JACL staff transition and the Gila River reunion

Vol. 120, No. 5, March 3, 1995. 12 pages. View this issue

Changes at JACL headquarters were the main news of the March 3, 1995 issue. Bill Yoshino, acting national director, met with staff to keep membership renewals, the Washington leadership program and the scholarship program running through the reorganization, and he wrote a column on the plan. Peggy Liggett explained the budget deficits behind the staff cuts, and several readers wrote in for and against the decision. Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani wrote columns, and Mei Nakano recalled her years at the Amache camp as a young wife and mother.

The Japanese American incarceration (often called internment) also appeared in news pieces. A 50th anniversary reunion of the Gila River camp was set for Phoenix, the Florin Chapter planned its Time of Remembrance, and a documentary on Tanforan was in the works. Elsewhere, a Texas legislator used a racial slur on the House floor, and a Seattle hotel in prewar Japantown reopened after renovation. This 12-page issue also carried chapter installation reports.

What’s in this issue

National

• Yoshino Leads Interim Staff at JACL HQ, by Staff report, page 1. Bill Yoshino, acting JACL national director and Midwest regional director, met with headquarters staff to discuss continuing membership services and other functions during the organization’s staff reorganization. He asked the National Board for authority to hire temporary business manager, membership coordinator and administrative assistant positions while a new Washington representative and national director are sought.
• Texan Says ‘J’ Word on State House Floor; Iwo Jima Vet Has No Regrets in Making Comment, page 1. Texas Rep. Doyle Willis, an 84-year-old Iwo Jima veteran, used the slur ‘Jap’ on the floor of the Texas House and refused to apologize afterward. Houston JACL Chapter president Betty Waki criticized the remarks, though the comment drew no official protest from the Texas Legislature.
• Domestic Partners Bill Re-Introduced in California, page 1. California Assemblyman Richard Katz reintroduced the Domestic Partners Registry bill (AB627), identical to a version previously vetoed by Gov. Pete Wilson, which JACL’s National Council had endorsed in 1994. The bill would grant unmarried couples hospital visitation, conservatorship, and property rights, and is supported by senior, religious, education and LGBT groups.
• National Officer to File Libel Suit Against Member, page 1. A national JACL officer plans to file a lawsuit against a JACL member over statements alleged to be disparaging and defamatory that were disseminated to national boards and media. Pacific Citizen states it will exercise restraint in reporting further details due to ongoing confidential investigation.

Community

• Cyril Nishimoto Named to Census Advisory Board, page 1. Cyril Nishimoto, director of Japanese American Social Services, Inc. in New York, was selected by Commerce Secretary Ron Brown to serve on the Census Advisory Committee on Asian and Pacific Islander Populations. He expressed honor at representing Japanese American interests on the committee, which advises the Census Bureau on accurate population counts.
• Leaflet Attacks Minorities, Women, Gays in San Jose Police Department, page 1. An anonymous leaflet distributed in the San Jose police locker room mocked the department’s protected-classes promotion policy and targeted Assistant Chief Tom Shigemasa, a former San Jose JACL chapter president, along with women, minorities and gays. Shigemasa said the department is investigating the incident as a hate incident and called it a sign of the times that can happen anywhere.
• Portland Reunion Set for Aug. 11-13, page 3. A reunion for people who lived in the Portland area prior to World War II will be held Aug. 11-13, 1995, at the Lloyd Center Red Lion Inn, featuring tours, a golf tournament, and a nostalgic banquet program. A pre-reunion Alaskan cruise and a Sunday bento picnic at Blue Lake Park are also planned.
• For the Record, page 3. Pacific Citizen issued two corrections: clarifying that defamation charges applied to a single JACL official rather than officials generally, and noting that JACL scholarship application deadlines are April 1, not March 1 as previously stated.
• Little Tokyo Library Moves, page 4. The Little Tokyo branch library closed its Centenary Methodist Church location and is moving to a new 5,000-square-foot site at Alameda and Third Street. Volunteer Marion Kadomatsu helped open the original branch in the 1980s as a bookmobile offering Japanese-language materials.
• Attorneys Who Helped With Redress Honored at Mile-Hi Chapter Event, by Tom Masamori, Mile-Hi Chapter, page 5. JACL National President Denny Yasuhara addressed 110 Mile-Hi Chapter members at their installation dinner, discussing JACL’s financial problems and possible solutions. Six attorneys who provided pro bono service on members’ redress claims were honored with plaques, including Kerry Hada, Linda Hamada, Andrew Hamano, Ed Imatani, Linda Kato and Ronald Taoka.
• Seattle Chapter Has ‘Moving’ Experience, page 5. The Seattle Chapter’s installation banquet featured actor George Takei as keynote speaker, and was also memorable for a 5.0 earthquake that struck about 10 minutes into the program with no damage. Takei encouraged members to set high goals, and outgoing president Raymond Ishii was honored alongside newly installed president Dr. Calvin Takagi.
• Florin Finalizes ‘Time of Remembrance’, by Bill Kashiwagi, Florin Chapter, JACL, page 5. The 13th annual Florin Chapter Time of Remembrance event, commemorating Japanese American wartime internment, was finalized for March 11 at the Florin Buddhist Church with an educators’ workshop and evening program. Speaker Chizu Iiyama will discuss the extraordinary roles of Japanese American women, alongside an oral history presentation and community award.
• Sacramento Holds Crab Feed, by Toko Fujii, Sacramento Chapter, page 5. The Sacramento Chapter’s 1995 Crab Feed drew more than 400 members and guests to Betsuin Hall for a crustacean dinner and pasta prima, along with a popular airplane flying contest. Nearly $1,000 in raffle sales was added to the chapter’s 1995 scholarship program.
• Personally Speaking, page 6. This roundup covers several individuals’ achievements: Julie Sasaki’s selection for a Japan cultural exchange trip, Dr. Alice Murata’s community service award, author David Mura’s $105,000 writers award, Eagle Scout Daniel Hanasono, Ken Miyagishima’s election as county commission chair, Christine Kajikawa Wilkinson’s leadership fellowship, and Jane Nishida’s appointment to Maryland’s cabinet.
• S.F. Chapter Offers Applications for Scholarships, page 6. The San Francisco JACL Chapter announced $1,000 scholarships funded by its annual golf tournament, available to graduating high school seniors involved in community volunteer work. Applicants must be JACL members or family of members, with a March 31 postmark deadline.

Commentary

• Up and Running, by Bill Yoshino, page 3. Interim JACL National Director Bill Yoshino describes the reduced staff structure at headquarters and outlines an action plan to maintain membership services, the Washington Leadership Program, and the scholarship program. He thanks members for their volunteer support during the transition period.
• Japanese in U.S. Need Survival Skills, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa examines the death of a young Japanese woman in Colorado and theorizes that Japanese visitors to the U.S. suffer disproportionately higher rates of crime and accidents than Japanese Americans due to growing up in a low-crime society without survival skills. He compares them to pampered house cats unprepared for life among streetwise predators.
• Hawaii’s Nikkei Culture, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Marutani recounts his family history and reflects on a tour of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, a $10.8 million facility built to preserve Nikkei history for future generations. The center includes educational exhibits, a dojo for martial arts, and was funded through broad community participation including veterans groups and kenjin-kai.
• Says Members Need to Give Financial Assistance to PC, page 8. A reader from Chicago expresses concern about the reduced frequency of Pacific Citizen issues and appeals to JACL members to contribute to a PC Fund to restore more frequent publication. The writer enclosed a personal $100 donation to support the effort.
• Reader Wants JACL to Rescind Same-Sex Decision, by Masako T. Genma, page 8. A Stockton reader cites biblical scripture arguing that JACL’s 1994 endorsement of same-sex domestic partner rights violates divine law and contributes to the organization’s problems. The writer calls for JACL to rescind its 1994 decision on the same-sex issue.
• Applauds Those Who Oppose Board Decision to Reduce Staff, by Wiki Fimeno, page 8. A Monterey Park reader praises Pacific Citizen for publishing letters from Sacramento and past National President Clifford Uyeda regarding the staff reduction controversy. The writer urges members to study George Kodama’s budget analysis carefully and avoid labeling younger JACLers as ‘ruthless’ before considering alternatives to staff cuts.
• The Slippery Slope: Who Knew What, When?, by Peggy Liggett, page 9. Liggett details JACL’s financial crisis, describing unexplained budget deficits of $75,000 in 1993 and $187,000 in 1994, missing financial records kept at a staff member’s home, and salaries consuming over 90 percent of dues compared to 40 percent at comparable nonprofits. She argues the National Board’s decision to restructure staff was the only responsible action and calls for a management audit to prevent future crises.
• Sawamura Accuses PC Editor of Improper Involvement in Election, by Harry Kinoshita, Chair, Pacific Citizen Editorial Board, page 10. Michael Sawamura of the Sacramento Chapter alleged that Pacific Citizen editor Richard Suenaga engaged in improper JACL electoral politics based on a stolen confidential memorandum from a June 1994 meeting. The article reproduces Sawamura’s letters demanding an investigation into the matter.
• PC Editor, Paul Shinkawa Respond to Sawamura’s Allegations, by Richard Suenaga; Paul M. Shinkawa, page 10. Editor Richard Suenaga and former PC Board chair Paul Shinkawa respond to allegations of improper involvement in JACL elections, explaining that a June 1994 meeting in Denver with Bill Hosokawa and Peggy Liggett was for professional advice on a financial story, not campaign strategy. Both state that PC staff were explicitly warned to avoid electoral involvement and that no PC coverage was influenced by the disputed agenda document, which was stolen from Suenaga’s office.

Incarceration & Redress

• Hotel Renovation Preserves History, page 4. Seattle’s 80-year-old North Pacific Hotel, vacant for 20 years, was restored in a $5.8 million project and reopened, including a lobby exhibit detailing its role in prewar Japantown. The ground-floor Maneki restaurant, believed to be Seattle’s oldest Japanese restaurant, was also renovated and reopened.
• Stage Is Set for Gila River Reunion, page 4. A 50th anniversary reunion of the Gila River Relocation Center will be held March 17-19 in Phoenix, with monuments and plaques constructed at the former camp sites in Pinal County. Over 1,000 former internees, families and friends have registered, with speakers including George Takei and Arizona officials.
• Tanforan Assembly Center Subject of Documentary, page 4. Producer Dianne Fukami is creating a book and documentary about the Tanforan Race Track’s use as a WWII assembly center for Japanese Americans, hosted by Jan Yanehiro and airing on KCSM in May. Fukami is seeking interviews with former Tanforan internees and administrators to document this frightening period before permanent camps were built.
• Camp and Beyond, by Mei Nakano, page 9. Nakano reflects on her life at the Amache concentration camp as a young bride and mother, describing the surreal normalcy of camp life and the government’s contradictory treatment of internees. She recounts a poignant train journey to Minnesota after her husband was drafted into the Military Intelligence Service, where a stranger’s kindness toward her crying baby left a lasting impression.

JACL

• Interim: JACL Staff Transition Continues, page 4. The National Board is focused on stabilizing JACL’s fiscal and administrative operations after staff reductions, with Pacific Citizen extending lapsed subscriptions temporarily to avoid disruption. JACL Blue Shield-Blue Cross and the JACL Credit Union remain unaffected by the organizational changes.
• All Aboard, page 7. This roundup lists newly installed officers for numerous JACL chapters and organizations including the 100/442 Veterans Association, Dayton, Cincinnati, Olympia, Riverside, Chicago Area Asian American Bar Association, Washington D.C., Detroit, Eden Township, Chicago, Salt Lake, St. Louis and Gardena chapters. Henry Ikemoto took command of the 100/442nd Veterans Association, with guest speaker Franz Steidl previewing his book on the Battle of Bruyeres.

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