Vol. 150, No. 10, June 4, 2010. 16 pages. View this issue
The historic Mukai farmhouse and barreling plant on Vashon Island, built by Issei B.D. Mukai in 1928, was for sale after a nonprofit’s decade-long preservation effort ran into financial trouble. Lynda Lin reported on the worries of community members and family descendants. Arizona’s SB 1070 drew heavy coverage: Ron Katsuyama explained why JACL joined a lawsuit, John Tateishi wrote about a decline in civility, and Arizona JACL members marched in Phoenix.
Elsewhere, Nalea J. Ko profiled director Junichi Suzuki and his documentary on the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and wrote about a Pocatello-Blackfoot JACL ceremony honoring three Japanese railroad workers. California’s assembly passed a bill creating Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution. Floyd Mori, Kent Kawai and Phillip Ozaki wrote on Nisei pioneers, JACL elections and the 2010 Census.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- Celebrating Superpowers: Supporting the Pacific Citizen, by Lisa K. Hanasono, page 2. Editorial board member Lisa Hanasono argues that the Pacific Citizen possesses two ‘superpowers’ — connectivity and amplification — that have served APA communities for over 80 years by linking generations and elevating underrepresented voices. She urges readers to support the paper’s 2010 Spring Campaign to continue this vital work, including a digital archiving project funded by CCLPEP.
- Things Amiss in America, by John Tateishi, page 8. Former JACL national director John Tateishi laments a decline in civility and rising political hostility in America, citing examples like Arizona’s SB 1070 immigration law as emblematic of resurgent racism. He warns that growing public support for such discriminatory measures signals dangerous times ahead for the nation.
- Last Push for 2010 Census, by Phillip Ozaki, page 8. JACL’s Washington D.C. office partnered with Census Bureau officials to encourage AAPI communities to participate in the 2010 Census during its door-to-door canvassing phase. The author explains how residents can verify legitimate Census takers and describes efforts to overcome language barriers during the count.
- SB 1070: A New Era for JACL?, by Ron Katsuyama, page 12. JACL’s vice president for public affairs explains the organization’s decision to join a lawsuit against Arizona’s SB 1070, drawing parallels between the law and Executive Order 9066’s impact on Japanese Americans during WWII. He argues that despite claims of neutrality, the law lacks safeguards against racial profiling and threatens constitutional protections.
- Nominations Committee Still Seeking Candidates, by Kent Kawai, page 13. The JACL nominations committee chair reports that only two candidates filed before the deadline to run for national office ahead of the Chicago convention, leaving several positions including youth/student representative without candidates. He outlines the process for members to run from the convention floor, including application and signature requirements.
- Our Nisei Pioneers Have Stories to Tell, by Floyd Mori, page 15. JACL National Director Floyd Mori reflects on the accomplishments of early Nisei leaders who founded JACL and fought discrimination, urging young people to learn their family histories. He highlights the recent passing of pioneer Chiyoko Doris Aiso Hoshide, who founded a UCLA sorority and worked for the Army Map Service after internment at Heart Mountain.
In-Depth
- Vashon Island’s Mukai Farm Faces Uncertain Future, by Lynda Lin, page 3. The historic Mukai farmhouse and barreling plant on Vashon Island, built by Issei B.D. Mukai in 1928 and a pioneer site for JA strawberry farming, is now for sale after a nonprofit’s decade-long preservation effort ran into financial trouble. Community members and family descendants worry the site’s rich immigration history could be lost without a buyer committed to preservation.
National
- Teen Creates Search Engine to Help Older Internet Users, by Nalea J. Ko, page 4. Sixteen-year-old Sunmee Huh created Good50, an elderly-friendly search engine with bigger fonts and fewer ads, after watching her grandfather struggle to browse the internet. The Google-powered site also donates to charities like the American Red Cross and Meals on Wheels with every 50 clicks.
- Texas History Curriculum, Arizona Ban on Ethnic Studies Seen as Attacks on Education, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. The Texas Board of Education adopted a controversial curriculum critics say waters down teaching of Japanese American internment and civil rights history, while Arizona enacted a law banning ethnic studies in public schools. JACL leaders and a committee member are calling for an emergency resolution at the national convention to address the changes.
- National Newsbytes, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. A roundup of national news includes Arkansas relocation camps being named to an endangered historic places list, resignations of South Philadelphia school officials after racial violence, California’s Senate passing a bill protecting traditional rice noodle service, a Korematsu Center study on APA students’ academic struggles, a Hawaii study on civil unions’ economic impact, and the failure of a California bill on APA data collection.
- Calif. Bill to Honor Internment Challenger Passes Assembly, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 7. California’s state assembly unanimously passed a bill designating Jan. 30 as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, encouraging schools to teach about his legacy. Korematsu’s daughter and civil rights attorney Dale Minami praised the recognition of his fight against WWII Japanese American internment.
- JACL Marches in Protest of Ariz. Immigration Law, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 11. Thousands including a contingent of Arizona JACL members marched in Phoenix to protest SB 1070, the state’s controversial immigration law, while JACL joined a class action lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. National polls show strong public support for the law despite these protests, and Arizona JACL has introduced a resolution calling for its repeal at the upcoming national convention.
JACL
- Shedding Light on the World War II Nisei Linguists, by Karen Kanemoto and Jane Kenamore, page 5. Two exhibits at the JACL national convention in Chicago will highlight the little-known story of the Military Intelligence Service’s Japanese American linguists during and after World War II. The exhibits, ‘Prejudice and Patriotism’ and ‘Winning the Peace,’ were organized by several Chicago-based community groups over nearly two years.
Community
- APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Brief news items highlight APA community achievements including Christine Sato-Yamazaki’s JAVA honor, Stan Yogi’s California Book Award win, the Takahashi Foundation founders’ recognition by Japan’s consulate, scholarship winners from Riverside and Stockton JACL chapters, a new APA judge in Indiana, and JAVA memorial scholarship recipients.
- Donations Needed to Establish Wat Misaka Scholarship, page 7. Utah JACL chapters are raising funds for an endowed scholarship honoring Wat Misaka, the first Asian Pacific American drafted into the NBA, having reached 88 percent of their goal. The chapters also honored Judge Raymond Uno at a related Day of Remembrance event at Weber State University.
- Idaho JACLer Organizes Ceremony to Honor Japanese Railroad Workers, by Nalea J. Ko, page 10. Hero Shiosaki of the Pocatello-Blackfoot JACL organized a May 29 ceremony to place a headstone honoring three Japanese railroad laborers who drowned in 1906 while fleeing a game warden after fishing with dynamite. Their graves had remained unmarked for over 100 years until JACL funded a proper gravestone.
- Placer County JACL to Hold Fundraiser, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 13. Placer County JACL is raising funds for a Nisei veterans memorial in Roseville, California, after rising bronze costs increased the project budget from $110,000 to $150,000. Organizers are offering limited edition bronze models and medallions as incentives for larger donations, with a June 24 fundraising screening of the documentary ‘Valor With Honor.’
- Twin Cities JACL Helps Kick Off APA Heritage Month, page 13. Members of the Twin Cities JACL Education Committee showcased a display on the Military Intelligence Service Language School at an Asian Pacific American Heritage Month event in St. Paul. They also presented a MISLS curriculum guide developed to help teachers meet Minnesota history requirements for grades 4-8.
- Screening of Watada Documentary Set for June 19, page 15. Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress and the Asian American Vietnam Veterans Organization are hosting a June 19 Little Tokyo screening of ‘Lt. Watada,’ a documentary about the first commissioned officer to refuse deployment to Iraq. Special guests including Watada’s family and Oscar-winning filmmaker Freida Lee Mock are expected to attend.
Arts & Entertainment
- Junichi Suzuki Focuses on the 442nd RCT, by Nalea J. Ko, page 9. Director Junichi Suzuki’s documentary ‘442: Live With Honor, Die With Dignity’ features interviews with Japanese American WWII veterans including Steve Shimizu and George Takei, chronicling their wartime experiences and a 2009 trip to France commemorating the liberation of Bruyeres. The film, the second in a trilogy about the JA WWII experience, opens July 25 at Little Tokyo’s Aratani/Japan America Theatre.
Obituaries
- Judd Masami Sato, page 15. Judd Masami Sato, born in Watsonville, California in 1919, passed away March 28, 2010 at age 90 after a life that included WWII internment at Poston, a business career at Dura-Belting, and a lifelong love of golf and woodworking. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Toshi, his children, grandsons, and extended family.
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