Remarks by a San Jose councilwoman, and a Senate bill on Wards Cove

Vol. 116, No. 23, June 11, 1993. 8 pages. View this issue

Remarks by San Jose City Councilwoman Cole about Latinos, Asian Americans and gays led the issue. Cole, the only African American member of the council, was recorded at a black workshop, and her colleagues, the San Jose JACL chapter and Rep. Norman Mineta responded with condemnation. The paper also covered the Justice for Wards Cove Workers Act, introduced in the Senate by Sen. Patty Murray, with JACL National Director Dennis Hayashi urging Congress to pass it. JACL also backed Lani Guinier’s nomination for assistant attorney general for civil rights, as Karen Narasaki explained.

Elsewhere in these eight pages: the Central California District JACL’s concerns about renaming a stretch of Highway 99 for Pearl Harbor survivors, and the choice of Michael Yamaguchi as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California. Racial threats against a Stanford worker, Chuck Taniguchi, are reported, along with columns by Bill Hosokawa on natto and Bill Marutani on food and stereotypes.

What’s in this issue

National

• San Jose Councilwoman Cole Urged to Resign Over Remarks About Minorities, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Jose City Councilwoman Cole, the only African American member of the council, faces pressure to resign after making disparaging remarks about Latinos, Asian Americans and gays at a black workshop. The comments, caught on videotape, sparked condemnation from her colleagues and community groups including the San Jose JACL chapter and Rep. Norman Mineta.
• Wards Cove Repeal Introduced in Senate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Justice for Wards Cove Workers Act, which would repeal a special exemption for Native Alaskan and Asian Pacific American plaintiffs created by the Civil Rights Act of 1991, was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Patty Murray and cosponsors. The bill aims to ensure equal treatment for the Wards Cove plaintiffs under civil rights law.
• Witness Will Lie, Says Defense in Arizona Temple Murder Trial, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Defense attorney Peter Balkan argued that prosecutors coerced witness Alessandro Garcia’s testimony against defendant Jonathan Doody in the Thai Buddhist temple murder case near Phoenix. Balkan claimed there is no case against Doody without Garcia’s testimony, which he says was obtained through pressure.
• Lawyer Organizations Meet to Call for Minority Nomination to Supreme Court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Minority bar associations including NAPABA, NABA, HNBA and the National Bar Association met in Washington, D.C. to urge President Clinton to nominate a minority to the U.S. Supreme Court. The groups called for greater diversity in the federal and state judiciary and the Department of Justice.
• JACL Supports Nomination of Guinier to Assistant Attorney General Position, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL joined a coalition of civil rights organizations supporting Lani Guinier’s nomination for assistant attorney general for civil rights, defending her against claims she supports racial quotas. Karen Narasaki of JACL’s Washington office said Asian Pacific Americans have suffered from quotas imposed as ceilings and would not support Guinier if they believed otherwise.
• Mineta Honored with Ellis Island Award, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Norman Mineta was honored with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations in New York City. The award recognizes Americans who have succeeded while preserving their ancestral heritage; Mineta joined past honorees including Gloria Estefan and the late Arthur Ashe.
• Nikkei Selected for U.S. Attorney Post, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Michael Yamaguchi was selected to become the next U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, backed by Sen. Barbara Boxer, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Daniel Inouye. Yamaguchi, a career prosecutor, is currently working on a major fraud investigation and plans to focus on increasing prosecutions and improving office morale.
• Stanford Nikkei Worker Victim of Racial Threats, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Chuck Taniguchi, a storeroom manager at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, has been the target of an escalating series of racial threats, including a knife stuck in his office door and the words “Go home Jap” written on a chalkboard. Stanford officials say they are investigating with two full-time detectives, and Taniguchi has been placed on administrative leave.
• Student Suspended for Racist Remarks, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A 17-year-old Mountain View High School student was suspended for five days and placed on social probation after shouting the racial slur “Nips” at visiting students from Iwata Minami High School in Japan. The suspension disqualified him from playing on the baseball team, though administrators said it was the right decision.
• 8 Asian Americans Honored at Excellence 2000 Ceremony, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Eight Asian Americans, including cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Rep. Norman Mineta, were honored at the Excellence 2000 scholarship program in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the United States Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce. Proceeds from the event funded college scholarships for five deserving Asian American students, including Hamilton Tran of Los Angeles.

Incarceration & Redress

• CCDC Concerned Over Renaming Highway for Pearl Harbor Survivors, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Central California District JACL expressed concerns over a bill to rename a stretch of Highway 99 the “Pearl Harbor Survivors Memorial Highway,” warning it could inflame anti-Asian sentiment tied to the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. State Sen. Don Rogers, who introduced the measure, said it was not intended to upset anyone but to honor Pearl Harbor veterans.

JACL

• Act Gains Wide Support, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL and other Asian Pacific American groups voiced support for the Justice for Wards Cove Workers Act. JACL National Director Dennis Hayashi urged Congress to swiftly pass the legislation, citing support from President Clinton.

Commentary

• The Nose’ll Know: Natto, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa writes about natto, a traditional fermented soybean dish with a strong smell and slimy texture that is regaining popularity in Japan, along with observations on Japanese fast food chains and their sales rankings. He also touches on regional train foods and contrasts them with American fast food establishments like Denny’s.
• Contrasting Stereotypes in USA, by Bill Marutani, page 6. Marutani reflects on Japanese and American food customs and cultural differences, including his own preferences for Japanese cuisine over American fast food chains. He also references a Denny’s discrimination incident involving Justice Department agents in Annapolis, Md.
• The Power of Language, page 6. The columnist explores how language shapes thought and perception, discussing generational differences in vocabulary between Nisei and Sansei Japanese Americans. Examples include differing terms used by each generation for shopping, music, and food, illustrating broader cultural shifts.
• Taking Care of Business, by Lillian C. Kimura, page 7. JACL National President Lillian Kimura recounts her travels for YWCA and JACL business, including a Pacific Citizen Board meeting in Los Angeles and a conference on Asian American diversity in New York. She also comments on the Hattori case verdict, expressing concern over gun violence in America.
• Letters to the Editor, page 7. A reader writes in response to a Louisiana trial verdict involving a killing, expressing views on justice and history. The letter offers a personal perspective tied to broader themes of racial injustice.

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