Hate crimes and community response, September 1991

Vol. 113, No. 6, September 6, 1991. 12 pages. View this issue

Hate crimes ran through this 12-page issue from several directions. Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods planned workplace stings and prosecutor training after the killing of nine people in a Buddhist temple, and Asian community leaders told him of their concern over rising anti-Asian sentiment. The Sonoma Chapter JACL announced a workshop on hate violence, Seattle JACL issued a statement on hate crimes in its city, and Randolph Shibata cited recent incidents in his “By the Board” column. A forum in San Diego also took up gang activity.

Also inside: coverage of the Third Manzanar All Camp Reunion in Los Angeles, with a keynote by Rep. Robert T. Matsui, and Herb Horikawa’s report on the JACL convention in Philadelphia. Bill Hosokawa wrote about South Americans of Japanese descent finding work in Japan, and Harry K. Honda looked at Asian American studies programs. Richard Sakakida was announced as keynote speaker for a Nisei intelligence veterans’ reunion dinner.

What’s in this issue

National

• Arizona Creates Strategies to Fight Hate Crimes, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods is implementing workplace stings and prosecutor training to combat hate crimes following the killing of nine people in Buddhist temple. Asian community leaders expressed concern to Woods about rising anti-Asian sentiment in the state.
• Homefront Exhibit Recalls Tacoma’s War Years, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A pictorial exhibit titled ‘Homefront, Tacoma in the War Years, 1941-1945’ was displayed at the main Tacoma Public Library featuring old Pathe newsreel stills. The exhibit included photos of Nisei GIs and civilians from an Odd Fellows Hall event in October 1941, identifying figures such as bugler Tetsuo Tamaki.

Community

• Workshop Covers Hate Crimes, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Sonoma Chapter JACL is sponsoring a workshop on combatting hate violence on September 14 at Enmanji Memorial Hall in Sebastopol, California. The event will feature authorities from various fields, discussion groups, skits, and videotape presentations to alert the community to escalating hate crimes.
• Multiculturalism Subject of Talk, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ronald Takaki, professor of ethnic studies at UC Berkeley, will give a keynote address on multiculturalism in education at the University of New Hampshire on September 23. He will discuss how a diverse student body can revitalize universities in the 21st century.
• Asian Community Urged to Confront Gang Problem, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Judges and a court referee urged the Asian community to confront rising gang activity at a forum on crime, delinquency and gangs at Horace Mann Middle School. Panelists discussed Filipino gangs aligning with Black gangs and parents’ reluctance to acknowledge their children’s gang involvement.
• Florin JACL Pushes for 100% Voter Registration, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Florin JACL Board’s redress and civil rights committee made 100% voter registration its top priority for the 1992 election. Committee co-chairs Andy Noguchi and Mary Tsukamoto said increased voter participation would help influence legislation for equal justice.
• Seattle JACL Addresses Rising Hate Crimes, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Seattle JACL issued a statement expressing concern over the increasing number and severity of hate crimes in the city, despite it being considered more tolerant than most. The statement detailed two incidents including an Asian family’s home being vandalized with anti-Asian slurs and a Vietnamese woman receiving a threatening letter.
• West Valley Chapter Performance Recalls Hawaii and Japan Themes, by P.C. Staff, page 4. West Valley chapter members performed dances and skits including the Tanko Bushi coal-miner’s dance and a Danish fairy tale adaptation. Performers included Dave Suyama, Sat Nakashira, Charlie Matsumoto, and others who rehearsed for several weekends.
• San Diego State Student Body President Joseph Horiye Profiled, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Joseph Horiye, 22, is the current student body president at San Diego State University, son of Rigo and Clare Horiye of Clairemont. He previously served as vice president of finance before being elected to his current role.
• L.A. County Supervisor Reappoints George Nojima to Civil Service Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 9. L.A. County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn reappointed George Sho Nojima to the county civil service commission, where Nojima has served for 12 years. Nojima is a claims supervisor for the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company.
• Monterey Park Names Judy Chu Citizen of the Year, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Monterey Park city councilwoman and former mayor Judy Chu was named Citizen of the Year by the Monterey Park Boys and Girls Club. Chu has served on the city council since 1988 and as mayor in 1990.
• San Mateo JACL Community Center Announces New Programs, by P.C. Staff, page 9. The San Mateo JACL Community Center announced a videotape exchange program to share Japanese-language content with clients, along with an audio-video library and book shelf. The center continues to expand its resource offerings for the community.

Incarceration & Redress

• Reliving History: Manzanar Reunion Draws Crowds, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Third Manzanar All Camp Reunion was held August 31 and September 1 at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles with the theme ‘The Lost Years Reclaimed, 1942-46.’ Rep. Robert T. Matsui gave the keynote address, and talks covered topics including the Manzanar Free Press, Terminal Island residents’ experiences, and Children’s Village.

Arts & Entertainment

• Documentary Focuses on Cultural Diversity, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A 90-minute PBS documentary titled ‘America Becoming’ will air September 16, capturing the linguistic, cultural, class, racial, and ethnic diversity of America. The film documents new immigrants and established residents in six communities including Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Miami, Monterey Park and Garden City, Kansas.

JACL

• Philadelphia Event Offers Variety of Talks, Speakers, by Herb Horikawa, page 3. A total of 121 people attended various sessions and events at the JACL convention in Philadelphia, including discussions on how Asian American contributions are neglected in school curricula. The convention featured cultural events, a reception, a tour, karaoke, and concluded with a Sayonara Ball tribute to Mike Masaoka.
• Diablo Valley JACL Board Discusses Restructuring, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Diablo Valley JACL board met to discuss whether JACL’s core mission needs to change and posed four key questions about the organization’s future. Taniguchi noted JACL has always been a membership-driven organization and discussed giving specific authority to national, district and chapter levels.
• Boards Debate Racism Within JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Comments were made questioning whether JACL’s creed and practices, including advertising restricted to ‘Persons of Japanese Ancestry,’ reflect an internally racist mentality. The piece argues JACL must confront such internal contradictions alongside external issues like hate crimes and gang violence.
• Philadelphia Convention Committee Members Recognized, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The article lists committee members who organized various aspects of the Philadelphia JACL convention, including tour and obento coordination, calligraphy, karaoke hosting, golf tournament, registration, and flower arrangements. Contributors included Louise Maehara, George Ikeda, Karue Oye, and Roy Kaname among others.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei Intelligence Agent to Keynote MIS Reunion Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Richard Sakakida of Honolulu will tell the unheralded story of Nisei intelligence agents at the MIS reunion dinner in Monterey. Sakakida and Arthur Komori were recruited before Pearl Harbor for intelligence duty in the Philippines, were captured as suspected collaborators, and later rescued to assist General MacArthur.

In-Depth

• Population Boom Poses Challenges for Asian American Studies, by Harry K. Honda, page 5. Asian American studies programs that began around 1969 at UC Berkeley, San Francisco State, and University of Washington are reassessing their identity amid a growing Asian American population. Founders like Dr. Wang recalled the early vision of creating programs focused on American history and civil rights issues.

Commentary

• Times Change: S.A. Nikkei Job Hunting in Japan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa recounts how Latin Americans of Japanese descent are now heading to Japan seeking jobs amid economic troubles at home, in what the Japanese call a ‘U-turn.’ An estimated 100,000 South Americans of Japanese descent are now working in Japan, often in difficult manual labor jobs previously filled by illegal workers.
• ‘Gaijins’ in Nippon, page 6. The column describes how Japan’s court system handles foreign criminal defendants through special ‘gaijin’ courts in cities like Tokyo and Yokohama. Attorney Emiko Miki, a civil rights lawyer, discussed sentencing disparities and described how foreign offenders are often deported after suspended sentences.
• By the Board, by Randolph Shibata, page 6. MPDC District Governor Randolph Shibata argues JACL remains necessary by citing multiple recent hate crime incidents against Asian Americans across the country, including threats in Omaha, an attack on Japanese students, and the murder of an Asian man in Houston. He emphasizes the continuing need for JACL’s civil rights advocacy.
• East Wind, page 7. This continuation column discusses sentencing disparities between Tokyo and Yokohama district courts for foreigners caught overstaying visas, noting one received a 30-month suspended sentence while another received 44 months. Counsellor Miki jokingly advises defendants to flee toward the Tama River for lighter sentencing districts.
• MIT Research Fraud Case Involving Dr. Baltimore Draws Scrutiny, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A research paper co-authored by Dr. David Baltimore and published by Cell was retracted after data was found to be faked, with postdoctoral fellow Margot O’Toole credited as uncovering the issue. Dr. Imanishi Kari, a co-author who left MIT for Tufts, said the incident arose from O’Toole’s misunderstanding of the research.

Obituaries

• Gene Canque Liddell Named First Asian American Woman Mayor of Lacey, Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Gene Canque Liddell, 48, was named mayor of Lacey, Washington by the city council on April 11, becoming the first Asian American woman to hold the position. A graduate of Washington State University, she previously served on the Lacey city council and as deputy mayor, and is an Olympia JACL member.

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