Day of Remembrance events and a possible all-digital Pacific Citizen

Vol. 156, No. 4, March 1, 2013. 16 pages. View this issue

Day of Remembrance gatherings filled this issue, with reports from Los Angeles, Fresno, Houston, Chicago, Portland and Sonoma County. Several marked the 25th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, and the California capitol marked the day with an official apology to Japanese American state employees fired in 1942. Nalea J. Ko reported on a JACL board proposal for the Pacific Citizen to go all digital by 2015, along with a financial report showing falling revenue. Bill Yoshino and John Tateishi wrote columns on racial slander and on the Power of Words Handbook.

Also inside: Terry T. Shima of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team received the Presidential Citizens Medal, and the 44th Manzanar Pilgrimage was set for April 27. A museum in Arkansas was preparing to open an exhibit on the Jerome and Rohwer camps, and Lauren Arii profiled ice sculptor Janson Iwakami.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Confronting Racial Slander, by Bill Yoshino, page 2. Bill Yoshino discusses recent racial incidents targeting Asian Americans, including a Google app called ‘Make Me Asian,’ comments by Jay Leno, a CBS sitcom slur, and an op-ed by a Stanford professor perpetuating dog-eating stereotypes. He argues these incidents perpetuate the myth of Asians as perpetually foreign and stresses the need for continued vigilance against such prejudice.
• Power of Words Controversy, by John Tateishi, page 3. John Tateishi examines the controversy over JACL’s use of the term ‘American concentration camp’ in its Power of Words Handbook, tracing historical tensions with Jewish organizations over the term dating back to the Manzanar plaque battles and the redress campaign. He questions whether the National Director has authority to deviate from National Council decisions by deferring to objections from Jewish groups regarding the term’s use.

In-Depth

• Will the Pacific Citizen Be Paperless by 2015?, by Nalea J. Ko, page 4. At the JACL national board meeting on Feb. 23, editorial board chair Carol Kawamoto presented a revised media plan proposing that the Pacific Citizen become an all-digital publication by 2015. The plan includes new staffing proposals, training sessions, a mobile version, and a P.C. Corps of volunteers, though board members raised concerns about funding given declining newspaper revenues.
• P.C. Revenue Decline Highlighted in Financial Report, by Nalea J. Ko, page 5. National Secretary/Treasurer Matthew Farrells reported that the Pacific Citizen’s 2012 revenues fell to about $135,997, down significantly from $276,004 in 2011. The article details the financial challenges facing the newspaper’s proposed digital transition, including nonmember subscription refunds and fundraising shortfalls.
• Former Chef’s Sculpting Skills Have Made Him a Legend in the World of H2O, by Lauren Arii, page 8. Profile of Janson Iwakami, a Hawaii-born ice sculptor who has run Amazing Ice Sculptures in Renton, Wash., for over 22 years, creating pieces for celebrities, hotels, and major competitions in Alaska and Canada. The article details his self-taught technique, the labor-intensive sculpting process, and his most challenging and memorable works.

Community

• 44th Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage Set for April 27, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Manzanar Committee announced the 44th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage will be held April 27 at the Manzanar National Historic Site, along with the Manzanar at Dusk program that evening at Lone Pine High School. Bus transportation from Los Angeles is available for a nonrefundable fare of $40 per seat.
• Anthropological Studies Center Receives Grant Award From Cal Humanities, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Sonoma State University’s Anthropological Studies Center received a $10,000 Community Stories grant from Cal Humanities for a project documenting the history of Japanese Americans in the East Bay floral industry. The project seeks participants to record oral histories before firsthand accounts are lost.
• World War II Japanese American Internment Museum Set to Open in April, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The McGehee Industrial Foundation announced the opening of the World War II Japanese American Internment Museum in Arkansas in April, featuring the ‘Against Their Will’ exhibit about the Jerome and Rohwer camps. Actor George Takei, who was interned at Rohwer as a child, is expected to attend the dedication ceremony with Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe.
• Los Angeles Marks 25th Anniversary of Civil Liberties Act at Day of Remembrance, by P.C. Staff, page 10. A capacity crowd gathered at the Japanese American National Museum on Feb. 16 for a Day of Remembrance event honoring the 25th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, featuring a panel with Richard Katsuda, Rose Matsui Ochi and Mitch Maki. The event included a tribute to the late Sen. Daniel Inouye and a presentation on the National Defense Authorization Act’s ramifications.
• Fresno Day of Remembrance Features Moving Performance by Nikiko Masumoto, by Roberta Barton, page 11. The JACL Central California District Council’s Day of Remembrance and Installation Luncheon on Feb. 17 featured Nikiko Masumoto’s one-woman show ‘What We Could Carry,’ based on testimony from the 1981 Commission on Wartime Relocation hearings. Judge Dale Ikeda received special recognition from the Consulate General of Japan, and new CCDC officers were sworn in.
• Houston Screens ‘Pilgrimage’ Documentary for Day of Remembrance, by Gary Nakamura, page 11. The Asia Society Texas Center in Houston screened the documentary ‘Pilgrimage’ on Feb. 10 in partnership with JACL Houston and the Holocaust Museum Houston to commemorate Day of Remembrance. Director Tadashi Nakamura participated in a post-screening discussion with JACL Houston President Gary Nakamura and Holocaust Museum Houston’s Mary Lee Webeck.
• Chicago’s Day of Remembrance Spotlights Kooskia Internment Camp, by Bill Yoshino, page 11. Chicago’s Day of Remembrance program at the Chicago History Museum focused on the little-known Kooskia Internment Camp in Idaho, where about 265 Japanese resident aliens labored on road crews from 1943-45. Author Priscilla Wegars presented findings from her book and the 2010 archaeological excavations of the campsite to an audience of approximately 400 people.
• Portland JACL Marks Civil Liberties Act Anniversary With Panel Discussion, by Heidi Kimiko Tolentino, page 12. Portland’s Day of Remembrance at Portland State University featured JACL National Director Emeritus Floyd Mori sharing personal stories and a panel discussion moderated by Linda Tamura on the 25th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Panelists included professors Hillary Jenks and Tung Yin along with former Portland JACL President Joe Wahl, addressing topics from Little Tokyo history to post-9/11 legal issues.
• Sonoma County Draws Parallels Between Pearl Harbor and 9/11 at DOR Event, by Meg Mizutani, page 12. Sonoma County JACL’s Day of Remembrance workshop, attended by nearly 100 people from 15 community groups, explored parallels between the Japanese American and Muslim American experiences following Pearl Harbor and 9/11. Guest speaker Imam Ali Siddiqui discussed Islamophobia, and a screening of Lina Hoshino’s film ‘Caught In Between’ emphasized the importance of communities standing together against injustice.

National

• Ten JAVA Scholarships Await Eligible 2013 High School Graduates, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The JAVA Memorial Scholarship Program, in its sixth year, will award 10 scholarships of $1,500 each to graduating high school students related to Nisei WWII veterans or current service members. Applicants must submit an essay and proof of college admission by the May 1 deadline.
• Capitol’s Day of Remembrance Includes Official State Apology to Japanese American State Employees, by P.C. Staff, page 7. California’s state capitol marked Day of Remembrance on Feb. 19 with Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi leading a resolution recognizing the day, alongside ACR 19, the first official apology for the wrongful firing of Japanese American state employees under 1942’s SCR 15. Former San Jose State professor Yosh Uchida, who was fired due to SCR 15, was honored at the event alongside other legislators and JACL National Director Priscilla Ouchida.
• WWII Veteran Terry T. Shima Is Awarded the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal, by Lt. Janelle Kuroda, JAG Corps, U.S. Navy, page 13. President Obama awarded 442nd RCT veteran Terry T. Shima the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal at a White House ceremony on Feb. 15, recognizing his decades of work as executive director of the Japanese American Veterans Assn. preserving the legacy of Nisei WWII soldiers. Family members and JAVA colleagues praised Shima’s tireless dedication to honoring veterans and the Japanese American community.

Obituaries

• Philanthropist and Community Leader George Aratani Passes, by P.C. Staff, page 13. George Aratani, founder of Kenwood Electronics and Mikasa tableware and a major philanthropist to Japanese American causes, passed away in Los Angeles on Feb. 19 at age 95. A memorial service was set for March 2 at the Aratani/Japan America Theatre, honoring his legacy including co-founding Keiro Senior HealthCare and endowing academic study of WWII internment.

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