Vol. 118, No. 10, March 18, 1994. 8 pages. View this issue
Paul Igasaki, executive director of the Asian Law Caucus and a former JACL Washington representative, was the lead story. President Clinton planned to name him vice chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and JACL leaders including Randy Senzaki and Karen Narasaki praised the choice. Also on the front page, the Mt. Olympus Chapter announced the 1994 JACL national convention for Aug. 2-8 in Salt Lake City, with a Topaz pilgrimage on the program.
The commentary page carried Bill Marutani’s second part on leaving Tule Lake to attend college, and Bill Hosokawa’s review of two books on Japanese American identity. Lillian C. Kimura shared a speech on fair housing, and several readers wrote about disputes between JACL leaders and the paper. Page 5 gathers community news, including the JACL Legacy Fund’s 1993 returns.
What’s in this issue
National
- Paul Igasaki Named EEOC Vice Chair, Awaits Confirmation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Clinton announced plans to name Paul Igasaki, executive director of the Asian Law Caucus and former JACL Washington representative, as vice chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. JACL leaders including Randy Senzaki and Karen Narasaki praised the selection, citing Igasaki’s civil rights experience and ability to build coalitions.
- Hasegawa Takes on Civil Rights Post in Connecticut, by P.C. Staff, page 5. California-born Jack Hasegawa, formerly director of Dwight Hall at Yale University, was hired by the Connecticut Department of Education as the sole employee tasked with implementing a statewide school integration plan. The law requires local boards to propose regional plans addressing racial imbalance between urban and suburban districts.
Obituaries
- Civil Rights Leader, JACL Pioneer Die, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Walter H. Judd, a Minnesota congressman and prewar medical missionary known for his civil rights work supporting immigration and naturalization equality, died of cancer at age 95 in Mitchellville, Md. Mary Yatabe, a pioneer of JACL and widow of founder Dr. Tom Yatabe, also died recently, marking the end of an era for the organization’s founders.
JACL
- 1994 JACL National Convention Set for Salt Lake City, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Mt. Olympus Chapter JACL announced that the 1994 national convention will be held Aug. 2-8 at the Marriott Hotel in Salt Lake City, featuring workshops, a Topaz pilgrimage, golf and tennis tournaments, and various social events. The article details registration information, hotel reservations, and a timeline of deadlines for nominations, resolutions, and credentials leading up to the convention.
- JACL-OCA Co-Sponsor Leadership Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL and the Organization of Chinese Americans jointly held a leadership conference in Arlington, Va., from Feb. 27 to March 2 for 28 participants briefed by civil rights leaders and policymakers. Attendees met with Asian American members of Congress and participated in workshops on media relations and responding to hate crimes.
- Sakaguchi Named to United Way Allocation Board, by P.C. Staff, page 5. George Sakaguchi of the St. Louis Chapter JACL was selected to serve on the St. Louis United Way Allocation Board and is the first Asian American to serve on the board of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. He has also served on Red Cross committees and was elected first vice president of the Metro St. Louis Senior Golf Association.
- Legacy Fund Outperforms Major Market Indices in ’93, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The JACL Legacy Fund Investment Committee announced that the fund, managed by Nakagama and Wallace of New York, outperformed major market indices in 1993 with a total return of +10.75%. Committee chairwoman Beth Renge praised the performance given the fund’s conservative investment guidelines.
Commentary
- Fair Housing From Our Perspective, by Lillian C. Kimura, page 3. JACL National President Lillian Kimura shares a speech by Gen Fujioka of the Asian Law Caucus delivered at a HUD-sponsored Fair Housing Summit, addressing language access, security against violence, and community-building strategies for Asian Pacific Americans. The speech recounts the harrowing experience of the Truong family, Vietnamese refugees who faced violent harassment after moving into public housing, and argues for cross-racial community building over competition.
- More Books on Who We Are, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Bill Hosokawa reviews two scholarly books on Japanese American psychology and identity: Dr. Laura Uba’s ‘Asian Americans: Personality Patterns, Identity and Mental Health’ and Dr. Harry Kitano’s ‘Generations and Identity: The Japanese American.’ He discusses findings on Asian American parenting styles, emotional expression, and the diversity within the Japanese American experience.
- Student Relocation: Part II, by Bill Marutani, page 6. Bill Marutani continues his recollection of leaving Tule Lake concentration camp to attend Dakota Wesleyan University, describing a summer job search via freight train to Chicago and a tense encounter seeking permission to visit his parents still confined at Tule Lake. He also recounts sneaking into and out of the Puyallup ‘Camp Harmony’ assembly center to visit friends before his own family’s internment began.
- Reader’s Views on Hyphenated Americans, by Vhe Hatchimenji, page 6. A West Valley Chapter JACL president responds to a Dr. Boorstin article, arguing that hyphenated Americans are a political and cultural response to discrimination rather than disloyalty. The letter urges JACL to focus on education and coalition-building to show Americans come in many forms while sharing common struggles.
- Let’s Resolve Conflict, Move On to Important Matters, page 6. A longtime JACL member expresses concern over public disputes between the National Board and the Pacific Citizen, urging both sides to focus instead on finance, membership, and pressing issues like immigration and hate crimes. The letter also praises Mei Nakano’s columns and criticizes a previous letter writer’s dismissal of the term ‘Japanese American.’
- Time for Reconciliation, page 6. A letter writer calls on JACL leadership to reconcile with Jimmie Omura, former editor who supported Heart Mountain draft resisters during WWII and was honored with the National Coalition for Redress/Reparation Fighting Spirit Award. The writer argues JACL should apologize to Omura and the resisters for past treatment, citing a convention resolution recognizing resisters as an example of progress already made.
- PC Is Not ‘Conspiring to Subvert’ JACL, page 6. A letter writer defends the Pacific Citizen against accusations of bias, arguing that reporting on a JACL reception with Randy Senzaki and comments by Ron Wakabe were taken out of context by other critics. The writer expresses frustration with internal JACL disputes being aired publicly and requests cancellation of their subscription in protest.
Military & Veterans
- Names in the Military, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Air Force Major Wayne Y. Koide discussed the USAF Academy’s minority enrollment program focused on qualified candidates rather than quotas. Takeshi ‘Tug’ Hanami of Caldwell, Idaho, a Nisei veteran, was appointed to the VFW national hospital committee by the VFW national commander.
Community
- Business Bytes and Briefs, by P.C. Staff, page 5. American Honda sponsored holiday meals for nearly 1,200 homeless people at two Torrance hotels, an event conceived by Willie Tokishi after learning of a theft from a Salvation Army warehouse. The briefs also cover Digital Microwave CEO Michael Michigami’s turnaround of his company’s stock, and promotions for Ross Kawamoto and Yumi Sera.
- Service Club Leaders, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Dr. Larry Tsutsui of Fresno was named president of the East Fresno Kiwanis Club with a focus on children’s priorities. Echo Goto, a longtime community activist, won a $10,000 Alhambra Rotary Club charity prize and has led efforts including the naming of the Goto Place at Kedren Community Health Center.
- Tomio Moriguchi Honored by Washington House, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Washington state House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution honoring Seattle business and community leader Tomio Moriguchi for his civic and political involvement, including testimony during Japanese American redress hearings. Moriguchi, CEO of Uwajimaya, was also recently appointed to the board of the Seattle Branch Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
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