Vol. 112, No. 14, April 12, 1991. 8 pages. View this issue
Keith Umemoto, a 35-year-old Sansei running for the 46th Assembly District seat, was the subject of a two-part Pacific Citizen interview. It began on the front page and continued on page 8, where he spoke about the Rodney King beating, campaign fundraising and Asian American involvement in politics. Also on page 1, a California Senate bill sponsored by Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy and Sen. Bill Lockyer would double sentences for hate-motivated misdemeanors, with civil rights groups including JACL testifying in support. Harry Honda reported on the JACL Legacy Fund, as presented at the PSW Tri-District Conference by Cressey Nakagawa and Grayce Uyehara.
On page 7, a Denver man was found guilty of a hate crime against Japanese students. Bill Marutani profiled Joshua Tsujimoto, a Poston camp internee who later did agricultural aid work in Bangladesh. David Mas Masumoto reflected on Japanese American image after the Visalia conference, and David K. Yoshida answered a Bill Hosokawa column. Ed Sato’s travel piece on a feast in Moorea closed the issue.
What’s in this issue
National
- Umemoto Seeks 46th Assembly District Seat, Emphasizes Community Roots, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Keith Umemoto, a 35-year-old Sansei political novice and son of veteran Democratic activist Kaz Umemoto, is running for the 46th Assembly District seat. In an interview with Pacific Citizen, he discusses his background in social welfare and community service, and outlines his priorities including education, seniors, crime and drug problems.
- Bill Would Increase Penalties for Hate Crimes in California, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A California Senate bill sponsored by Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy and Sen. Bill Lockyer would double sentences for hate-motivated misdemeanor crimes and allow unlimited punitive damages in related civil cases. The bill has garnered support from JACL and other civil rights organizations testifying at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
- Sen. Simon Forms Asian Advisory Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A brief item notes the formation of an Asian advisory group by a state senator named Simon. Details on the group’s purpose accompany the announcement in the same issue.
- Denver Man Guilty of Hate Crime Against Japanese Students, by P.C. Staff, page 7. James Clifford Close Jr., 19, was convicted in Denver of 23 charges including ethnic intimidation and aggravated robbery against six Japanese students, though acquitted of attempted murder; he faces up to 60 years in prison. Two other youths involved in the October attack near the University of Denver await trial for attempted manslaughter, and the victims’ attorney has alleged police mishandled the case.
- Umemoto Interview Continues: On Rodney King, Campaign Fundraising, and Asian American Political Involvement, by P.C. Staff, page 8. In the continuation of the Pacific Citizen interview, Keith Umemoto discusses his reaction to the Rodney King beating, calling for better police training and sensitivity, and reflects on fundraising as a ‘necessary evil’ of campaigning. He also encourages greater Asian American participation in politics and boards, expressing hope to support organizations like the Japanese American National Museum and East West Players if elected.
JACL
- Legacy Fund: Whys and Hows, by Harry Honda, page 1. National JACL President Cressey Nakagawa discussed the necessity of the JACL Legacy Fund at the PSW Tri-District Conference, emphasizing its role in tackling major community issues. Grayce Uyehara presented progress figures on the fund’s fundraising campaign, part of goals formalized at a national conference in San Diego.
Community
- Reunion Features Model of Poston Camp Home, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Poston III Reunion, scheduled for May 3-5 in San Diego, will feature a full-scale model of a typical WWII relocation camp home built by Ben Segawa, along with a military exhibit and historical slide presentation researched by Don Estes. The reunion will honor Clara Breed, a former San Diego children’s librarian who supported interned Nikkei children with books and clothing during the war.
- Mother of the Year Awards to Be Presented May 5, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four Nikkei women—Aiko Misumi, Ushi Nakama, Fumi J. Shiomi, and another honoree—will be recognized at the Annual Mother of the Year luncheon in Los Angeles, co-sponsored by community organizations including the Okinawa Club and Seinan Senior Citizen’s Club. The article details each honoree’s immigration history, family, wartime internment experiences, and decades of community service.
- Personally Speaking, by Akiko Hirota, page 6. This roundup column covers community news items including Molly Mariko Yamayoshi winning the sixth annual Japanese speech contest with a speech about her mother, runner-up Jane Shino Hoashi, and the formation of a UCLA advisory group called Friends of Visitors involving alumnus Kate Kawahara. It also mentions Dr. Tsujio Kato chairing a California-Japan festival and the JACCC in Little Tokyo adding new board members.
In-Depth
- Joshua Tsujimoto’s Helping Hand, by Bill Marutani, page 4. The column profiles Joshua Tsujimoto, a Poston camp internee who studied agriculture at Cornell and later became a farmer near Buffalo, N.Y., before dedicating years to humanitarian agricultural aid work in Bangladesh with his wife Alice. Tsujimoto solved key agricultural problems there related to seedling timing and crop oversupply, earning the Helping Hand Award from the National Association of Evangelicals.
- Goins See the Nostalgia Paradise, by Ed Sato, page 8. A travel reminiscence describes a fama’ara’a (traditional feast) and dance performance the author experienced in Moorea, French Polynesia in 1973, contrasting the authentic native food and hospitality with commercial Waikiki luaus. The piece reflects on the passage of time and changes likely experienced by the performers and other people encountered on that trip.
Commentary
- Commenting on Hosokawa Commentary, by David K. Yoshida, page 4. A reader responds to a prior Bill Hosokawa column that suggested national Japanese American community cohesion will fade with the passing of the Nisei generation. The writer argues that Sansei, though scattered by career opportunities, maintain connections through the Pacific Citizen, JACL newsletters, and extended family networks, and believes the community will persist through his generation.
- Here’s List of Suggested Books on Evacuation, page 4. A reader writes requesting a list of books about the WWII evacuation of Japanese Americans for a grandson’s school project. The letter notes the grandson previously placed in a history competition using similar research material.
- Visalia Snapshots, by David Mas Masumoto, page 5. The Nikkei Images column reflects on a media and image workshop at the JACL Tri-District Conference in Visalia, where Sansei and Nisei attendees defined the traits they want Japanese Americans to be known for: honest, confident, articulate, compassionate, and intelligent. Masumoto questions whether this idealized image is simply a repackaged ‘model minority’ stereotype and worries about what is left out, such as leadership and political engagement, especially ahead of the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
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