MIS veterans reunion and the 1993 JACL scholarship winners

Vol. 117, No. 16, November 5, 1993. 12 pages. View this issue

Military Intelligence Service veterans met in Arlington, Va., and Caucasian MISLS graduates spoke openly about a caste system that gave commissions to most of them and only stripes to many Nisei. Harry K. Honda reported on the panel, with Allen Meyer, Faubion Bowers, Benjamin Hazard, George Totten and Ulrich Straus among the speakers. The front page also announced that JACL had awarded 51 scholarships totaling more than $85,000 from over 500 applicants, including two new awards. About half of this 12-page issue profiles the winners.

Elsewhere, Art Miki lost his bid for a seat in Canada’s House of Commons by 321 votes, and Rose Ochi was expected to be nominated to a federal drug policy post. The commentary pages carried letters and a column by Peggy S. Liggett on the removal of PC Board Chair Paul Shinkawa, plus Bill Hosokawa on The Joy Luck Club, Bill Marutani remembering Bill Kochiyama of the 442nd, and Mei Nakano on friendship.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

  • MIS Veterans Reunion Reveals Wartime Caste System, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. At the MIS Capital Reunion held Oct. 21-23 in Arlington, Va., Caucasian MISLS veterans publicly acknowledged for the first time the discriminatory caste system that gave commissions to hakujin graduates while denying promotions to Nisei soldiers. Panelists including Allen Meyer, Faubion Bowers, Benjamin Hazard, George Totten and Ulrich Straus shared personal accounts of their WWII service alongside Nisei linguists.
  • MIS Panel Continues: Hazard, Totten, Straus Share Wartime Experiences, by Harry K. Honda, page 12. Continuing coverage of the MIS reunion panel, veterans Benjamin Hazard, George Totten, and Ulrich Straus recounted their WWII service with Nisei linguist teams across Pacific campaigns including Okinawa, Mindanao, and postwar war crimes trials. All emphasized that Nisei soldiers deserved far more credit and recognition than they received during the war.

JACL

  • JACL Awards 51 Scholarships Totaling More Than $85,000, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 1993-94 JACL Scholarship program reviewed more than 500 applicants and awarded 51 scholarships including freshman, undergraduate, graduate, law and special awards. Two new scholarships were introduced this year: the Alice Yuriko Endo Award and the Yoshiko Tanaka Undergraduate Award.
  • Henry & Chiyo Kuwahara Memorial Scholarship Winners Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Yoshie Valadez, Susan S. Tsunoda, and Kerry A. Lowell were named winners of the Henry & Chiyo Kuwahara Memorial Scholarship for undergraduates. Each recipient’s academic achievements, campus activities, and career goals were profiled.
  • Sam Kuwahara Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Sarah Takasugi, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Sarah B. Takasugi of Temecula, Calif., was awarded the Sam Kuwahara Memorial Scholarship to attend UC Irvine. Takasugi credited her grandfather’s WWII internment experience as an inspiration for pursuing education in criminology, law and society.
  • Henry & Chiyo Kuwahara Memorial Scholarship Graduate Winners, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Lily Ayumi Miyauchi, James Kinji Ushiba, and Chris Makoto Tsuneishi were named graduate winners of the Henry & Chiyo Kuwahara Memorial Scholarship. All three are pursuing advanced degrees in business, medicine and orthopedic medicine respectively.
  • Minoru Yasui Memorial Scholarship Goes to Lon Kurashige, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Lon Yuki Kurashige of Culver City received the Minoru Yasui Memorial Scholarship while pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Kurashige helped found the university’s Asian American Studies Program and is researching Japanese American ethnicity and the Nisei Week Festival.
  • Dr. Kiyoshi Sonoda Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Todd Kimura, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Todd Shiju Kimura of San Francisco received the Dr. Kiyoshi Sonoda Memorial Scholarship to begin dental school at the University of the Pacific. Kimura has extensive community service experience and military healthcare background, including earning the Expert Field Medical Badge.
  • Saburo Kido Memorial Scholarship Winner Phillip Pepper, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Phillip Shinichi Pepper of Martinez, Calif., won the Saburo Kido Memorial Scholarship while studying Korea-Japan Relations at UC Berkeley. Pepper plans to spend his junior year in Japan researching minority issues there.
  • Thomas T. Yatabe Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Lynn Itagaki, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Lynn Mie Itagaki of Palos Verdes Estates received the Thomas T. Yatabe Memorial Scholarship as a Harvard-Radcliffe student. Itagaki was inspired by travel to East Asia to become a cultural liaison and remains active in Model United Nations and campus activities.
  • Kyutaro & Yasuo Abiko Memorial Scholarship Winner Julie Yamamoto, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Julie Eiko Yamamoto of Huntington Beach, a USC journalism student with a near-perfect GPA, received the Kyutaro & Yasuo Abiko Memorial Scholarship. She has interned with major newspapers and the Associated Press.
  • Nisaburo Aibara Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Naoki Nitta, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Naoki Nitta of Berkeley received the Nisaburo Aibara Memorial Scholarship while pursuing a master’s degree in architecture and city planning at UC Berkeley. Nitta hopes to contribute to sustainable development in South Pacific island nations.
  • Magoichi & Shizuko Kato Memorial Scholarship Goes to Susan Kawakami, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Susan Kawakami of Alhambra, who left a 17-year career as a medical technologist, received the Magoichi & Shizuko Kato Memorial Scholarship to study osteopathic medicine. She plans to practice family medicine in underserved areas.
  • Reverend H. John Yamashita Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Courtney Goto, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Courtney Teru Goto of Sacramento received the Reverend H. John Yamashita Memorial Scholarship to pursue religious studies at Harvard University. Goto expressed concern about the gradual loss of traditional culture in the Japanese American community.
  • Chiyoko & Thomas Tomotsu Shimazaki Memorial Scholarship Winner Elaine Tanaka, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Elaine Tanaka of Northridge received the Chiyoko & Thomas Tomotsu Shimazaki Memorial Scholarship as she entered UC Davis Medical School. Tanaka has volunteered over 200 hours at UCLA Medical Center and conducted independent genetics research.
  • Sho Sato Memorial Law Scholarship Awarded to Cynthia Ikeda, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Cynthia Yuko Ikeda of San Francisco received the Sho Sato Memorial Law Scholarship after studying Japanese Civil Procedure at Keio University. She will attend Yale Law School with a commitment to community service law.
  • Thomas T. Hayashi Memorial Law Scholarship Goes to Kenly Kato, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Kenly Kato of Culver City received the Thomas T. Hayashi Memorial Law Scholarship and will attend Harvard, Yale, or UC Berkeley law school. Kato helped organize a civil rights conference marking the 50th anniversary of Japanese American internment.
  • Creative Arts Award Presented to Yoshi Makino, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Yoshi Irene Makino, a graduate photography student at UC Irvine, received the Creative Arts Award for exploring her connections to Japan through photography. She plans an installation piece about her father’s childhood home in Japan.
  • Abe & Esther Hagiwara Student Aid Awarded to Candis Tateyama, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Candis Emi Tateyama, a civil engineering student from Pukalani, Hawaii, received the Abe & Esther Hagiwara Student Aid award. She has a strong record of volunteer work including swimming programs for children with asthma.
  • Aiko Susanna Tashiro Hiratsuka Memorial Scholarship Winner Grace Ohgi, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Grace Emiko Ohgi, a Mercer Island High School senior and accomplished violinist, received the Aiko Susanna Tashiro Hiratsuka Memorial Scholarship. She regularly performs violin at the Keiro Nursing Home and is active in community volunteer work.
  • James Michener Scholarship Awarded to Rivano Andiko, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Rivano Andiko of Santa Clarita, an accomplished accordion player and engineering student, received the James Michener Scholarship. He plans to pursue civil engineering at the University of Hawaii and wants to help build facilities for the poor in developing nations.
  • Sumitomo Bank Scholarships Awarded to Murai and Navarro, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Natsuko Murai of Fountain Valley received the undergraduate Sumitomo Bank of California Scholarship to study accounting at UC Berkeley. Sylvia Kasumi Navarro of Torrance received the graduate scholarship to pursue international finance at American University.
  • Union Bank Scholarships Awarded to Race and Nakahata, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Frederick Allan Race received the undergraduate Union Bank of California Scholarship to pursue international relations studies at the Monterey Institute. Andrew S. Nakahata received the graduate scholarship to attend Yale’s School of Organization and Management.
  • Masao and Sumako Itano Scholarship Winners Named, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Cynthia Misa Inaba of San Francisco and Amy Ann Kimura of Phoenix were named winners of the Masao and Sumako Itano Scholarship. Both students have distinguished academic records and extensive extracurricular involvement.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Takashi Moriuchi Scholarship Winners Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 6. YanTien Wong of Hastings-on-Hudson and Reiko Michele Hirai of Sitka, Alaska, received the Mr. and Mrs. Takashi Moriuchi Scholarship. Both students are active in music, sports, and community service organizations.
  • Kenji Kasai Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Kana Osaki, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Kana Christina Osaki of Birmingham, Mich., with an astonishing 4.4 GPA, received the Kenji Kasai Memorial Scholarship to attend Cornell University. She is a National Merit finalist and hopes to bridge cultural understanding through her bicultural background.
  • South Park Japanese Community Scholarship Goes to Juneko Jackson, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Juneko Jackson of Kahuku, Hawaii, an aspiring engineer ranked number one in her class, received the South Park Japanese Community Scholarship to attend Cornell University. She has an extensive record of academic awards and community service activities.
  • Majiu Uyesugi Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Janie Mori, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Janie Michiko Mori, ranked number one in her graduating class, received the Majiu Uyesugi Memorial Scholarship to attend Washington State University. She plans to study biology and apply to veterinary school.
  • Gongoro Nakamura Memorial Scholarship Winner Brian Hirakawa, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Brian James Hirakawa of Chula Vista received the Gongoro Nakamura Memorial Scholarship to study design and structural engineering at UC San Diego. He maintains a 4.3 GPA and is active in soccer, volleyball, and music.
  • Mitsuyuki Yonemura Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Kirk Akahoshi, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Kirk Eiji Akahoshi of Saratoga received the Mitsuyuki Yonemura Memorial Scholarship to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. An Eagle Scout and multi-sport athlete, he plans to pursue psychology.
  • Sam Kuwahara Memorial Scholarship Winner Kristen Kajioka, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Kristen Kajioka of Turlock received the Sam Kuwahara Memorial Scholarship to attend UC San Diego, planning a career in food science or agri-business. She was a standout softball player and active in numerous school clubs.
  • Sumitomo Bank Scholarship Awarded to Keith Nakaue, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Keith Satoru Nakaue of Fountain Valley received a Sumitomo Bank of California Scholarship to attend Boston University. An active water polo and swimming athlete, he hopes to work in an international corporation.
  • Union Bank Scholarship Goes to Alexander Nakaba, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Alexander T. Nakaba of Camarillo received a $1,000 Union Bank Scholarship to attend UC Irvine. A black belt in karate and founder of his school’s Asian American Club, he hopes to reduce cultural misunderstandings through international business.
  • Henry and Chiyo Kuwahara Memorial Scholarship Winners Shiozawa and Yamamoto, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Leslie A. Shiozawa of Pocatello, Idaho, ranked number one in her class, and Andrew Yamamoto of Monterey Park both received Henry and Chiyo Kuwahara Memorial Scholarships. Shiozawa will attend Stanford while Yamamoto attends UCLA planning to become a pediatrician.
  • Amy Endo Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Andrea Maoki, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Andrea Akemi Maoki of Richmond, ranked number one in her graduating class, received the Amy Endo Memorial Scholarship to attend Brown University. She plans to study anthropology, history, and psychology.

National

  • Art Miki Loses Ottawa Election Bid, by Harry Taba, page 1. Art Miki, former president of the National Association of Japanese Canadians, lost his bid for a seat in Canada’s House of Commons by a slim 321 votes despite his Liberal Party winning a majority. Miki had spearheaded the successful 1988 redress negotiations with the Canadian government for WWII incarceration.
  • Rose Ochi Nominated to Government Job, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Clinton is expected to nominate Rose Matsui Ochi as associate director of the Bureau of State and Local Affairs in the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Ochi, a former Los Angeles Criminal Justice Planning Office director and JACL officer, would become one of the highest-ranking Japanese Americans in the administration.
  • OCA Calls for Follow-up on Crimes Against Asian Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Organization of Chinese Americans expressed alarm over the shooting of a Korean grocery clerk in Washington, D.C., calling it part of a growing pattern of violence against Asian Americans. OCA leaders criticized inadequate police and media follow-up on such crimes.
  • Yamashita Appears on ’60 Minutes’ Show, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Bruce Yamashita, a Honolulu attorney and former Marine Corps officer candidate, was featured on CBS’s ’60 Minutes’ discussing racial discrimination in the Marine Corps. Yamashita was disenrolled from Officer Candidate School in 1989 and continues to fight for reinstatement with appropriate service credit.
  • Ochi Nomination Praised by JACL Leaders, by P.C. Staff, page 10. JACL National Director Randy Senzaki and Washington Representative Karen Narasaki praised President Clinton’s expected nomination of Rose Ochi, citing her extensive experience and commitment to public service. Ochi previously served on Clinton’s Presidential Transition Team.
  • Yamashita Pursues Case With Congressional Support, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Bruce Yamashita is now in Washington D.C. pursuing his discrimination case with assistance from JACL, the Hawaii Congressional Delegation, and other members of Congress. He hopes to meet with Department of Defense officials to secure his commission as a Marine Corps officer with retroactive service credit.
  • OCA Director Cites Poor Police Follow-up on Asian American Crimes, by P.C. Staff, page 10. OCA Executive Director Daphne Kwok attributed criminal boldness partly to poor police and media follow-up on crimes against Asian Americans. OCA President Ginny Gong warned that cursory investigations send a message that such crimes go unpunished.

Community

  • Scholarship Program Message From Committee Chairs, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Joyce Higashida and Joy St. Germaine, chairs of the JACL scholarship committees, praised the outstanding pool of applicants and congratulated the 1993 scholarship recipients. Both encouraged awardees to continue their involvement in the Japanese American community as future leaders.

Commentary

  • A Better Asian American Film to Talk About, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa contrasts the poorly-received film ‘Rising Sun’ with the moving and sensitive ‘The Joy Luck Club,’ praising Amy Tan’s novel-based film for its authentic portrayal of Chinese American women’s lives. He argues Hollywood should learn from Tan’s genuine storytelling rather than relying on sex and violence formulas.
  • The Column That Wasn’t, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Marutani reflects on the memorial service for Bill Kochiyama, a 442nd veteran and community activist, describing the diverse crowd that gathered and tributes from his wife Mary Kochiyama. He recounts Kochiyama’s wartime service with Company K and his lifelong commitment to civil rights causes.
  • Raising Complaints About National Staff, by Immediate Past National 1000 Club Chairman, page 8. A letter writer from Chicago criticizes the JACL National staff for their treatment of PC Board Chairman Paul Shinkawa and cites similar complaints from other chapters about staff conduct. The writer calls for better staff training rather than resignations.
  • Attack on Free Press Is an Embarrassment, page 8. A letter writer condemns any pressure on the Pacific Citizen to bow to advertisers or those in power as a betrayal of press freedom. The writer invokes the First Amendment and the historical failure of the 1798 Sedition Act to argue against media censorship.
  • Berkeley Chapter Applauds PC for Stand, Corrects Vets Story, by Michi Robie, page 8. A letter writer commends the Pacific Citizen for maintaining editorial integrity amid conflict with JACL leadership. She also corrects an omission noting that veteran Yaye Togasaki Breitenbach served as Chief Nurse of the 320th USAR General Hospital and retired as major.
  • Let the Truth Be Known, by Peggy S. Liggett, page 9. Liggett, a PC Board member, disputes National President Lillian Kimura’s account of the removal of PC Board Chair Paul Shinkawa, detailing board meeting minutes and legal opinions that she says show the removal violated JACL’s constitution protecting editorial independence. She defends PC’s coverage of the Jap Road story and the Rising Sun film controversy as legitimate journalism rather than policy violations.
  • Friendship: A Matter of Time, by Mei Nakano, page 9. Nakano explores what constitutes a ‘real friend’ through interviews with people of various backgrounds, finding loyalty, trust, and comfort as common themes. She reflects on how Nisei build friendships through reciprocal acts and cautions against friendships that slide into ethnocentrism.
  • JACL and the Asian-American Community, by Karl Nobuyuki, page 9. Former JACL national director Karl Nobuyuki argues that while JACL should support Asian American issues, it should not attempt to be the spokesperson for the diverse and complex Asian American community. He illustrates the complexity with an example of separate Filipino American employee associations in Los Angeles County government.
  • Liggett Continues Critique of JACL Leadership, by Peggy S. Liggett, page 10. Liggett continues her detailed account of the National Board meeting, describing what she calls a ‘lynch mentality’ against PC Board Chair Shinkawa and criticizing President Kimura’s leadership failures, including absence from a Sacramento firebombing crisis meeting and costly participation in a Washington D.C. march. She calls for Kimura and the National Board to reinstate Shinkawa or resign.

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.

More from Issue archive