Sugihara tributes and the fight over JACL finances

Vol. 120, No. 2, January 20, 1995. 16 pages. View this issue

A tribute to Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara led the front page. Jewish and Japanese American communities in Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles planned events honoring the diplomat who issued transit visas to thousands of Polish Jewish refugees in 1940, with his widow attending several. The other major subject was JACL’s budget. Richard Suenaga reported on the National Board’s staff cuts and the staff’s counter-report, and the full Budget Analysis Committee report ran on page 6. Opinion pieces by Connie Chung, Karl Nobuyuki, Grayce Uyehara, Harry Kajihara and Floyd Shimomura weighed in, along with a response from committee chair Mae Takahashi.

Elsewhere, Bill Hosokawa wrote about tuberculosis among Japanese Americans in the 1920s and 1930s, and Harry K. Honda compared the new Republican Congress with the one of 1953. Page 11 carried letters on Proposition 187 and same-sex marriage, and page 10 reported on a California highway designation honoring the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service.

What’s in this issue

National

• Californians Set to Pay Tribute to the ‘Japanese Schindler’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Jewish and Japanese American communities in Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles are organizing tributes to Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara, who issued transit visas to thousands of Polish Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi terror in 1940. Events are scheduled in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles, with Yukiko Sugihara attending several ceremonies.
• Hate Crimes Can Be Reported to APALC Legal Center, Other Groups, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center is collecting reports of hate crimes and violations related to Proposition 187 in Southern California through a network of community-based organizations. The article lists numerous CBOs trained to document and assist victims of anti-Asian and anti-immigrant incidents.
• Racist Past Tarnishes Silver State’s History, by P.C. Staff, page 10. An exhibit titled “Beyond Gum San” at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City tells the story of discriminatory treatment of Chinese immigrants in 19th century Nevada mining towns. Historian Sue Fawn Chung helped prepare the exhibit, which will later move to Las Vegas.
• Commemorative Stamp Shows Off Palau’s Nisei President, by P.C. Staff, page 13. The Republic of Belau (Palau) issued a commemorative stamp marking its Independence Day showing President Clinton with Palau’s Nisei President Kuniwo Nakamura. The article recounts Palau’s history as a former Japanese mandate and Trust Territory, and Nakamura’s optimism about the nation’s democratic future.

JACL

• National Staff and Budget Analysis Committee Differ on State of JACL Finances, by Richard Suenaga, page 1. The JACL Budget Analysis Committee, chaired by Mae Takahashi, concluded JACL faced a financial crisis requiring staff reductions, a plan approved 14-1 by the National Board, but National staff submitted a counter-report disputing several of the committee’s figures. The controversy continued as some board members sought to rescind the decision, though a Dec. 17 teleconference upheld the original vote 8-7.
• Committee Works on Redefining Jobs, Severance Package, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Implementation Committee, including Jim Miyazaki, Emilie Kutsuma, Karyl Matsumoto and David Hayashi, is following through on the National Board directive to redefine job descriptions and establish a severance package. A separate Personnel Committee will handle hiring and reorganization implementation.
• Annual Giving Campaign Hits $93,000 Mark, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Annual Giving campaign, started in mid-November and chaired by Grayce Uyehara, has raised $93,915, well exceeding its $72,000 goal. A $10,000 donation from a New York Chapter couple significantly boosted the fund-raising effort.
• JACL Ad Hoc Budget Analysis Committee Report, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The full text of the Budget Analysis Committee’s report details JACL’s financial crisis, including declining membership, depleted cash reserves, and budget overruns, and offers extensive recommendations for financial management reforms. It also proposes revisions to the 1995 budget, including reducing Pacific Citizen’s publication frequency and cutting salaries.
• Assemblyman Honored for Work to Have APs Counted in State Agency, by P.C. Staff, page 13. The Asian Pacific Planning Council honored California Assemblyman Louis Caldera for his leadership in passing AB 3335, which mandates the state to count Asian and Pacific Islanders as a distinct demographic group. Caldera received a Raku vase created by artist Eiko Amano in recognition of his work.

Community

• Seattle Chapter Donates PC Microfilms to Library, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Seattle Chapter, JACL, donated microfilms of Pacific Citizen volumes covering 1931-1993 to the Seattle Downtown Public Library to preserve access to the deteriorating bound volumes. The donation was funded by the Motoda Foundation and celebrated with a public ceremony in November.
• Personally Speaking, by P.C. Staff, page 9. This roundup column reports on notable Japanese Americans including Irene Hirano’s appointment to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, Barry Wong’s appointment to the Arizona House, and honors for Joe Oyama’s poetry and Carol Lin’s broadcasting career. It also profiles Seneca Valley High School quarterback Ryan Miyamoto and honors for Masaru and Helen Yamasaki.
• Documentary on Chinese Exclusion Act Wins National Award, by P.C. Staff, page 10. “Separate Lives, Broken Dreams,” a documentary on the 50th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, was named a 1993 national finalist by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Produced by KPIX Channel 5 and the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, it also won a CINE Golden Eagle award and an Emmy.
• Maryknoll-in-L.A. to Close School, by P.C. Staff, page 13. Maryknoll School in Little Tokyo, which began in 1921, announced it will close in June 1995 and revert to being a Japanese Catholic Center. Anthony Joji Taketa, a Maryknoll alumnus and attorney, made the announcement as parish council president.

Incarceration & Redress

• Sugihara Tribute Continued: Diplomat’s Legacy Recognized Worldwide, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The article details Chiune Sugihara’s wartime work issuing visas to Jewish refugees, his postwar dismissal from Japan’s foreign service, and his eventual recognition decades later after being tracked down by a grateful survivor. It also describes a 1994 visit by Nisei veterans and Holocaust Oral History Project director Eric Saul to Sugihara’s widow in Japan, and comparisons drawn between Sugihara and Oskar Schindler.

Commentary

• This Isn’t a Comic Comeback, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa reflects on the comic strip “Rex Morgan, M.D.” using a tuberculosis storyline to recall the disease’s devastating impact on Japanese American communities in the 1920s and 1930s. He notes many Nisei children died of TB due to crowded living conditions and poor diets, and discusses postwar TB cases among Japanese war brides.
• Seihin, by Jin Konomi, page 8. Konomi discusses the bestselling Japanese book “Seihin no Shiso” (Philosophy of Clean Poverty) and traces the historical evolution of the seihin concept from a lifestyle among intellectuals to a moral precept among masterless samurai. He connects the book’s popularity to contemporary Japanese disillusionment with wealth and political corruption, noting current Premier Murayama as an embodiment of seihin.
• Fiscal Responsibility Key to JACL’s Future, by Connie Chung, page 8. Chung argues in support of the JACL National Board’s decision to cut staff amid a financial crisis, emphasizing that fiscal responsibility must guide the organization regardless of generational differences. She credits President Denny Yasuhara’s courage in making difficult budget decisions despite opposition.
• The Tail and the Dog, by Karl Nobuyuki, page 9. Nobuyuki argues that vernacular press coverage of the JACL staff reduction controversy may represent an orchestrated campaign by national staff against the Board’s decision rather than genuine community concern. He contends the reporting was imbalanced and failed to highlight the Takahashi Report’s findings on JACL’s financial troubles.
• Very Truly Yours: Just Like in ’53, Nisei Concerned Over GOP-Dominated Congress, by Harry K. Honda, page 9. Honda draws parallels between the current Republican-controlled 105th Congress and the 83rd Congress of 1953, when JACL lobbied for evacuation claims legislation under a similarly GOP-dominated Congress. He recounts historical JACL relationships with key Republican leaders of that era including Nixon, Taft, and Knowland.
• It’s Broke—So Let’s Fix It, by Grayce Uyehara, page 10. Uyehara argues that JACL’s board needs to spend more time on oversight, priority-setting, and fund-raising rather than just addressing the budget crisis reactively. She criticizes the lack of communication with membership about the deficit and calls for President Yasuhara and the Budget Analysis Committee to receive full support in restoring JACL’s fiscal health.
• Seattle Chapter Supports President, National Board, by Calvin Y. Takagi, page 11. The Seattle Chapter voted unanimously to endorse the National Board’s spending control actions and support President Yasuhara, while recommending clearer delineation of budget oversight responsibilities. The chapter also suggested bringing in independent auditors to better determine JACL’s financial condition.
• Arizona Chapter Backs National Board, by Joe R. Allman, page 11. The JACL Arizona Chapter voted to support the National Board’s actions on staff restructuring and declined to support any additional open forum on the issue. Allman criticized vernacular press coverage as uncalled for and urged the National Board be allowed to function without further interference.
• Kajihara: Financial Remedies Must Be Sought, by Harry Kajihara, page 11. Former JACL National President Kajihara analyzes the organization’s growing revenue shortfalls from 1993 through a projected 1995 deficit, noting the reserve fund has been depleted. He commends the 1995 National Board for tackling the painful task of budget remediation and urges full member support.
• Cutting PC Frequency Not a Good Idea, by Floyd Shimomura, page 11. A past JACL National President argues that reducing Pacific Citizen from weekly to twice-monthly publication is a poor cost-saving measure since it yields only modest net savings while significantly reducing JACL’s visibility to members. He suggests alternative measures like raising subscription rates instead.
• On Being ‘Everything’ to ‘Everybody’, by Doc, page 11. A non-JACL-member subscriber criticizes the organization for expanding its advocacy to too many social issues beyond concerns specific to Japanese Americans, arguing this dilutes its mission and support base. The writer suggests JACL would garner more support by focusing narrowly on Japanese American heritage and rights.
• Questions About Long Term Care Health Plan, by Wanuke Koide, page 11. A HICAP volunteer counselor cautions JACL members against buying into a promoted Long Term Care insurance plan without independent research, noting concerns about out-of-state group policies and unnecessary Major Medical coverage. She recommends members use free HICAP counseling services instead.
• Grateful for JACL’s Stand on Same Sex Marriages, by Beth Rapes, page 11. An activist writer expresses gratitude for JACL’s resolution supporting same-sex marriage as a civil rights issue. She thanks the organization for its solidarity and calls its members allies.
• JACL Wrong on Illegal Immigration Initiative, by O. James Tsushima, page 11. The writer criticizes JACL’s opposition to Proposition 187, arguing that illegal immigrants who bypass legal procedures effectively steal opportunities from legal applicants. He compares the failure to distinguish legal from illegal immigrants to the WWII-era failure to distinguish Japanese Americans from Japanese nationals.
• Turned Off by Prop. 187 Supporters, page 11. A reader states that while Proposition 187 passed democratically, they were troubled by demonstrators against the measure waving Mexican flags. The writer compares this to how people might have reacted if redress supporters had waved the rising sun flag.
• Clearing the Air on ‘Hapa’ or ‘Happa’, by Stillwell Beekman, page 11. A reader corrects a previous Judge Marutani column, explaining that “hapa” is a Hawaiian term meaning “part,” not a Japanese term, and that “hapa-haole” identifies someone of mixed aboriginal Hawaiian and Caucasian ancestry.
• Mae Takahashi Responds to National Staff Report, by Mae Takahashi, page 13. Takahashi, chair of the JACL Budget Analysis Committee, responded to the National staff’s criticisms of her committee’s report, saying the figures came directly from staff-provided data that was inconsistent and untimely. She requested an amended report with updated, detailed financial data to help achieve a balanced budget.
• Book Not Funded by Legacy Fund, by Yoshiko Uchida (Yoshi Jani), page 13. A contributing writer to a reviewed book corrects an implication that the project received JACL Legacy Fund support, clarifying that all costs were personally funded by the 14 writers themselves. Any future royalties will go to University of Minnesota scholarships.
• Reader: Clancy Book Shouldn’t Be Published, by Washime Satta, page 13. A reader expresses surprise that no letters criticized Tom Clancy’s new novel “Debt of Honor” and states personal disapproval that the book was written at all.
• Come-On Sense: In an Effective Organization, the Tail Cannot Wag the Dog, by Karl Nobuyuki, page 16. Continuing his analysis, Nobuyuki argues that JACL’s Board must maintain authority over staff and that the increasing staff costs during 1992-93 coincided with California’s broader economic downturn without corresponding revenue growth. He contends vernacular press coverage was one-sided and that staff should remain professionally neutral rather than opposing Board decisions.
• Honda Continued: New Committee Leadership Changes Noted, by Harry K. Honda, page 16. Honda continues his historical account of 1953 Congressional committee leadership changes affecting JACL’s legislative interests, including judiciary and appropriations committees. He notes the importance of figures like Rep. Francis Walter and questions what redress-related challenges the 105th Congress may bring.

Military & Veterans

• California State Highway to Honor 100th/442nd/MIS, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Gov. Pete Wilson signed a resolution designating sections of California state highways to commemorate the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service. The article notes past objections by the Central California JACL District Council to nearby signage honoring Pearl Harbor Survivors due to anti-Nisei stereotypes.
• Tommy T. Takatori, Parma Community Leader, Dies at 73, by P.C. Staff, page 16. Tommy T. Takatori, a Parma, Idaho-born community leader, died Dec. 29 and is survived by wife Yoko, sons Ted and Sherman, and other family members. He was recognized as a longtime community leader in the Parma area.

Obituaries

• Dr. Gladys Ishida Stone, Sociologist, Dies at 71, by P.C. Staff, page 15. Dr. Gladys Ishida Stone, a Modesto-born sociologist who taught at University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and UW River Falls, died Dec. 20 in Minneapolis. She retired as professor emeritus in 1992 and is survived by brothers Calvin and Julius.
• George G. Shimamoto, Architect Who Designed Japan Pavilion, Dies at 89, by P.C. Staff, page 16. George G. Shimamoto, a retired architect who supervised construction of the Japan Pavilion at the 1939 San Francisco World’s Fair and later became a partner at The Gruzen Partnership in New York, died Nov. 4 in Ft. Lee, N.J. He designed Buddhist temples in California, was interned during WWII at Tanforan and Topaz, and was decorated by the Japanese government with the Order of the Rising Sun in 1975 and 1985.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.