Vol. 156, No. 7, April 19, 2013. 12 pages. View this issue
Kyle Larson, the 20-year-old Hapa Japanese American NASCAR driver, was the cover subject, and Nalea J. Ko wrote about how he hoped to move past a viral crash at Daytona. His grandparents’ incarceration at Tule Lake is part of his story. Ko also reported on UC Berkeley’s new grove of 37 cherry trees honoring Japanese American alumni. Hugh Burleson urged readers to back the paper’s Spring Campaign, and John Tateishi wrote about gun control after Sandy Hook.
Elsewhere, JACL staff attended an immigration reform rally on Capitol Hill, and the Carson City Council named its chambers after Helen Kawagoe. The National Park Service announced grants for World War II confinement sites, the Heart Mountain smokestack was being repaired, and supporters sought monument status for the Tuna Canyon Detention Station. Musician Michael Paulo is profiled on page 9.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- It’s Our Paper — Let’s Back It!, by Hugh Burleson, page 2. A longtime P.C. Editorial Board member urges readers to support the Spring Campaign, citing the financial stresses the paper faced after JACL funding cuts and staff losses. He credits Carol and David Kawamoto and reporter Nalea Ko for keeping the paper running and asks for generous donations to sustain the Pacific Citizen’s quality and relevance.
- Gun Control, by John Tateishi, page 3. Former JACL National Director John Tateishi reflects on the Second Amendment and his frustration over Congress’s weak response to gun violence following the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. He criticizes lawmakers for prioritizing a ‘perverted constitutional right’ over the lives of victims and failing to renew the expired Federal Assault Weapons Ban.
National
- JACL Health Benefits Trust Undergoes Restructuring Process, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL Health Benefits Trust has restructured to comply with the Affordable Care Act, which requires all Americans under 65 to have qualifying health insurance by Jan. 1, 2014. The Trust office will help community members understand their options as new compliant plans are introduced and open enrollment begins in the fall.
- JACL Attends Immigration Reform Rally on Capitol Hill, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. JACL staffers joined hundreds of AAPI supporters at the ‘Citizenship for 11 Million’ rally on Capitol Hill on April 10 in support of immigration reform. JACL is urging Congress to include family reunification provisions and a clear path to citizenship while preserving due process rights.
- Enduring Heart Mountain Icon Getting Much-Needed Repair, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. The 75-foot brick smokestack at the former Heart Mountain Relocation Center is undergoing repairs to fix leaning caused by years of moisture damage. The work, funded partly by a 2011 National Park Service grant, is expected to take a month, with a dedication ceremony planned for July.
- Chinese Graduate Student Among Three Killed in Boston Marathon Bombings, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. Boston University graduate student Lu Lingzi, originally from Shenyang, China, was among three people killed when two bombs exploded near the Boston Marathon finish line on April 15. More than 170 people were injured, and authorities pursued two bombing suspects, killing one and continuing the search for the other.
- National Park Service Announces $1.4 Million in Grants to World War II Confinement Sites, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The National Park Service announced 10 grants totaling more than $1.4 million to preserve and interpret World War II Japanese American confinement sites, bringing total program funding to $11 million since 2006. Projects include rehabilitating buildings at Fort Lincoln, an online teacher training course, and a traveling Tule Lake exhibit.
Community
- New Carson Council Names Chambers After Helen Kawagoe, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. The Carson City Council voted unanimously to name its council chambers after former City Clerk Helen Kawagoe, a past JACL national president who served 37 years before retiring in 2011. Kawagoe, present for the vote, received a standing ovation after a year-long campaign by supporters to honor her while she is still alive.
- UC Berkeley Dedicates Cherry Tree Grove to JA Alumni, by Nalea J. Ko, page 4. A dedication ceremony drew 200 attendees to UC Berkeley’s campus to unveil a grove of 37 cherry blossom trees honoring Japanese American alumni, the culmination of three years of community fundraising efforts totaling over $250,000. Speakers including Vice Chancellor Edward J. Denton and former football player Peter Domoto recalled the hardships Nisei students endured during World War II.
- PSW Hosts Fundraiser to Benefit Internship Program, by P.C. Staff, page 5. PSW JACL held a ‘Color Me Mine’ fundraiser on April 6 to benefit its Collegiate Japanese American Internship program, drawing approximately 40 children and adults to paint ceramics. Representatives from Camp Musubi and a past intern also gave presentations at the event.
- JABA Educational Foundation Set to Host Gordon Hirabayashi Tribute, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Japanese American Bar Assn. Educational Foundation will host a performance of the solo play ‘Hold These Truths,’ based on the life of civil rights icon Gordon Hirabayashi, on May 19 in Little Tokyo. Proceeds from the $65 tickets will benefit the Foundation’s scholarship fund.
- Tuna Canyon Supporters Seek Monument Status, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Los Angeles’s Cultural Heritage Commission met to discuss granting Historic Cultural Monument status to the Tuna Canyon Detention Station, which held over 2,500 Japanese Americans and others during WWII. A city staff report recommended against monument status, but preservation advocates urged the community to attend and support the designation.
JACL
- Mike M. Masaoka Congressional Fellowship Application Now Available, by P.C. Staff, page 5. JACL is accepting applications for the 2013-14 Mike M. Masaoka Congressional Fellowship, which places a JACL member in a congressional office in Washington, D.C. for at least six months. Current fellow Adam Kuranishi shared his transformative experience working in Rep. Mike Honda’s office on immigration policy.
In-Depth
- NASCAR’s Kyle Larson Hopes to Leave His YouTube Crash in the Dust, by Nalea J. Ko, page 6. Hapa Japanese American NASCAR driver Kyle Larson, 20, is emerging as a rising star despite a viral crash at Daytona International Speedway in February that injured two dozen spectators. Larson recently became the first graduate of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity initiative to win at the national level, and discusses his racing family background, his grandparents’ incarceration at Tule Lake, and his future goals.
Arts & Entertainment
- The Music Man, by Allison Haramoto and Lauren Arii, page 9. Jazz saxophonist Michael Paulo, who has performed with Al Jarreau, Herbie Hancock and other greats, discusses his musical family, career highlights and upcoming performance at the Temecula Wine and Music Festival. Paulo, of Japanese and Filipino descent, also runs a music production company and reflects on how technology will change but never replace the emotional core of music.
Obituaries
- Mitsugi Murakami Kasai, page 11. Mitsugi ‘Casey’ Kasai, 95, passed away peacefully after a long career as a U.S. Army Counter Intelligence special agent serving in Japan, Okinawa, Vietnam and Korea from 1948-73. After retiring to care for his parents, he became a passionate advocate for veterans groups, the redress movement, and numerous Japanese American civic organizations.
- Kay Kei Kawashima, page 11. Kay Kei Kawashima, a San Jose resident born in Seattle in 1927, passed away peacefully at home after living with renal failure for five years. His family was interned at Crystal City, Texas during WWII, after which he served in the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence Unit and later ran Sunshine Nursery in San Jose for more than 50 years.
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