Wakamatsu Colony, Filipino veterans and Topaz: the August 21, 2009 issue

Vol. 149, No. 4, August 21, 2009. 16 pages. View this issue

Preservation of Japanese American history ran through this 16-page issue. Sen. Barbara Boxer introduced the Gold Hill-Wakamatsu Act to save the site of the first Japanese settlement in the United States, and Associated Press reporting described plans for a museum in Delta, Utah, to tell the story of Topaz. Nalea J. Ko wrote about Japanese Americans tracing their family roots back to Japan, and Lynda Lin reported on the effort to archive the papers and artwork of the late Miné Okubo. Another story marked the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Bruyeres and Biffontaine, with 100th/442nd veterans returning to France.

Filipino veterans were still waiting for promised payments six months after a bill was signed. JACL and the Media Action Network for Asian Americans asked for an apology over a racial slur in a film. Harry K. Honda and Peter Shigeki Frandsen wrote commentary, and Nalea J. Ko profiled the band Hiroshima after 30 years of music. A JACL district conference in Ontario, Oregon, and a member survey also appeared.

What’s in this issue

In-Depth

• JAs Encounter Both Barriers, Hope in Family Genealogy Search, by Nalea J. Ko, page 3. Brenda Nakamoto and other Japanese Americans describe the emotional and difficult journey of tracing their family roots back to Japan, with Nakamoto eventually reuniting with relatives in Hiroshima. The article explores resources like the Japanese Consulate of Boston’s genealogy program and personal research methods used by genealogists like Virginia Smallwood.
• Plans Being Made for Topaz Museum in Delta, by Associated Press, page 11. Historians and preservationists in Delta, Utah are planning a 27,000-square-foot museum complex to tell the story of the Topaz internment camp, which once housed up to 11,000 Japanese Americans. Camellia Davis’s pilgrimage to the site and Jane Beckwith’s decades-long preservation efforts highlight the push to ensure the history is not forgotten.
• WWII 442nd Veterans Mark 65th Anniversary of Liberation of Vosges Region in France, page 12. A group of 100th/442nd veterans including Lawson Sakai traveled to France to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Bruyeres, Biffontaine and the rescue of the ‘Lost Battalion.’ Veterans shared war stories with family members, some for the first time, during emotional visits to battlefields and the Epinal American Cemetery.

National

• Vietnamese American Treks Across America in Crocs, by Nalea J. Ko, page 4. Sinh Tho Nguyen, a Vietnamese American, is walking 2,600 miles across the U.S. in Crocs sandals to honor American troops and show gratitude to the country that welcomed him. Despite bloody, infected feet, he continues his journey relying on the kindness of strangers he meets along the way.
• College Works to Preserve Miné Okubo’s Personal Material, Artwork, by Lynda Lin, page 5. Riverside Community College is working to catalog and archive a massive collection of personal writings, artwork, and correspondence donated by the late artist Miné Okubo, author of ‘Citizen 13660.’ Scholars believe the collection may be the largest and most complete body of materials on the Japanese American experience during and after WWII.
• Plans to Preserve Wakamatsu Colony Gain Momentum, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 6. Sen. Barbara Boxer introduced the ‘Gold Hill-Wakamatsu Act’ to authorize the Bureau of Land Management to acquire and preserve the site of the first Japanese settlement in the United States. JACL chapters and preservation groups have long advocated for saving the historic Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony site near Coloma, California.
• Filipino Vets Still Waiting for Promised Payments, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 6. Six months after President Obama signed a bill authorizing lump-sum payments to Filipino WWII veterans, many are still waiting due to a staff shortage at the National Personnel Records Center. Advocates say the delays are costing lives, as about 30 veterans in Hawaii have died since February while awaiting payment.
• APA Groups Want Apology for Racial Slur in ‘The Goods’, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. JACL and the Media Action Network for Asian Americans are demanding an apology from Paramount Vantage over a racial slur used in the film ‘The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard.’ Critics say the scene referencing Pearl Harbor is reminiscent of dangerous Japan-bashing rhetoric from the 1980s and 1990s.
• Hawaii Plans Quiet, Sobering 50th Anniversary, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. As Hawaii marks 50 years of statehood, organizers are calling the observance a subdued ‘commemoration’ rather than a celebration, given the painful history of the Hawaiian monarchy’s overthrow. Many residents remain sensitive to unresolved issues surrounding the 1893 overthrow and its lasting effects on Native Hawaiians.
• Prime Minister Voices Deep Regret Over WWII Suffering, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso expressed deep regret over the suffering Japan inflicted on Asian countries during WWII at a ceremony marking the 64th anniversary of Japan’s surrender. Emperor Akihito also attended the ceremony and expressed hope Japan would never again wage war.
• Two APAs are Nominated to Federal Judiciary, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Dolly M. Gee and Edward M. Chen have been nominated for federal judgeships in California, with Gee poised to become the first Chinese American female district judge. Chen, currently a federal magistrate judge, was part of the legal team that overturned Fred Korematsu’s conviction.
• Minami Takes Helm of JA Republican Group, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Roger Minami has been installed as acting president of the Japanese American Republicans (JARS), an organization established in 1967. Minami previously served as a political appointee under President George W. Bush and is finishing a master’s degree in public administration.
• Community Sports Leaders to Receive Awards, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Four community sports leaders will receive the Aki Komai Memorial Awards at a September event at the Japanese American National Museum. The 2009 recipients are Jesse James, Al Morita, Chester Tadakawa and Dave Yanai, with Tets Tanimoto also receiving the Founder’s Award.
• Graves Receives Harvard Fellowship, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Donna Graves, director of ‘Preserving California’s Japantowns,’ has been named a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Design School for the 2009-10 academic year. She will study urban design, public art, and historic preservation strategies.
• Bharara Gets Confirmed as U.S. Attorney, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Preet Bharara has been confirmed as U.S. attorney for the southern district of New York, becoming the nation’s third Indian American U.S. attorney. He previously served as chief counsel to Sen. Charles Schumer.
• UCLA Professor is Named First Endowed Chair in U.S.-China Relations, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Min Zhou, a UCLA sociology professor, has been named the inaugural appointee of the Walter and Shirley Wang Endowed Chair in U.S.-China Relations and Communications. This marks the first endowed chair in American higher education focused on U.S.-China relations and Chinese American studies.
• APAs Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Asian Pacific American organizations including JACL organized a first-ever National Week of Action in support of comprehensive immigration reform, holding town halls and petitioning lawmakers. Organizers aimed to collect 5,000 postcards and shared personal stories about how outdated immigration policies affect families and communities.
• Census Aims to Better Count Native Hawaiians, by Associated Press, page 7. The Census Bureau is opening an office in Waianae, Hawaii to improve the count of the state’s Native Hawaiian population for the 2010 census, as officials say Native Hawaiians are among the most underreported ethnic groups. An accurate count is important for securing federal funding and government representation.
• New Gov’t for Native Hawaiians Gains Support, by Kevin Freking, Associated Press Writer, page 13. The Obama administration has shown support for legislation allowing Native Hawaiians to reorganize their own government, a shift from the Bush administration’s opposition. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Akaka, would treat Native Hawaiians similarly to American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives.
• Victim’s Family, APA Leaders Reflect on 10th Anniversary of a Hate Crime, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 13. Family members and APA leaders gathered in Los Angeles to mark the 10th anniversary of the hate crime murder of Filipino American postal worker Joseph Ileto, killed by a white supremacist. Since his death, the Ileto family has advocated for hate crime legislation and created the Joseph Ileto Hate Crimes Prevention Fellowship.

Community

• New Mural Honors WWII JA Internees, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. A San Bernardino homeowner commissioned a mural depicting two men working to honor the more than 120,000 Japanese Americans interned during WWII. The rock walls depicted in the mural were built by former internees who helped hold the neighborhood hillside together.
• For Sale: Historic Japantown Building, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. The historic Ken Ying Low building in San Jose’s Japantown is up for sale after the death of its longtime tenant. Built in 1887, the building is the last remnant of the Chinatown known as Heinlenville and has served as a haven for the area’s APA residents since 1915.
• Anaheim JA Family Brings History to Life, page 11. The Hirahara family, who emigrated from Japan in 1909, is being honored in Anaheim’s ‘Museum Without Walls’ gallery exhibit celebrating their Centennial year and contributions to the community. The family’s collection will also be featured in upcoming exhibits at the Yakima Valley Museum and Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center.
• Pack, Troop and Post 58 Celebrating 70th Anniversary, page 12. The Boy Scouts of Pack, Troop and Post 58 of San Francisco, sponsored by the Konko Church, plan to celebrate their 70th anniversary with a reunion luncheon in November. Founded in 1939, the scouting program was interrupted by WWII internment but reinstated in 1948.

Commentary

• Pre-Modern Japan, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Columnist Harry K. Honda explores pre-modern Japan studies and pre-Siberian human migrations to the Americas, discussing theories about Japan’s early settlers and their origins from northern Asia and tropical regions. He references historians and scholars to trace how the Japanese people and their traditions, including Shinto, developed over millennia.
• Choosing All of the Above, by Peter Shigeki Frandsen, page 8. Frandsen reflects on his experience in a five-week training program with strangers, prompting him to consider questions of identity and how labels like ethnicity or religion can be both useful and limiting. He connects this personal reflection to broader questions about whether America has truly entered a ‘post-racial’ era, citing the treatment of Sonia Sotomayor during her confirmation.

Arts & Entertainment

• Hiroshima: Looking Back on 30 Years of Smooth Jazz, by Nalea J. Ko, page 9. Jazz-fusion band Hiroshima celebrates 30 years since their debut album, releasing a new album called ‘Legacy’ featuring re-recorded classic songs. Founding members Dan and June Kuramoto discuss the band’s history, the racism they faced blending Japanese and American musical styles, and their enduring partnership despite divorce.

JACL

• PNW and IDC Members Enjoy Final Bi-District, by Jeff Itami, page 10. Members of the JACL Pacific Northwest and Intermountain Districts gathered in Ontario, Oregon for what was billed as the final Bi-district Conference, featuring dialogue with national JACL officers about finances, conventions, and membership challenges. National leaders discussed a budget deficit and the difficulty of attracting younger members as the Nisei generation ages.
• JACL Unveils Survey on State of the Organization, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 10. JACL has completed a survey titled ‘State of the Japanese American Citizens League: A Member Needs Assessment of a National Organization,’ funded by a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The survey, led by former JACL Masaoka Fellow Dana Nakano, will be used to guide future planning and policy work for the organization.
• JACL Announces Nat’l Gala Honorees, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 12. JACL announced honorees for its third annual National JACL Gala Awards Dinner, honoring Japanese American veterans including Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, a WWII veteran who witnessed the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The gala will also honor veterans groups committed to preserving the legacy of JA WWII veterans.

Obituaries

• 442nd Veterans to Reunite With the ‘Lost Battalion’, page 15. Veterans from the Texas 141st Infantry Regiment and the Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team will reunite at a November gala in Houston hosted by the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation, commemorating the rescue of the ‘Lost Battalion’ in 1944. Proceeds will fund curriculum development and a memorial replica to honor both units’ heroism.
• Robert M. Takasugi 1930-2009: First Japanese American Federal Judge Dies, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 15. U.S. District Judge Robert M. Takasugi, the first Japanese American appointed to the federal bench, died Aug. 4 at age 78 after a long judicial career marked by overcoming discrimination and wartime internment. He presided over high-profile cases including the John Z. DeLorean trial and was remembered as an inspiration to the Asian American legal community.

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