. Moon will face Republican John Cook in a March special election.
• Yale Law Dean May Be Considered for State Department, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Harold Koh, dean of Yale Law School, is reportedly a top contender to become principal legal counselor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Koh is an international law expert who has testified before Congress and previously worked in the Department of Justice.
• Yoon Launches Historic Bid to be Boston Mayor, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Boston City Councilor Sam Yoon announced his campaign for mayor, becoming the first APA to run for the office. Born in Korea and raised in Pennsylvania, Yoon has built a nationwide network of APA donors for his campaign.
• Moriwaki Named National Parks Conservationist of the Year, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Clarence Moriwaki, chairman of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial Committee, was honored by the National Parks Conservation Association for his efforts to protect the former Eagledale Ferry Dock as part of Minidoka National Historic Site. He also worked to build local support and educate the public about WWII injustices against Bainbridge Island’s JA community.
• Pinedale Remembrance Plaza Honors the JA Story, by Leslie K. Tamura, page 7. Despite rain, over 200 people attended the dedication of the Pinedale Assembly Center Memorial in Fresno, featuring keynote speaker Norman Y. Mineta. The memorial, called Remembrance Plaza, includes storyboards and a bronze fountain honoring the WWII internment history and the journey to Redress.
• Ethnic Slurs Upset Virginia Tech Chief, by Sue Lindsey, page 10. Virginia Tech President Charles Steger responded to xenophobic e-mails and blog posts targeting Asian students after a Chinese student was accused of decapitating a classmate. Steger defended the university’s international diversity and noted no evidence linked the crime to ethnicity.
• UC Approves Sweeping Overhaul of Admissions Policy, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 10. The University of California Board of Regents approved a major overhaul of admissions policy that will expand the applicant pool while guaranteeing entry to fewer top students automatically. Some Asian American groups expressed concern the changes could reduce the number of AA students admitted, urging further study of the policy’s impact.
• Holly Fujie: Raising the Bar (continued), by John Saito, Jr., page 12. This continuation details Holly Fujie’s family background, including her mother’s WWII internment at Topaz and her grandfather’s wrongful FBI detention despite later being asked to teach Japanese to U.S. naval officers. It also covers Fujie’s family life, her recent appointment to a judicial advisory committee, and her call for mentoring to increase diversity in the legal profession.
• Masaoka Fellow Realizes the Power of Politics (continued), by Leslie K. Tamura, page 13. Tamura continues her reflection on her fellowship experience, describing her work writing press releases and shadowing legislative assistants for Rep. Doris Matsui. She connects her experience to the legacy of Mike Masaoka and the fellowship’s goal of empowering APAs in public service.

JACL

• JACL National Board Passes Leaner 2009 Budget, by Lynda Lin, page 5. The JACL national board passed a revised 2009 budget reflecting investment losses and a fourth-quarter deficit, with Ryan Chin resigning as vice president of membership amid disagreements over the budget’s realism. Board members debated whether the adjustments were sufficient given a $285,100 shortfall in 2008 and ongoing economic pressures.
• JACL Urges Naming of Ishimaru as Chair of EEOC, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The JACL is urging President Obama to name Stuart J. Ishimaru as permanent chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. JACL President Larry Oda praised Ishimaru’s leadership and long involvement with APA and civil rights issues.
• JACL’s Gala Dinner Will Take Place Sept. 17, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The National JACL Gala Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C. will honor Japanese American veterans who served in WWII and later wars. The event follows last year’s 20th anniversary celebration of the Civil Liberties Act, which honored figures like Norman Mineta and John Tateishi.

Arts & Entertainment

• Entering the Hallowed Halls of Oscar History, by Lynda Lin, page 9. Filmmaker Steven Okazaki reflects on his fourth Academy Award nomination, this time for the short documentary ‘The Conscience of Nhem En,’ about a Khmer Rouge photographer. Okazaki describes the emotional toll of making the film and draws parallels to other tragedies including Japanese American internment.

Community

• JACL Announces Calif. Statewide Project: Community! Program, by P.C. Staff, page 11. JACL launched a statewide Project: Community! program to empower high school youth voices in the Japanese American community, expanding from Southern California to Northern California. The program focuses on Japantowns in San Francisco and Little Tokyo, teaching participants about community organizing and preservation.
• Densho Announces New National Interview Initiative, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Seattle-based Densho is expanding its oral history collection beyond the Pacific Northwest to document JA internment experiences nationally, partnering with Manzanar National Historic Site and local organizations. The nonprofit plans to record 80 video interviews from communities including Chicago, Phoenix, and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
• Historical Society Calls for JA Family Stories, by P.C. Staff, page 12. The Japanese American Historical Society of Southern California is seeking personal family stories for the fourth volume of ‘Nanka Nikkei Voices,’ focused on Issei values like gaman and enryo. Submissions are due July 1, 2009, with mystery writer Naomi Hirahara serving as guest editor.

In-Depth

• ‘Toyo’s Camera’ (continued), by Lynda Lin, page 13. This continuation details how Toyo Miyatake secretly built a wooden camera to document life at Manzanar despite cameras being contraband, developing film at night in makeshift darkrooms. The article also covers the legacy carried on by his sons and grandsons and the film’s upcoming screenings in Santa Monica and Little Tokyo.

Obituaries

• Jack Hideya Kakuuchi, by P.C. Staff, page 15. Funeral services were held for Jack Hideya Kakuuchi, a Las Vegas resident born in San Francisco, who passed away Feb. 5. He is survived by his wife Rosie Maruki, children Michael, Judy, and Christine, and numerous grandchildren and other relatives.
• Tom Kida, by P.C. Staff, page 15. Tamotsu ‘Tom’ Kida, 89, of Galena, Ill. and Lemon Grove, Calif., passed away peacefully on Jan. 15 after a full life. He is survived by his children, five grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and several siblings, with a graveside memorial held Feb. 13.
• Shizu Fujii Oyama, by P.C. Staff, page 15. Shizu Fujii Oyama, a longtime San Francisco Japanese American community member known for philanthropy, passed away Jan. 31 at San Francisco Towers. Her life included WWII internment at Heart Mountain, raising three children, and decades of community service alongside her husband Clem, for which the couple received numerous awards.

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