Vol. 154, No. 11, June 15, 2012. 16 pages. View this issue
Food was the subject of this 16-page issue. Christine McFadden profiled Paul Qui, the Top Chef: Texas winner who also runs the East Side King food truck in Austin. Nalea J. Ko wrote about Eddie and Evan Huang of New York’s Baohaus, about Kim Ima and her Treats Truck, and about food blogger Marian Bacol-Uba. Ima’s story notes that her Japanese American family was incarcerated at Minidoka during World War II.
Elsewhere, executive editor Caroline Aoyagi-Stom announced her resignation after 15 years. Mako Nakagawa and the National Convention Committee wrote about the Power of Words workshops planned for the JACL national convention, which aim to promote accurate terms for the incarceration. John Tateishi reflected on Gordon Hirabayashi’s Presidential Medal of Freedom, and Stanley N. Kanzaki urged more members to run for national office.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- Thank You Pacific Citizen!, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 2. Pacific Citizen executive editor Caroline Aoyagi-Stom announces her resignation after 15 years, with her last day being June 22. She thanks the staff, editorial board, and readers for their support over the years and expresses pride in the newspaper’s accomplishments.
- Spring Campaign: Setting Priorities, by Cindi Kishiyama-Harbottle, page 2. The author reflects on a tragic death and a friend’s near-fatal illness that prompted her to reevaluate her life priorities and stop procrastinating on her bucket list. She urges readers to prioritize supporting JACL and the Pacific Citizen through the Spring Campaign donation drive.
- We Need More Candidates, by Stanley N. Kanzaki, page 2. The Eastern District Council representative on the National JACL Nomination and Elections Committee highlights that only seven candidates are running for eight national JACL offices, with no women among them despite pioneering women presidents. He urges the JACL’s nearly 12,700 members to consider running for national office before the July 5 deadline.
- Powerful Power of Words Workshops, by National Convention Committee, page 11. The Seattle Chapter Power of Words Committee will present two workshops at the JACL National Convention to support terminology resolutions passed in 2010 and 2011. The sessions aim to teach accurate historical terms about the WWII incarceration and train attendees to spread the word about proper terminology.
- Words Have Power, by Mako Nakagawa, page 11. The author explains how the U.S. government used euphemisms during WWII to disguise the reality of Japanese American incarceration, arguing that terms like ‘evacuation’ and ‘internment’ are inaccurate when applied to citizens forced into concentration camps. She outlines the Power of Words initiative’s goals to promote accurate terminology and preserve constitutional rights education.
- For the Record: Gordon, at Long Last, by John Tateishi, page 14. The former JACL national director reflects on Gordon Hirabayashi’s posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom, describing how the young Hirabayashi knowingly defied unconstitutional curfew and evacuation orders during WWII. Tateishi recounts how the government strategically prosecuted Hirabayashi only on the curfew issue and notes that Hirabayashi remained principled and humble about his historic legal challenge.
- The Right Place: Freedom, Responsibility and Integrity, by James Kumpel, page 14. The author argues that voter ID laws are a reasonable requirement to ensure election integrity, comparing them to ID requirements for flying or employment. He contends that JACL’s opposition to voter ID laws is misguided, citing Pew Center data on voter roll inaccuracies as evidence of a legitimate need for safeguards.
Arts & Entertainment
- The Humble Top Chef, by Christine McFadden, Correspondent, page 3. Paul Qui became the first Filipino American to win ‘Top Chef: Texas,’ crediting his grandmothers’ cooking and his Filipino heritage for influencing his culinary style. He balances his role as executive chef at Uchiko with his food truck business East Side King in Austin, Texas.
- Bao Down to the Huang Brothers, Co-Owners of New York’s Baohaus, by Nalea J. Ko, Reporter, page 4. Eddie and Evan Huang, Taiwanese American brothers, run Baohaus in New York’s East Village, a restaurant born after Eddie left his law career against his family’s wishes. The brothers discuss their outspoken personalities, upbringing in Florida, charity work with homeless families, and advice for young Asian Americans pursuing creative careers.
- Kim Ima’s Treats Truck Delivers Not So Fancy, But Always Delicious Baked Goods, by Nalea J. Ko, Reporter, page 5. Hapa chef Kim Ima achieved her five-year plan of launching the Treats Truck, writing a cookbook, and opening a bakery storefront in Brooklyn. Ima, whose Japanese American family was incarcerated at Minidoka during WWII, discusses blending her Japanese and Jewish heritage and her entrepreneurial journey from theater performer to baker.
- Marian the Foodie and Her Intrepid Palate, by Nalea J. Ko, Reporter, page 6. Filipino American food blogger Marian Bacol-Uba has built a popular following through her blog marianthefoodie.com after leaving a corporate job to pursue food writing and marketing full time. She discusses her adventurous eating habits, travels to Singapore and Shanghai, and her family’s evolving support of her career.
Obituaries
- Mrs. Chieko Matsuda Merz, page 15. Chieko Matsuda Merz, a Pacoima-born Nisei and former internee of Gila River Relocation Camp, passed away on May 24, 2012. Services were held at San Fernando Valley Honganji Buddhist Temple, and she is survived by several siblings and extended family.
- Tiyo T. Asai, page 15. Tiyo T. Asai, 93, of Easthampton, Massachusetts, died April 26 after a career as an Administrative Assistant with IBM Corporation. Born in New York City in 1918, she is survived by two sisters, three children, and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
- Toshi Kadowaki, page 15. Toshi Kadowaki, 94, of Sylvania, Ohio, passed away June 1, 2012, after a life that included WWII internment at Poston, Arizona, where she supervised camp beauty shops, and later owning her own beauty shop for thirty years. She was remembered as a woman of faith and compassion who is survived by two daughters, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
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