Racial hatred, mixed identity and a Nikkei photo exhibit

Vol. 109, No. 11, October 13, 1989. 8 pages. View this issue

Racial hatred ran through the front page. California Attorney General John Van de Kamp issued a report confirming that the January Stockton schoolyard shooting, which killed five Southeast Asian children, was motivated by racial hatred. A Chinese graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania was mistakenly beaten in a West Philadelphia melee. The page also announced that the photo exhibit Kodomo No Tame Ni, covering four generations of Japanese American history on Bainbridge Island, was returning to Seattle after a statewide tour. Inside, a page-three feature looked at the young mixed race generation and its identity dilemma.

The opinion page carried columns by Bill Marutani, Bill Hosokawa and Hirokazu Shiode. Other items covered Velina Hasu Houston’s play Tea, a UCLA seminar on intermarriage, Frank Hideo Hattori’s 82nd birthday, and a quilt that stirred memories of the World War II evacuation in San Jose. Chapter news came from Sacramento, South Bay and Watsonville.

What’s in this issue

National

  • Report States Stockton Massacre Was Racially Motivated, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California Attorney General John Van de Kamp issued a report confirming that the January Stockton schoolyard shooting that killed five Southeast Asian children was motivated by racial hatred. The report detailed shooter Patrick Purdy’s psychological profile and concluded the attack was premeditated and targeted Stockton’s Southeast Asian immigrant population.
  • Chinese Graduate Student Unwittingly Hit in Racial Fight, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Chinese graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania was mistakenly beaten by youths during a melee in West Philadelphia after being confused for a Cambodian or Laotian teenager. Community leaders noted ongoing tensions between Asian and black youths in the area and the university is considering measures to protect foreign students.

Community

  • Japanese American Photo Exhibit: Washington State Centennial Tribute to Nikkei Story Nearing End of Statewide Tour, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The exhibit ‘Kodomo No Tame Ni’ covering four generations of Japanese American history on Bainbridge Island is returning to Seattle after a statewide tour. The exhibit features 55 photos, maps, and drawings based on oral histories and archival records, and was funded by the Washington Commission for the Humanities and other sources.
  • Asian Program TV Station in L.A. Buys in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 1. KSCI, Inc. of Los Angeles purchased KHAI-TV in Hawaii, which airs Japanese, Korean and Filipino programming on Oahu and via cable on other islands. The transfer of ownership took place on Sept. 19.
  • Asian Studies Meet Set for Long Beach, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Department of Asian and Asian American Studies at CSU Long Beach will host the Western Conference of the Association for Asian Studies on Oct. 20-21. Scholars from 125 institutions will present nearly 300 papers on topics ranging from modernization in Asia to Southeast Asian acculturation.
  • Dr. Kitano Named to Endowed Chair of J.A. Studies, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Harry H.L. Kitano, professor at UCLA, has been selected as the first holder of an endowed chair in Japanese American studies. The chair was established through the UCLA Alumni and Friends of Japanese Ancestry as part of a larger university fundraising campaign.
  • Singles Convention Contributes $4,000, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Southern California Nikkei Singles Coalition contributed $2,500 to the JACL/Legislative Education Committee and $1,500 to the Japanese American National Museum from proceeds of the 4th National JACL Singles Convention. The convention drew over 400 attendees from ten states and 18 JACL chapters.
  • Public Hearings Slated on Asian Student Needs, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The California State University Asian American Education Advisory Committee will conduct three public hearings across the state to gather information on the needs of Asian Pacific students, faculty and staff. Hearings are scheduled in Fullerton, Fresno, and San Francisco with written requests to testify required in advance.
  • Nikkei Intermarriage to Be Documentary Film, Volunteers Sought, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Producers are seeking Japanese American volunteers planning to marry someone of another race for an upcoming documentary film exploring interracial marriage. The film will use research from UCLA’s Amy Iwasaki Mass and faculty input.
  • ‘Intermarriage’ Topic for UCLA Seminar Oct. 21, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A UCLA Extension seminar titled ‘Hybrid Cultures: The East-West Marriage Phenomenon’ will examine intermarriage, particularly among Asians and Caucasian Americans. The seminar will be held at UCLA with fees of $50 for the public and $10 for students.
  • Asia/Pacific Rim Business Outlook for ’90 Theme of USC/Commerce Event, by P.C. Staff, page 3. USC’s School of Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce will co-sponsor a conference on Asian/Pacific business outlook for 1990, scheduled for March 1990. More than 50 government, business and academic experts will discuss opportunities in Pacific Rim nations.
  • Maui’s Baldwin High School Celebrates 50th, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Alumni and students of H.P. Baldwin High School in Wailuku, Maui are celebrating the school’s 50th anniversary with events throughout the school year. Three generations of the Murakami family have each served as student government president at the school.
  • Seattle Judge Mamiya in Municipal Limelight, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seattle Municipal Court Judge Ron Mamiya has been filling in as presiding judge for arraignment court following a state supreme court ruling. The caseload crisis has raised questions about increasing the number of judges or reducing jury trial rights.
  • SCAN Art Show/Auction Features Great Paintings, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Southern California American Nikkei Chapter of JACL will hold an art exhibition and auction featuring works by artists including Picasso, Chagall, and Yamagata. Proceeds will benefit SCAN’s scholarship fund and other community service activities.
  • Oct. 26 Date of Annual Sacramento Election, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Sacramento JACL will hold its annual election at the Oct. 26 chapter meeting, with Mike Iwahiro nominated for president. Several other positions including treasurer, secretary and various vice presidents were also nominated for the coming year.
  • Hallowe’en Party for Sacramento Kiddies Set, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sacramento JACL will sponsor its third annual Japanese American Children’s Halloween Party on Oct. 28 at Nisei Hall, featuring a costume contest and carnival games. Last year’s event drew 125 youngsters and organizers expect an even larger crowd this year.
  • South Bay Plans Hike to View Autumn Colors in Angeles Forest, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The South Bay JACL Sansei Singles Committee and Asian Ski Club are sponsoring a hike to Switzer Falls in Angeles National Forest to view fall foliage. The hike will be led by experienced hiker Alan Takahashi and followed by a potluck picnic.
  • Keiro-kai Dinner Slated for Watsonville Elders, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Watsonville JACL will honor members aged 75 and older at a Keiro-kai dinner at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple Hall. A kayo club program will follow the dinner, which costs $12 per person.
  • The Newsmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This roundup column profiles various Japanese Americans making news, including retired U.S. Attorney staffer Toshiro Suyematsu, video artist Rea Tajiri who received an NEA fellowship, civil rights attorney Stewart Kwoh’s appointment to the LA Human Relations Commission, and several others in sports, government and education. Also noted is Kenneth T. Furukawa’s Presidential Rank Award and Miss Oklahoma Tamara Marler’s pageant success.

Arts & Entertainment

  • Velina Hasu Houston’s Play ‘Tea’ Returning to Stage; KPBS-TV Production Due in 1990, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Playwright Velina Hasu Houston’s play Tea, about five Japanese war brides in Kansas, is scheduled for five theatrical productions including at Olympia Dukakis’s Whole Theatre, and will be produced for television by PBS affiliate KPBS. The play has received critical acclaim including being named one of the ten best plays of 1988.

Military & Veterans

  • Seattle Realtor Hailed at His Birthday; Recalls His WWII Role as OWI Broadcaster, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Frank Hideo Hattori, a Seattle community leader and Realtor, was honored at his 82nd birthday party attended by Mayor Charles Royer and over 140 friends. Hattori served as a translator and broadcaster for the Office of War Information during WWII, announcing Japan’s surrender, and later became a prominent Seattle civic figure.

In-Depth

  • Young Mixed Race Generation Facing Identity Dilemma, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A growing generation of mixed-race Americans is challenging traditional racial classifications, with about one million Americans of mixed parentage born in the past 20 years. Experts note that while racial categorization remains rigid, mixed-race individuals are increasingly comfortable identifying as such.

Incarceration & Redress

  • Quilt Evokes Memories of WWII Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Over 70 people attended a showing of the quilt ‘Threads of Remembrance’ at Fuji Towers in San Jose, depicting Japanese American women’s WWII experiences. Issei and Nisei women shared memories stirred by the quilt and were given the opportunity to add stitches to it.

Commentary

  • Exchange Student Headaches, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial discusses problems with foreign organizations sending unqualified exchange students to the U.S., drawing parallels between Spain’s Club RCI and similar tactics used by entrepreneurs offering American schooling to young Japanese students. The piece calls for Japanese officials to address the situation before it worsens further, noting it unfairly reflects on Japanese Americans despite only an ethnic connection.
  • Words and Pavlov’s Dog, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Columnist Bill Marutani criticizes the use of racially-charged terms like ‘strike’ and ‘invade’ in Fortune and Newsweek magazine headlines about Japanese business investments in America. He argues such word choices reveal underlying racial bias, comparing his sensitivity to such language to Pavlov’s conditioned dog after years of similar incidents.
  • The New Asian American Writers, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa discusses the recent surge in success of Asian American writers, citing a Los Angeles Times feature noting seven major novels and multiple award-winning poets. He contrasts this with the struggles of Nisei writers in the 1920s-30s and hopes Asian American authors will not be limited to writing only about Asian American experiences as their careers develop.
  • Ugly Japanese in Asia, by Hirokazu Shiode, page 4. A translated Yomiuri Shimbun column discusses how Japanese tourists and business travelers in Hong Kong often display disdain toward Chinese locals despite relying on their hospitality for profit. The piece highlights mutual distrust stemming partly from WWII memories and suggests Japanese children living abroad should learn local languages to improve relations.
  • Letters to the Editor, by Various, page 5. This compilation includes letters addressing redress funding credit to Grant Ujifusa, a correction regarding Dr. George Y. Takeyama’s name, Florin JACL membership growth, critiques of Velina Hasu Houston’s essay on Amerasian identity, and other community issues. Topics also cover campaign ethics in a political letter dispute and appreciation for Great Leap’s theatrical production.

Obituaries

  • Deaths, by P.C. Staff, page 7. This obituary section lists the deaths of Hatsuo Yamasaki of Los Angeles, Yoshiko Kawa Colter of Texas, and Tomino Harada of Los Angeles, with details of their survivors and backgrounds. Yamasaki was a Hawaii-born Nisei, Colter was a longtime General Electric employee, and Harada was a native of Ishikawa.

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