JACL and the sentencing of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee

Vol. 148, No. 11, June 19, 2009. 16 pages. View this issue

The sentencing of American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee to 12 years in a North Korean labor camp led this issue. P.C. Staff reported on prayer vigils held by JACL members and on the outcry from JACL and other Asian Pacific American groups. Floyd Mori wrote about a busy stretch in Washington, and Naomi Oren urged readers to support the paper’s Spring Campaign. The Pacific Citizen also reported a $15,000 grant to digitize its 1936 to 1943 issues.

Elsewhere, Caroline Aoyagi-Stom wrote about the Hardwick sisters and their friendships with 442nd Regiment veterans. Leslie K. Tamura reported that budget cuts threatened Angel Island Immigration Station, and Rep. Mike Honda introduced the Reuniting Families Act on immigration. JACL board news covered a revised budget, a new Silicon Valley chapter and a possible logo redesign. Harry K. Honda profiled Issei pioneers of the Tokugawa era.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Praying for Laura and Euna: JACLers Respond to the News of the APA Journalists’ Fate, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL members and supporters held prayer vigils and responded emotionally to the sentencing news of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee in North Korea. The piece highlights community reactions and solidarity efforts.’
• JACL to Honor Sen. Akaka at Gala Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The national JACL will honor Sen. Daniel Akaka at its September Gala Dinner in Washington D.C. for his efforts supporting veterans, including the Filipino Veterans Equity Act. The event will also mark the 80th anniversary of JACL’s founding.
• Nisei Taky Kimura Receives Belated High School Degree, by Associated Press, page 11. Taky Kimura, 85, finally received his high school diploma 67 years after missing his graduation due to WWII internment, thanks to his martial arts students arranging the ceremony. Kimura, a friend and student of Bruce Lee, reflects on his internment experience and how Lee helped him rebuild his life.
• Table Tennis Champion Joins the Millennium Club, by Irene Mori, page 12. David Sakai, a champion table tennis player inducted into the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame, joined JACL’s Millennium Club after meeting National Director Floyd Mori. Sakai has competed in table tennis for over 40 years and continues to compete in tournaments while running a successful printing business.
• ‘Nisei Voices’ to be Placed in San Francisco District School Libraries, by P.C. Staff, page 12. The San Francisco School Board voted to place copies of ‘Nisei Voices: Japanese American Students of the 1930s’ in district middle and high school libraries. Author Joyce Hirohata worked with the JACL San Francisco Chapter to get the book, based on her grandfather’s collection of Nisei valedictory speeches, approved for distribution.

Commentary

• Busy Times in Washington, by Floyd Mori, page 2. JACL National Director Floyd Mori describes the busy schedule of the small Washington D.C. staff, including new fellows and interns joining the office. He also discusses JACL’s involvement in a health policy conference and ongoing preparations for the Youth Conference, Collegiate Leadership Conference, and JACL Gala.
• Support the Spring Campaign, by Naomi Oren, page 2. Naomi Oren reflects on the declining state of print newspapers nationally and argues for the continued value of the Pacific Citizen in both print and online formats. She urges readers to donate to the Spring Campaign to support the paper’s continued operation.
• U.S. Issei Pioneers with a Tokugawa Vintage, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Harry Honda profiles several Issei pioneers born during Japan’s Tokugawa era who made significant marks on American history, including engineers, ranchers, and businessmen. He highlights figures like Kanaye Nagasawa, Tadaatsu Matsudaira, and others who shaped early Japanese American communities.
• A New Beginning, by Peter Shigeki Frandsen, page 8. Columnist Peter Shigeki Frandsen reflects on his transition from dental school in New York City to beginning a dental residency with the U.S. Air Force in Mississippi. He draws parallels between his personal adjustment to change and President Obama’s speech on reconciliation and new beginnings in the Middle East.
• Working with JACL for Common Community Causes, by Crystal Xu, page 12. Crystal Xu reflects on her experience as the JACL Norman Y. Mineta Fellow, describing her policy work on immigration, Census, and Japanese Latin American issues. She also discusses her work with the National Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans during the new presidential administration.
• Mori’s D.C. Report Continued, by Floyd Mori, page 13. Floyd Mori details JACL’s participation in a D.C. summit hosted by Senate and House leaders for APA community leaders, alongside members of Congress including Sens. Akaka and Inouye. He also notes his White House meetings, including discussions on the Sonia Sotomayor Supreme Court nomination.
• Oren’s Spring Campaign Column Continued, by Naomi Oren, page 13. Naomi Oren continues her argument for supporting the Pacific Citizen, emphasizing its role in bridging generations and communities through investigative reporting and the ‘My P.C.’ online feature. She encourages readers to donate to the Spring Campaign for a chance to win a cruise.

JACL

• P.C. Receives $15,000 to Preserve Its History, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Pacific Citizen received a $15,000 grant from the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program to digitize its archives from 1936-1943. The digitized issues will be made available online for readers and researchers.
• More Cuts in 2009 Budget Reflect JACL’s Reality, by Lynda Lin, page 5. The JACL national board adopted a revised 2009 budget with reduced membership revenue goals and additional spending cuts due to the economic recession. Board members debated the deficit and discussed the need for sustainable long-term financial planning.
• JACL National Board News, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The national board discussed redesigning JACL’s 80-year-old logo to modernize the organization’s image, with plans for a possible design contest ahead of the 2010 Chicago convention. Board members debated timing and the symbolism of a new logo representing the evolving Japanese American community.
• JACL Establishes Cooperation With Community Groups, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The JACL national board approved a Memorandum of Understanding to work with the U.S. Azeris Network to promote mutual understanding and trade between the communities. The board is also exploring expanded collaboration with the Organization of Chinese Americans, including possibly co-hosting a future convention.
• New JACL Chapter Emerges From California’s Silicon Valley, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The national board approved the new Silicon Valley JACL chapter, which recruited 30 new members and fulfilled all chapter requirements. The chapter’s officers were announced and its first event, the Tanabata Festival, was set to launch July 7.
• JACL Signs Onto Two Amicus Briefs, by P.C. Staff, page 6. JACL signed onto amicus briefs in two Supreme Court cases: Horne v. Flores, regarding English language learner education requirements in Arizona, and Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District v. Holder, regarding the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act’s Section 5. JACL leaders drew parallels to the Issei generation’s experience with language barriers.

In-Depth

• A Friendship With Heroes, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 3. The Hardwick sisters, who set out three years ago to find and thank the 442nd Regiment soldiers who rescued their father during WWII, have developed deep friendships with many veterans. They plan to travel to France in July to mark the 65th anniversary of the rescue of the ‘Lost Battalion.’

National

• California Budget Crisis Threatens ‘Ellis Island of the West’, by Leslie K. Tamura, page 4. Angel Island Immigration Station, known as the ‘Ellis Island of the West,’ faces closure due to California’s budget crisis despite its recent $15 million restoration. Community leaders and advocates warn that closing the park threatens to erase important Asian Pacific American immigration history.
• National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 6. Brief national news items include Riverside, Calif. renaming Wong Way to Wong Street; 13 Chinese Muslim Guantanamo detainees resettling in Palau; teens charged in the strangling of a Chinese-language newspaper executive in New York; Chiura Obata’s former studio being designated a Berkeley landmark; and a delayed decision on a Vietnamese war memorial in Wichita.
• APAs in the News, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Brief items cover Arizona JACL’s new Mark Saka Memorial Scholarship, Kunitake Morgan Yamanaka’s induction into the California Social Work Hall of Distinction, sumo wrestler Jesse Takamiyama’s retirement, Go For Broke’s Eiro Yamada Memorial Scholarship winners, and Jon Hatamiya’s selection as lead trombone for a jazz orchestra.
• Harsh Sentencing of Two American Journalists Sheds Light on Human Rights Issues in North Korea, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 7. American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced to 12 years in a North Korean labor camp after being convicted of unspecified ‘hostile acts,’ prompting outcry from JACL and other APA organizations. The article connects the case to a JACL youth resolution on North Korean human rights and describes grassroots vigils held in support of the journalists.
• APA Leaders Push for Family Reunification Immigration Reform Bill, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 10. Rep. Mike Honda introduced the ‘Reuniting Families Act’ to address a family immigration backlog and help Filipino WWII veterans and same-sex couples reunite with family members. The bill also seeks to streamline the application process for the estimated 5.8 million person backlog.
• Minority Lawmakers Want Bill to Close Health Gaps, by Ben Evans, page 10. Black, Latino, and Asian American lawmakers pressed Democratic leaders to include provisions addressing racial health disparities in health care reform legislation, warning they would oppose bills lacking a public health option. The article cites disparities in cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS rates among minority populations.

Arts & Entertainment

• Big Screen? Nah. The New Frontier Is on the Computer Screen, by Lynda Lin, page 9. Asian Pacific American filmmakers are increasingly turning to the internet to showcase high-quality films and reach niche audiences without studio interference. The article profiles filmmakers Gary San Angel, Jennifer Thym, and others creating web-based content featuring APA talent and stories.

Obituaries

• Masaye Doi, by P.C. Staff, page 15. Masaye Doi, 84, of Brighton, Colorado, died May 18 after a life that included operating a family accounting business and working as a legal assistant. She was active in the Brighton Sangha, Brighton JAA, and Brighton Senior Center, and is survived by her children, siblings, and grandchildren.
• Cook County’s First APA Judge Was a Community Advocate, by P.C. Staff, page 15. Judge Sandra Otaka, the first Asian Pacific American elected to the Cook County Circuit Court and an advocate who helped overturn Fred Korematsu’s conviction, died June 6 at age 57. She was remembered by JACL Midwest director Bill Yoshino as a dear friend who cared deeply about fairness and justice for the Asian American community.
• Educator Brought Diversity to the Practice of Social Work, by P.C. Staff, page 15. Dr. Kenji Murase, professor emeritus of social work at San Francisco State University and advocate for APA mental health services, died June 2 at age 89. Interned at Poston during WWII, Murase later dedicated his career to making social work practice more inclusive of diverse populations.

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