Civil rights work, health care reform and a San Jose sculpture

Vol. 118, No. 14, April 15, 1994. 12 pages. View this issue

Civil rights work ran through the April 15, 1994 issue. Karen Narasaki, JACL’s Washington, D.C. representative, told the Detroit Chapter’s installation dinner that the work is often unpopular and never finished, and she recalled meeting Lillian Chin, mother of Vincent Chin. JACL also released a task force report on health care reform, chaired by Dr. Toaru Ishiyama. In San Jose, Ruth Asawa’s bronze sculpture on the history of the World War II incarceration (often called internment) was dedicated, with Rep. Norman Mineta and Fred Korematsu among those present.

Also inside: Bill Hosokawa on JACL and same-sex marriage, Bill Marutani on the nomination of Denny Chin to the federal bench, and John Nakahata defending Narasaki. Registration opened for the national convention in Salt Lake City, and chapters across the country reported new officers. Harry K. Honda wrote about the search for Japan Friendship Dolls and a roundup of new books.

What’s in this issue

National

  • JACL Washington Representative Discusses Nature of Civil Rights Work With Detroit Chapter, by Special to the Pacific Citizen, page 1. Karen Narasaki, JACL Washington, D.C. representative, spoke at the Detroit Chapter’s 48th annual installation dinner about the ongoing and often unpopular nature of civil rights work. She recounted meeting Lillian Chin, mother of Vincent Chin, and discussed continuing threats to Japanese and Asian American communities.
  • Students Protest McDonald’s in Germany, page 1. West Lafayette, Ind. high school students protested McDonald’s German ads for Shanghai Chicken that used stereotypical Chinese imagery. JACL Midwest regional director Bill Yoshino also wrote to McDonald’s CEO Edward Rensi to join the protest.
  • ‘Japanese Houses’ Part of Test Site, page 4. Archeologists want remnants of a mock Japanese village built in 1962 at the Nevada Test Site considered for the National Register of Historic Places. The structures were used to assess nuclear bomb effects during 1962-66 testing.
  • Wisconsin: Anti-Asian Voters Oust Educators, page 4. Five Wausau, Wis. school board members who approved busing Asian students into mostly white schools were ousted in a recall election. About 16% of the district’s students are children of Hmong refugees from Laos.
  • New York: Issei Naturalized at Age 94, page 4. Taka Ayabe of New York City became a U.S. citizen at age 94, the oldest of 117 people naturalized in a March 11 ceremony. She came to the U.S. in 1919 and was assisted in her citizenship application by the Japanese American Social Services, Inc.
  • New England: Protesting Rhode Island’s ‘VJ Day’, page 4. Rhode Island’s ‘V-J Day’ holiday has been linked to anti-Asian incidents including vandalism and harassment. New England JACL Chapter president A. Glenn Ikuma supported a bill to rename the holiday ‘Rhode Island Veterans Day,’ which Gov. Bruce Sundlun promised to sign.
  • JACL Opposing Maryland English-Only Measure, page 4. JACL denounced Maryland House Bill 982, which would discriminate against citizens with limited English proficiency. JACL Washington representative Karen Narasaki called for funding programs to enhance English literacy such as bilingual education instead.
  • Health Care Issues: JACL Report, Recommendations, page 6. The full JACL Task Force report outlines principles for health care reform including universal access, comprehensive benefits, and anti-discrimination measures for Asian Pacific Americans. The report recommends JACL pursue education campaigns, coalition building, and continued monitoring of health care legislation.
  • Moving Up: Minorities Gain Seats in Fortune 1,000, page 6. Asian Americans improved their representation on Fortune 1,000 company boards in 1993, rising from under 10 to 37 seats according to Directorship newsletter. African Americans held the largest share of minority board seats at 266.
  • In a Pickle: Kyoto Tsukemono, page 6. A new probiotic called Labre, discovered from Kyoto’s suguki pickle by Dr. Tsunataro Kishida, was introduced in the United States at a Natural Products Expo West seminar. It was introduced in Japan last year as a digestive health aid.
  • Detroit Chapter Continued: Narasaki Calls for Action, page 11. Narasaki discussed the pending Civil Liberties Public Education Fund appropriation and urged Japanese Americans to write letters supporting the Justice for Wards Cove Workers Act. Dinner attendees participated in a letter-writing campaign organized by Detroit Chapter board member Valerie Yoshimura.

JACL

  • Detroit Members Honored, page 1. The Detroit Chapter recognized Julie Sasaki as the 1993 Outstanding JACLer of the Year for boosting chapter membership and visibility. Yukiko Osaki received a Certificate of Appreciation for coalition work between Detroit’s Japanese American and Japanese foreign national communities.
  • JACL Presents Report, Recommendations on Health Care Issues, by Dr. Toaru Ishiyama, page 1. JACL National President Lillian Kimura created an Ad Hoc Task Force on Health Care Issues to evaluate health care reform proposals amid the Clinton administration’s push for reform. The task force, chaired by Dr. Toaru Ishiyama, met in San Francisco and developed recommendations for review by the membership before a final report to the National Board.
  • Convention Reminders, page 1. Registration is open for the 33rd Biennial National JACL Convention set for Aug. 3-6 in Salt Lake City, featuring workshops, youth activities, and social events. A University of Utah alumni reunion precedes the convention July 31-Aug. 2.
  • Chapter President Profile: Ross Harano, by Harry K. Honda, page 11. Ross Harano, 1994 Chicago JACL chapter president and national chair of the JACL U.S.-Japan relations committee, has a decades-long history with JACL leadership dating back to 1961. His immediate chapter objectives include improving communications with membership and expanding chapter leadership to newer members.

Sports

  • Tennis Tourney Scheduled Aug. 3, page 1. A tennis tournament for all skill levels will be held Aug. 3 during the JACL National Convention in Salt Lake City at Liberty Park’s municipal courts. The event includes doubles play for men, women, and mixed teams with a $10 entry fee.

Community

  • Women’s Concerns Committee Schedules May 7 Conference, page 3. The NCWNP JACL Women’s Concerns Committee will hold a conference titled ‘Taking Charge: Making a Difference’ on May 7 in San Francisco, focusing on assertiveness and communication. Keynote speaker Marlene Shigekawa and other facilitators will lead workshops on cross-cultural communication, health care, and gender communication issues.
  • New Santa Barbara Officers, page 5. The Santa Barbara Chapter, JACL, installed its 1994 officers including Mike Hide as president, John Suzuki as vice president, and other board members. The installation ceremony was held Feb. 26 at the Montecito Country Club by past national president Harry Kajihara.
  • Puyallup in ’94, page 5. New officers were installed for a chapter including Garry Fujita as president. H. Del Tanabe received the JACL sapphire pin for his years of service.
  • Omaha Lineup, page 5. New officers for 1994 were installed including Russell Konami re-elected. Mountain Plains district governor Sharon Ishii-Jordan welcomed Omaha city councilman Gordon Gach at the district council meeting.
  • Four Honored as Women of the Year, page 6. The Downtown L.A. Chapter, JACL, and Nanka Nikkei Fujin-kai honored four Japanese American women at their annual Women of the Year luncheon: Meriko Mori, Mitsuko Sankey, Junko Okinaka Shunyo, and Kimiko Wakabayashi. Each has contributed extensively to community organizations and cultural programs.
  • Norwalk Nikkei Community Center Ready to Rebuild, page 6. The Norwalk Japanese School, vandalized twice last year, will be torn down to build a 9,550 square-foot annex to the Norwalk Nikkei Community Center. The $600,000 project has raised $242,000 so far with a $300,000 Union Bank loan.
  • Personal Speaking, page 7. A roundup column covers achievements of Japanese Americans nationwide including poets Joe Oyama, Garrett Hongo, and Lois-Ann Yamanaka; educators; and honorees in politics, sports, medicine, business, film, and science. Notable mentions include Karen Narasaki’s NOW honor, Sadaharu Oh’s Hall of Fame election, and Jean Ushijima’s retirement as Beverly Hills city clerk.
  • Community Service Basis for APAN JACL Scholarship, page 10. JACL’s Asian Pacific American Network chapter is accepting scholarship applications until May 27 from Asian Pacific American college-bound high school seniors. The award, according to chair Kathleen Agbayani, is based on community commitment.

Incarceration & Redress

  • San Jose Dedicates Internment Sculpture, by Harry K. Honda, page 3. A bronze bas-relief sculpture by Ruth Asawa depicting the history of Japanese American internment was dedicated in San Jose’s Federal Building Plaza on March 3. The murals depict scenes from Executive Order 9066 signing to redress, and were funded by the city and the local Japanese American community.
  • San Jose Dedicates Internment Sculpture (continued), by Harry K. Honda, page 11. Continuation of the San Jose sculpture story details Ruth Asawa’s personal connection to internment, having been evacuated to Santa Anita and Rohwer as a teenager. Over 200 people including Rep. Norman Mineta and Fred Korematsu attended the unveiling ceremony.

Arts & Entertainment

  • N.Y. Library Cites Nisei Texan’s Book, page 4. Frank Fujita of Abilene, Texas, a WWII Nisei POW in Japan, was honored by the New York Public Library for his book ‘Foo: A Japanese American Prisoner of the Rising Sun.’ The book was chosen as one of 25 titles on the library’s annual Books to Remember list.

Military & Veterans

  • Other Sites Studied by GFB NVA for Memorial, page 4. The Go For Broke National Veterans Association is reviewing alternative Washington, D.C. sites for a national memorial honoring Japanese American WWII veterans after opposition arose to its preferred site near the U.S. Capitol. Architect Bevis Buckley identified three possible alternative locations for consideration.
  • 100th/442nd Vets Plan Gala 50th in France, Italy, page 4. 442nd veteran Rudy Tokiwa is organizing a ‘Viva la Europa’ tour to France and Italy this October for the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Bruyeres and Biffontaine. The trip will include spouses, children, and grandchildren of surviving veterans.
  • MIS Leaders, page 5. The Military Intelligence Service Club of Southern California installed its 1994 board members including James Mita as president. Deputy Japanese Consul General Makoto Iio spoke on Japan’s peace-keeping missions and Philippine Defense Medals were distributed to MIS veterans.

Commentary

  • Roads Taken and Not Taken, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa examines JACL’s endorsement of same-sex marriage by the Pacific Southwest District Council, questioning whether this is an appropriate civil rights matter for the organization given its founding purpose. He contrasts this with the Mountain Plains District Council’s decision not to take a position, raising broader questions about which issues JACL should engage with.
  • May It Please the Court, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Marutani celebrates the nomination of Denny Chin as the first Asian American to a federal district court seat outside the Pacific basin states, while noting the paucity of Asian American women in the federal judiciary. He critiques opposition to diversity quotas in judicial appointments as illogical and reflective of bias.
  • Praise for JACL-OCA Leadership Conference, page 8. A letter writer thanks the NCWNP District and Sonoma County Chapter for sponsoring their participation in the 1994 Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. The writer highlights lessons learned about coalition building, legislative advocacy, and the importance of maintaining JACL’s organizational credibility.
  • Too Many Deals Were His Downfall, by Steven C. Clemons, page 9. Clemons analyzes the political downfall of Japanese Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa, revealing how Hosokawa’s reformist image was undermined by his own history of political favor-trading. The piece argues Hosokawa’s corruption reflects systemic issues within Japan’s postwar political system rather than an isolated scandal.
  • Yonsei Youth Responds to Racist Spitter, by Corey Takahashi, page 9. High school senior Corey Takahashi recounts being racially harassed and spat on by a classmate who yelled Vietnam-related slurs at him. He reflects on the broader pattern of racism faced by Asian Americans and calls for greater understanding and tolerance in America.
  • In Defense of the JACL’s D.C. Rep, by John Nakahata, page 9. Nakahata defends JACL Washington representative Karen Narasaki against criticism from the Mountain Plains District Council, arguing her position statements are consistent with JACL policy guidelines. He credits her work with maintaining JACL’s prominent role in national civil rights coalitions.
  • Sacramento Chapter Criticizes Ad in PC, by Sacramento Chapter Board of Directors, Officers, page 12. The Sacramento Chapter, JACL, criticizes the Pacific Citizen for publishing a personal advertisement seeking a Japanese female partner, calling it inappropriate for the publication. The letter argues the ad undermines JACL’s efforts to combat negative stereotypes of Asian women and requests the paper’s advertising policies.

In-Depth

  • Search for Japan Friendship Dolls, by Harry K. Honda, page 10. Freelance writer Seiji Horita is searching for two Japanese Friendship Dolls, Miss Chiba and Miss Fusa, given to Frank Miller of the Riverside Mission Inn in 1928. The dolls were part of a historic 1927 doll exchange between American and Japanese children, most of which were destroyed during WWII anti-American hysteria.
  • On the Bookshelf, by Harry K. Honda, page 10. A roundup of recent book releases covers Japanese American history topics including Frank and Joanne Iritani’s guide to WWII camps, an oral history of Hood River Issei, Seiichi Higashide’s memoir of Peruvian Japanese internment, and Yon Shimizu’s history of Japanese Canadian road camps. Also reviewed are three University of Hawaii Press titles on Japanese literature.

Obituaries

  • K. Victor Tsubota Death Notice, page 12. K. Victor Tsubota, 78, passed away leaving behind his wife Tomeko Ruth and sons Kenneth Masaru and Alan Richard. Funeral services were held April 7 at Fukui Mortuary.
  • Eiichi Yoshida Obituary, page 12. Eiichi Yoshida, 71, of Hayward, was a floral industry pioneer in mass marketing and retired president of Sunnyside Nurseries. He was active with numerous community organizations including the Japanese American National Museum and Oakland Buddhist Temple, and memorial tributes were directed to the Eiichi Yoshida Endowment Fund.

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