Civil rights then and now, plus Arizona’s immigration law

Vol. 151, No. 1, July 2, 2010. 16 pages. View this issue

Civil rights ran through this 16-page issue. Nalea J. Ko profiled Ed Nakawatase, who left Rutgers at 20 to join the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Atlanta in 1963 and kept up that work for decades. On the front page and page 6, a coalition including the JACL sought an injunction against Arizona’s SB 1070 immigration law before it took effect on July 29. Page 6 also reported that Texas textbooks would keep the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the World War II incarceration (often called internment) in their history lessons.

Elsewhere in the issue, Ko wrote about painter Lewis Suzuki, who was 89, and about YouTube singer David Choi. John Tateishi and Ema Nakao wrote the commentary on page 8. Page 13 covered a Congressional Gold Medal bill for Japanese American veterans, preservation work at the Tule Lake Segregation Center, and a proposed marker in Venice, California, tied to Manzanar. The JACL convention youth concert and scholarship awards also appeared.

What’s in this issue

National

• Philly JACLer Recalls His Civil Rights Work, 50 Years Later, by Nalea J. Ko, page 3. Ed Nakawatase, now 66, recalls dropping out of Rutgers as a 20-year-old to join the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in Atlanta in 1963, becoming one of the only Asian Americans in the group. He reflects on his experiences with racism, jail time, and political activism, and how the movement shaped his lifelong commitment to civil rights work, including his current role with Asian Americans United.
• Texas Textbooks Will Retain 442nd, Internment History, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Texas State Board of Education approved including information about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Japanese American internment in textbooks, despite controversial curriculum changes adding language about ‘regulation of some foreign nationals.’ JACL and Japanese American veterans groups had testified and petitioned the board to retain accurate historical information.
• Civil Rights Groups Call For Injunction on Arizona’s Immigration Law, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A coalition of civil rights groups, including the JACL and Asian Pacific American Legal Center, is seeking a preliminary injunction to block Arizona’s SB 1070 immigration law before it takes effect July 29. The lawsuit argues the law invites racial profiling and violates constitutional protections.
• Report: Education Level of APA Workers Obscures Employment Picture, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A new Economic Policy Institute report finds that APAs with bachelor’s and advanced degrees face higher unemployment than white counterparts, while APA high school dropouts have lower unemployment rates than similarly situated whites. The study highlights how aggregate unemployment statistics mask significant disparities within the APA population.
• Inouye is the Longest Serving U.S. Senator, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii became the nation’s longest serving U.S. senator ever following the death of Sen. Robert Byrd. Sen. Daniel Akaka praised Inouye as the first and only Japanese American to serve in the Senate.
• Koh Becomes First Korean American Confirmed to be U.S. District Court Judge, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Senate unanimously confirmed Lucy H. Koh to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, making her the first Korean American federal district judge in U.S. history. She is also the first Asian Pacific American Article III judge in the court’s 160-year history.
• If Vetoed, Hawaii Civil Unions Bill Could Face Override, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 7. Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle faced a July 6 deadline to decide on HB 444, a civil unions bill, with legislative leaders divided on whether there are enough votes to override a veto. The bill drew nearly 20,000 letters and calls to the governor’s office, mostly in opposition, while supporters and opponents continued to lobby for their positions.
• Army Tries to Improve Ties with Native Hawaiians, by Audrey McAvoy, page 10. The U.S. Army in Hawaii has formed a council of Native Hawaiians and signed a covenant to improve strained relations over land use, particularly at the sacred Makua Valley used for military training. Critics like William Aila argue the initiative excludes key stakeholders with ongoing disputes and questions its effectiveness.
• Schools Struggle to Meet New Race Labeling Rules, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 10. Washington school districts are grappling with new federal requirements to gather more specific ethnic data on students, which eliminates ‘unknown’ or ‘declined to answer’ options and requires staff to guess ethnicity when unspecified. Educators like Elaine Akagi of Seattle JACL warn this practice risks becoming a form of racial profiling.
• East Coast Casinos Target Asian American Market, by Randall Chase, page 11. Casinos in Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are adding table games and marketing strategies specifically to attract Asian Pacific American gamblers, competing with Atlantic City and tribal casinos. Advocacy groups like Asian Americans United have raised concerns that this targeted marketing may be predatory toward the APA community.
• 18-Year-Old Hapa is a Doctor in Training, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 16. Brandon Sklar, 18, is one of two Asian Pacific American students entering an eight-year medical program at the University of Colorado, Denver as part of a new Health Professions Program. Sklar, of Filipino, Chinese and Caucasian descent, credits a family trip to the Philippines for inspiring his interest in becoming a physician.

Arts & Entertainment

• Lewis Suzuki: A Lifetime of Paintings, by Nalea J. Ko, page 4. At 89, artist Lewis Suzuki reflects on over 70 years of painting, from childhood art classes in Japan to his current studio in Berkeley despite failing health. He discusses his journey from Japan to the U.S., his work during WWII, and his shift toward painting for personal fulfillment and world peace rather than commercial success.
• David Choi Talks Fame Via YouTube, by Nalea J. Ko, page 9. Independent singer/songwriter David Choi discusses the temporary suspension of his popular YouTube channel, which occurred as he was promoting his second album ‘By My Side.’ Choi, who built his career entirely through YouTube without a record label, talks about his songwriting background, stage fright, and fan interactions.

JACL

• JACL 2010 Convention Youth Concert to Feature APA Talent, page 5. The JACL National Convention will host a youth concert on July 3 in Chicago featuring APA performers including singer Cynthia Lin, duo Oak and Gorski, and spoken word artist Anida Yoeu Ali. The concert aims to showcase top Asian Pacific American musical and performance talent to convention attendees.
• JACL Collegiate Training Builds Campus Leaders, page 11. The JACL hosted its 2010 Collegiate Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. from June 10-13, bringing together 14 students for workshops on APA public policy and leadership. Speakers included J.D. Hokoyama, Frank Wu, and Bruce Yamashita, who shared personal experiences and expertise with participants.
• Support JACL’s NPS Program, page 13. JACL’s ‘Passing the Legacy’ program won a matching grant of $151,790 from the National Park Service to fund youth engagement projects preserving WWII confinement sites across a dozen states. The program aims to empower JA youth for future leadership roles through art, conversation and community service.
• Final Push in Senate For Congressional Gold Medal, by P.C. Staff, page 13. A bill granting Congressional Gold Medals to WWII Japanese American veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Military Intelligence Service is nearing passage in the Senate after passing the House. JACL is urging community members to contact senators to secure enough co-sponsors by July 4.

Community

• APA Civil Rights Organizations Announce New Shared Brand, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Four Asian Pacific American civil rights organizations—Asian American Institute, Asian American Justice Center, Asian Law Caucus, and Asian Pacific American Legal Center—have reorganized under a shared new name, the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice. Each organization will remain based in its home city while adopting the shared identity over time.
• A Proud Day For Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Japanese American Veterans Association members participated in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. on May 31, drawing cheers referencing the 442nd and Nisei soldiers. The event echoed the historic 1946 march of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team down the same avenue.
• JANM Celebrates 25th Year, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Japanese American National Museum marked its 25th anniversary with a gala dinner recognizing its founders, including founding president Bruce Kaji. Other founders honored included Col. Young Oak Kim, Y.B. ‘Buddy’ Mamiya, George Aratani and Toy Kanegai.
• Arizona Chapter Member, Masako Takiguchi Receives Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Past Arizona JACL President Masako Takiguchi received the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays from the Japanese Consulate for her decades of work building ties between Japan and Phoenix. Her contributions include helping establish the Himeji-Phoenix sister city relationship and founding the Japanese Friendship Garden.
• Obama’s Brother-in-law to Head Smithsonian Program, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Konrad Ng, President Obama’s brother-in-law and a scholar of Asian American cinema, will serve as acting director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program this summer. He previously served as a scholar-in-residence at the program last fall.
• Side to Receive Community Volunteer Award, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Mile-Hi JACL’s Kimiko Side will receive the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award on July 22, along with a $2,000 cash award for a nonprofit of her choice. She will also receive a proclamation from Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.
• JACLer Receives OCA Golden Circle Award, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Kayomi Wada of Puyallup Valley JACL received OCA’s Golden Circle Award for her trailblazing work establishing Asian American Studies at the University of Washington-Tacoma. Fellow chapter member Elizabeth Dunbar also received recognition for her immigrant advocacy work.
• Minnesota JA Veterans Group Honors Fallen Heroes, page 7. The Japanese American Veterans of Minnesota held its annual memorial service at Fort Snelling National Cemetery to honor JA veterans, with keynote speaker Dan Motoyoshi praising their courage during WWII. Members read an honor roll of 56 names and decorated veterans’ gravesites with flowers.
• JACL Chapters Present Scholarship Awards, page 12. Puyallup Valley, Twin Cities, and San Jose JACL chapters awarded scholarships to numerous high school and college students this year, with San Jose alone giving over $25,000 to 12 seniors. The article lists recipients and the named memorial scholarships they received.
• Preservation Work to Begin at Tule Lake Segregation Center, page 13. The Tule Lake Committee completed fundraising to match a $197,000 Save America’s Treasures grant, enabling preservation work on a historic WWII-era structure at the Tule Lake Segregation Center National Historic Landmark. The committee’s next major project will focus on restoring the iconic jail in the site’s stockade area.
• Leaders Push for JA Marker in Venice, Calif., by P.C. Staff, page 13. Phyllis Hayashibara and an ad hoc committee are advocating for a historical marker at the Venice, Calif. intersection where Japanese Americans were ordered to gather before being sent to Manzanar in 1942. The committee is seeking former internees who can confirm the exact gathering location to ensure the marker’s accuracy.

Commentary

• Zen and the Art of Being JA, by John Tateishi, page 8. John Tateishi reflects on a speaking engagement at the University of Kentucky about Japanese cultural values and how they shape Japanese American identity and behavior. He explores how Japanese American values have remained frozen in a Meiji-era framework while Japan itself has evolved, yet finds meaning in still feeling culturally connected to Japan.
• Translators and Technology, by Ema Nakao, page 8. Ema Nakao writes about the frustrations immigrant families face navigating automated phone systems, language barriers, and interpreter shortages despite advances in technology. She shares personal anecdotes about her Japanese-speaking parents’ struggles and reflects on the broader need for better language accessibility in American institutions.
• Remembering Dr. Robert E. Emerson, by Toshiko Nakamura Wilkinson, page 12. Toshiko Nakamura Wilkinson recalls how Dr. Robert E. Emerson, a Caltech botany professor, encouraged her to leave Manzanar internment camp and resume her studies at UCLA during WWII. She reflects on the Emerson family’s kindness and lasting influence on her life, and her grief upon learning of his death in a 1959 plane crash.

Obituaries

• Former Hawaii Chief Justice William S. Richardson Dies at 90, by Mark Niesse, page 15. William S. Richardson, former Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice and statehood advocate, died June 21 at age 90. He served as lieutenant governor and later led the state Supreme Court for 16 years, overseeing landmark rulings on beach access and Native Hawaiian rights, and was remembered fondly by longtime friend Sen. Daniel Inouye.

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