Heart Mountain’s new center opens, and readers debate camp terminology

Vol. 153, No. 4, August 19, 2011. 16 pages. View this issue

The opening of the Heart Mountain interpretive learning center in Wyoming led the news, with a grand opening set for Aug. 19-21 and speakers including Judge Lance Ito, Norman Mineta and Tom Brokaw. Words mattered in this issue too. Readers wrote in about what to call the WWII incarceration camps, and a symposium on the terms was announced for Oct. 22 in San Francisco’s Japantown, after the National Park Service asked for guidance on terms at Manzanar and Tule Lake. John Tateishi looked back at JACL’s Pledge of Allegiance decision, and Gerald Yamada and Rep. Mike Honda wrote about the confinement sites grant program.

Also inside: former USC guard Jamie Hagiya’s bid for a spot on the L.A. Sparks, HIV prevention funding in San Francisco, and a look at whether JACL can recover from falling membership as the NAACP did. Other pieces cover the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony, Secure Communities and immigration, and Tess Gerritsen’s novel The Silent Girl.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Power of Words: Readers Debate Naming of WWII Incarceration Camps, by Maggie Ishino, Shigeo Yuge, Ed Suguro, Susan Y. Matsumoto, page 2. Several readers write in with differing opinions on the proper terminology for WWII Japanese American incarceration camps, ranging from support for ‘concentration camp’ to preference for ‘intern.’ One letter also thanks the Pacific Citizen for its coverage and shares the writer’s personal camp history.
• Pledge of Allegiance … JACL Style, by John Tateishi, page 8. The former JACL national director recalls the board’s decision to exclude ‘under God’ from the Pledge of Allegiance at JACL functions, a change advocated by Mas Hashimoto to be more inclusive of Buddhist members. Tateishi reflects on how the phrase’s Cold War-era insertion made non-Christians feel like second-class citizens.
• U.S. Needs Skills-Based Immigration Laws, by James Kumpel, page 8. A JACL New York board member argues for stronger border security paired with increased legal, skills-based immigration to address labor shortages and demographic challenges. He contends the federal government should enforce its own immigration laws rather than burdening border states with costs.
• Setting the Record Straight, by Gerald Yamada, page 12. The national coordinator of the Japanese American National Heritage Coalition disputes Floyd Mori’s account of JACL’s role in passing Public Law 109-441, arguing JACL initially declined to join the coalition and provided little support. Yamada credits Congressman Bill Thomas, Doris Matsui, Mike Honda, and Sens. Inouye and Akaka for the legislation’s success.
• Confinement Sites Grant Program Reflection of Kodomo No Tame Ni, by Rep. Mike Honda, page 12. Rep. Mike Honda discusses the bipartisan support for the Japanese American Confinement Sites grant program despite broader budget cuts, tracing its legislative history from Public Law 109-441. He credits community advocates and lawmakers for securing funding increases and urges continued support at the $3 million level.

JACL

• JACL to Honor Lawmaker, Basketball Legend at Gala, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL will honor Rep. Eni Faleomavaega and basketball pioneer Wat Misaka at its Sept. 29 ‘Salute to Champions’ gala in Washington, D.C. Faleomavaega is the longest-serving Samoan American in Congress, while Misaka broke the NBA’s color barrier in 1947.
• JACL Announces New District Governors, by P.C. Staff, page 10. David Unruhe was elected governor of the Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District, and Stephanie Nitahara was named Midwest District governor, replacing Michio Morakishi. Both have extensive backgrounds in JACL chapter and youth council activities.

In-Depth

• Japanese American Jamie Hagiya Shoots For Spot on L.A. Sparks Roster, by Nalea J. Ko, page 3. Former USC point guard Jamie Hagiya is hoping to try out for the L.A. Sparks WNBA team, supported by her grandparents and the Japanese American community. She will host a basketball clinic before the Aug. 30 Asian Basketball Night at Staples Center.
• Heart Mountain Center’s Grand Opening Marks Milestone in Preservation, by Christine McFadden, page 4. The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation’s new interpretive learning center opens Aug. 19-21, featuring re-created barrack rooms and a film by Steven Okazaki. Speakers including Judge Lance Ito, Norman Mineta and Tom Brokaw will address lessons from the Japanese American WWII incarceration experience.
• San Francisco APA Community Calls For More HIV Treatment, Prevention Funds, by Nalea J. Ko, page 5. Healthcare workers and community members are urging San Francisco officials to maintain HIV prevention and treatment funding for Asian Pacific Americans under the city’s new ‘New Directions’ plan. Advocates like Adam Chang, who is HIV positive, highlight the importance of culturally competent programs like those at the Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center.
• Will JACL Follow in NAACP’s Footsteps, Bouncing Back From Membership Loss?, by P.C. Staff, page 6. JACL leaders examine the NAACP’s successful revitalization strategy as a model for addressing JACL’s declining membership and budget deficit. The organization is looking to broaden its reach to the wider Asian American immigrant community and has created new membership tiers to boost revenue.

National

• Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony Date Awaits Approval From Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The ceremony to award the Congressional Gold Medal to WWII Japanese American veterans is expected to take place Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in Washington, D.C., pending Congressional approval. Over 3,800 veterans, widows and next of kin have registered to attend through the National Veterans Network.
• Asian American Groups Oppose Controversial Immigration Enforcement, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 7. Immigration and civil rights groups, including JACL, are criticizing the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of opt-out agreements for the Secure Communities program, which shares arrestees’ fingerprint data with federal immigration authorities. Critics argue the program promotes racial profiling and separates families.
• Nagasaki Remembers A-bomb, by Yuri Kageyama, page 7. The U.S. sent a representative for the first time to Nagasaki’s annual memorial service marking 66 years since the atomic bombing that killed roughly 80,000 people. Nagasaki’s mayor called for Japan to reject both nuclear weapons and nuclear power following the March disaster.
• National Newsbytes, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 10. Brief roundup of national news including a ribbon-cutting at the Bainbridge Island incarceration memorial, a Quaker vigil honoring atomic bomb victims in Columbia, S.C., a Montana memorial dedicated to Japanese American WWII veterans, the Native Hawaiian Convention in Honolulu, and new U.S. stamps marking 100 years of the D.C. cherry trees gift.
• Japan Earthquake Survivors in Hawaii Share Stories, by Associated Press, page 16. About 70 survivors of the March Japan earthquake and tsunami have traveled to Maui through the Aloha Initiative to find respite and share their experiences with host families. Survivor Daisuke Tanaka, who lost his wife and infant daughter, described his ordeal and hopes to honor his wife’s memory by running the Maui marathon.

Arts & Entertainment

• Tess Gerritsen Speaks Up With ‘The Silent Girl’, by Christine Fukushima, page 9. Bestselling ‘Rizzoli and Isles’ author Tess Gerritsen, who hid her Chinese American identity for 25 years due to publisher concerns, embraces Asian American themes in her latest novel featuring detective Johnny Tam. The book explores her childhood experiences and challenges stereotypes of APA masculinity.

Community

• Ed Lee Files Papers to Run for S.F. Mayor, by Jason Dearen, page 10. Interim San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee filed papers to run for a full term, reversing his earlier position, citing improved City Hall dynamics during his tenure. Critics, including rival candidates, questioned his change of heart and his ties to powerful political figures.
• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 11. A roundup of notable APA achievements including Erika Mariko Olsen being crowned 2011 Nisei Week Queen, Phyllis M. Wise named UIUC chancellor, Miranda Du nominated to the U.S. District Court, Peggy Fish appointed to CCLPEP, Lan Duong winning a Fulbright fellowship, and Lenny Yajima Andrew announcing her retirement from the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii.
• Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL Collecting Stories For JA Book Project, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL is seeking stories, photos and documents from current and former residents for a book documenting the area’s rich Japanese American history before and after WWII. Historian James Ong will lead interviews and editing for the project titled ‘Watsonville Nihonmachi: Then and Now.’
• Terminology Symposium to be Held in October, by P.C. Staff, page 11. A community-wide symposium will be held Oct. 22 in San Francisco’s Japantown to discuss euphemistic terminology used to describe the Japanese American incarceration experience. The event was prompted by the National Park Service seeking guidance on terms like ‘concentration camps’ at Manzanar and Tule Lake.
• Concert Series Showcases Asian Pacific American Talent, by P.C. Staff, page 13. The International Secret Agents (ISA) concert series kicked off its 2011 tour in Seattle, featuring performers including Far East Movement, David Choi, and Wong Fu Productions to a sold-out crowd. YouTube stars KevJumba and Ryan Higa also greeted over 500 fans at a post-concert meet and greet.
• Densho Receives Grants to Teach JA History, by P.C. Staff, page 13. Seattle-based Densho received over $544,000 in National Park Service grants to create a curriculum package on the WWII Japanese American experience and upgrade its digital archive. The organization will partner with four community organizations across multiple states to expand access to historical materials.
• Arizona Summer Program Empowers Youth, by P.C. Staff, page 13. Arizona State University’s Asian LEAD Academy summer program taught college-bound students about hate crimes, including the murder of Vincent Chin, and the WWII Japanese American internment experience through a visit to Gila River. Twenty-three high school students and ten college-bound students received certificates of achievement.

Obituaries

• Louise H. Stewart, page 15. Louise Hisae Baba Stewart, born in 1920 to immigrant parents, worked as a graphic artist for the state of California for over 30 years. She passed away Aug. 5, 2011, following a fall at her home in Sacramento, and is remembered for her love of reading and Japanese food.

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