Vol. 118, No. 5, February 11, 1994. 8 pages. View this issue
The Pacific Citizen’s own future was the main story. Members of the Pacific Southwest District Council unanimously approved 10 recommendations on how the newspaper should operate, to be sent to the Ad Hoc Committee reviewing its role within JACL. Richard Suenaga reported the vote. Bill Hosokawa wrote about JACL membership and finances, and Karl K. Nobuyuki described the special meeting.
The National Youth Council Conference in San Francisco filled much of the issue. Bruce Yamashita spoke about his discrimination case against the Marine Corps, and panels covered hate crimes, Asian Americans in film and AIDS. Randy Imai described the firebombing of the Sacramento Chapter office. Also inside: Dr. Mitsuo Miura on Executive Order 9066, a permit notice for visiting the Gila River site, plans for the 33rd national convention in Salt Lake City, and Mark Takano’s run for Congress.
What’s in this issue
National
- PSW District Council Approves 10 Recommendations on Pacific Citizen Operations, by Richard Suenaga, page 1. Members of the Pacific Southwest District Council unanimously approved 10 recommendations to serve as policies and guidelines for Pacific Citizen operations, to be sent to the Ad Hoc Committee reviewing the newspaper’s role within JACL. The measures were developed by PSW’s own Ad Hoc Committee formed after conflict over PC’s role dominated a September 1993 National Board meeting.
- Takano Runs for Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mark Takano, a public school teacher and Riverside Community College trustee, announced his candidacy for U.S. Representative for the 43rd Congressional District. Takano previously lost narrowly to Republican Ken Calvert in 1992 after absentee ballots reversed his initial lead.
- An Insensitive Exhibit?, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Preparations are underway to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Japan’s WWII defeat in 1995, with U.S. military historians sent to Tokyo to discuss sensitivities with Japanese historians. A point of contention is the National Air and Space Museum’s plan to unveil the restored Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
JACL
- Youth Conference Draws 180 to San Francisco, Hears Bruce Yamashita, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. Bruce Yamashita spoke at the National Youth Council Conference about his victory in his racial discrimination case against the Marine Corps, declaring ‘David has slain Goliath.’ The event was briefly disrupted by a retired Marine colonel who demanded to see Yamashita after reading about the case in the newspaper.
- ’94 Convention: A Time for Oldtimers, by Shake Ushio, page 7. Special activities honoring JACL oldtimers are planned for the 33rd Biennial National JACL Convention in Salt Lake City, including a luncheon tribute to the late Mike Masaoka funded by the JACL Legacy Fund. The event will also feature reminiscing sessions emceed by Dr. Frank Sakamoto and access to attractions like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the film ‘Legacy.’
Community
- Hate Crimes Hit Home for Sacramento Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Randy Imai, president of the Sacramento Chapter JACL, spoke at a workshop on hate crimes about the firebombing that destroyed the chapter office, saying no one can be fully prepared for such an attack. He credited prior networking with other civil rights groups for providing support during the crisis.
- Panelists Discuss Racial Tensions and Hate Crimes at Youth Conference, page 3. Panelists including Lt. Richard Shiraishi of the Sacramento Police Department and Doreena Wong of the Asian Law Caucus discussed the Sacramento JACL firebombing investigation and the importance of reporting hate crimes. Helen Zia emphasized that individuals, not organizations, are the first line of defense against hate crime.
- Florin Japanese School May Become Town Museum, by Bill Kashiwagi, page 4. Negotiations are underway to convert the prewar segregated Florin School for Japanese into the Florin Town Museum, led by the Southgate Recreation and Parks District. The site would house agricultural relics and preserve the area’s Japanese American history as development threatens to erase it.
- Labor of Love: Volunteers Plant Cherry Trees at Stoner Park, page 4. Volunteers helped plant one of 97 donated cherry trees at West Los Angeles’ Stoner Park as part of a civic beautification project involving the Bay Cities Gardeners Federation and West Los Angeles JACL Chapter. The project honors a Japanese garden originally presented by the Sawtelle Japanese community in 1931.
Arts & Entertainment
- Asian Americans in Film: On Screen but Still Not in Power, page 3. Panelists at a JACL youth conference workshop on media portrayals discussed how Asian Americans still have little power or representation in Hollywood, citing statistics that only two of 419 mainstream films last year were about Asians. Panelists debated the merits and shortcomings of films like Rising Sun and Joy Luck Club, and the lack of Asian Americans in key production roles.
Military & Veterans
- Yamashita Urges Young Activists Not to Fear Taking a Stand, page 3. Bruce Yamashita described his initial uncertainty about fighting his disenrollment from Marine Officers Candidate School, crediting Bill Kaneko and JACL for providing resources to fight back. He told the mostly college-aged audience that the sacrifices of earlier generations gave him moral legitimacy to persevere and encouraged others to do the same.
Incarceration & Redress
- A Crushed Rose, by Dr. Mitsuo Miura, page 3. This piece reflects on an exhibit about the WWII internment experience, describing it as more than a display of artifacts but an emotionally revealing true story of suffering caused by Executive Order 9066. The author uses the metaphor of a crushed rose that refused to remain crushed to symbolize the resilience and eventual triumph of interned Japanese Americans.
- Permit Needed to Visit Gila River Site, page 4. Visitors planning to visit the Canal #1 and Butte #2 sites of the Gila River WRA Center will need a permit from the Gila River Indian Community. The 50th anniversary of the center’s closing is scheduled for March 1995 in Phoenix and at Gila River.
Commentary
- Taboos Prevent Talking About AIDS, by Gwen Muranaka, page 4. At a National Youth Conference workshop, Bob Shimabukuro of the Asian Pacific AIDS Council said cultural taboos make it difficult for Asian Americans to discuss AIDS, noting his brother died of the disease in 1988. Panelists including Rob Samonte and Erika Tamura discussed AIDS statistics among Asian Pacific Islanders and the importance of education and prevention.
- Safeguarding JACL’s Future Amid Financial Concerns, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa discusses Paul Shinkawa’s revelation that JACL membership has dropped to about 19,000 from a peak of 32,000, even as staff and payroll costs have increased to nearly $700,000 annually. He warns that the organization risks fragmenting into local clubs unless it addresses the mismatch between declining income and rising expenses, and stresses the need for an independent Pacific Citizen to keep members informed.
- Come-on Sense: We Can Do It, by Karl K. Nobuyuki, page 6. Nobuyuki recounts a JACL weekend featuring the San Fernando Chapter’s installation banquet and a special PSWDC meeting on Pacific Citizen issues. He praises the special committee’s thorough review of documents and District Governor Ruth Mizobe’s leadership in achieving unanimous approval of recommendations.
- Literature, a Great Love of Mary Oyama Mittwer, by Joe Oyama, page 6. Joe Oyama writes to thank Barbara Hiura for her coverage of his sister Mary Oyama Mittwer, adding details about the Depression-era writers they were both familiar with, including Langston Hughes and Richard Wright. He notes the significance of these Afro-American literary figures alongside other canonical writers of the era.
- PC, Please Stop Splitting Up the Articles, by May Nakano, page 6. A reader from Chicago complains about the Pacific Citizen’s practice of splitting articles across multiple pages, saying it makes reading difficult and frustrating. She urges the paper to finish articles on the same page rather than prioritizing aesthetics over readability.
- Racial Tensions Between Black and Asian Communities Rooted in Deeper Causes, by Jimmy Tokeshi, page 7. Tokeshi examines the underlying economic and social causes of black/Asian tensions, citing Cornel West’s analysis of the 1992 Los Angeles riots as rooted in economic decline and political lethargy rather than simple racial incompatibility. He details demographic statistics showing high unemployment and poverty in affected areas and argues JACL must address these structural conditions in partnership with other groups.
Obituaries
- Chisato Kumano, page 8. Chisato Kumano of Menlo Park, CA, died at age 95, survived by sons Katsuya, Tom, and Chiaki, and daughter Chizu Iwahashi. She was predeceased by her husband Tekaji and son Masahiko.
- Sada Onoye, page 8. Sada Onoye of Torrance, CA, born in Salinas in 1907, died February 2, 1994 at age 86. After internment at Poston during WWII, she became one of the first Nisei to work for the U.S. government in Washington D.C., working in the Treasury Department for over 25 years and was a longtime member of the Washington D.C. JACL Chapter.
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