Vol. 157, No. 2, July 19, 2013. 16 pages. View this issue
Harry K. Honda, the Pacific Citizen’s editor emeritus, was the focus of this 16-page issue. Nalea J. Ko wrote his obituary, tracing his life from the family’s incarceration at Rohwer to his decades at the paper. Allison Haramoto, the new executive editor, wrote about meeting him shortly before his death. A redress timeline ran alongside Honda’s own 1988 report on President Reagan signing the redress bill, and John Tateishi’s Reflections column looked at how the redress campaign began with Edison Uno’s 1970 resolution.
Elsewhere, Roberta Barton described the Japanese American National Museum’s conference in Seattle marking 25 years of the Civil Liberties Act. The National Park Service announced grants for confinement sites, including a project at the Honouliuli camp in Hawaii. A redesigned plaque honoring 27 Nisei clerks was presented to the Seattle School Board. JACL San Jose, San Diego and Berkeley announced scholarship winners.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- Stepping Into the Executive Editor Position, by Allison Haramoto, page 2. The new Pacific Citizen executive editor reflects on taking over the role and on meeting Harry Honda shortly before his death, recalling his encouragement and dedication to the paper. She pledges to continue his legacy while inviting reader feedback and engagement with the publication.
- Letter to the Editor: Clarifying the McCarran-Walter Act, by John Tateishi, page 2. John Tateishi responds to Paul deGuzman’s correction regarding naturalization rights for Asian immigrants, acknowledging the exception for the Issei generation. He explains the JACL’s role in supporting the McCarran-Walter Act and Mike Masaoka’s effort to overturn Truman’s veto.
- My JANM Conference, by Roberta Barton, page 3. The author recounts attending the Japanese American National Museum’s fourth national conference in Seattle, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. She describes sessions on redress history, Nikkei veterans, and the Day of Remembrance, along with reflections from panelists on the ongoing importance of vigilance for civil liberties.
- Reflections, by John Tateishi, page 3. Former JACL National Director John Tateishi reflects on the origins of the redress campaign, questioning what might have happened had Edison Uno never introduced the 1970 resolution challenging the JACL to pursue redress. He describes the internal conflict within the JACL and community over confronting painful wartime memories, ultimately honoring those who pushed the movement forward.
Obituaries
- Remembering Pacific Citizen Editor Emeritus Harry Honda, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL will observe a moment of silence at its upcoming convention in Washington, D.C. in tribute to longtime Pacific Citizen editor Harry Honda, who had planned to attend before his death. Honda’s legacy as a journalist and historian of the Japanese American community is honored.
- Harry K. Honda, Pacific Citizen Editor Emeritus, Dies at 93, by Nalea J. Ko, page 5. Harry Honda, longtime Pacific Citizen editor and JACL historian, died on July 3 at age 93 while working at his computer at home. The article traces his life from being drafted into the Army and his family’s incarceration at Rohwer, through his decades-long journalism career at the PC, remembered by colleagues as a mentor and an encyclopedia of Japanese American history.
In-Depth
- President Reagan Signs Redress Bill, by Harry Honda, page 6. This historic article, originally published in 1988, recounts President Reagan’s signing of H.R. 442, which apologized for the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans and provided $20,000 redress payments. It includes reactions from congressional leaders like Mineta and Matsunaga, details on eligibility for compensation, and a list of dignitaries present at the signing.
- Redesigned Plaque Presented to the Seattle School Board, by Morrison Lukcan, page 12. The Seattle School District unveiled a new commemorative plaque honoring 27 Nisei office clerks, including May Namba, who were forced to resign from their jobs following Pearl Harbor due to anti-Japanese sentiment. The original 1984 plaque was lost during a district move in 2001, and the new plaque was created through collaboration between JACL, Seattle Public Schools, and community members.
National
- JCCH Awarded Funds for Honouliuli Internment Camp Project, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii will receive $111,557 from the National Park Service to fund a multimedia and virtual tour project about the Honouliuli Internment Camp on Oahu. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, whose grandfather was interned there, praised the grant as a way to preserve this history for future generations.
- NPS Grants $1.3 Million to Preserve and Interpret WWII Japanese American Confinement Sites, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The National Park Service announced over $1.3 million in grants to preserve and interpret sites where Japanese Americans were imprisoned during WWII, including projects in Alaska, California, Wyoming, and Los Angeles. The grants are part of the Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program, which has distributed $12 million of its $38 million congressional authorization since 2008.
Community
- JACL San Jose Awards Student Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 11. At JACL San Jose’s annual scholarship luncheon on April 27, six high school seniors were awarded a total of $13,500 in scholarships. Winners included Nick Wang, Dylan Nakagawa Jew, Kyle Takeda, Justin Hashimoto, Karissa Ogawa, and Danielle Kitagawa.
- Students Receive Awards From JACL San Diego, by P.C. Staff, page 11. JACL San Diego awarded scholarships to four local high school seniors at an April 28 ceremony at the Japanese Friendship Garden. Recipients Christina Guiang, David Satoda, Keana Nakata, and Garett Kodama will attend various universities in the fall.
- Berkeley JACL Awards Nine Scholarships and Honors Pioneer Recipients, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The JACL Berkeley chapter awarded scholarships to nine college-bound high school seniors, including Eric Phung, Mali McGuire, and Whitney Tamaki, and presented Pioneer Awards to Lewis Suzuki and Marvin Uratsu for their WWII Military Intelligence Service and community contributions. Both Pioneer honorees also received Congressional Gold Medals in 2011.
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