Vol. 121, No. 9, November 3, 1995. 12 pages. View this issue
Immigration and welfare legislation led the news. The Congressional Asian Pacific, Black and Hispanic caucuses issued a joint statement against provisions of the welfare bill that they said discriminate against naturalized U.S. citizens, and Rep. Patsy Mink called one provision unconstitutional. A coalition of Asian Pacific American groups, including Karen Narasaki and Vicki Shu, also condemned a House Judiciary Committee vote on H.R.2202, which would make family reunification far harder. The JACL Board named Herbert Yamanishi as executive director, and a continued profile appears on page 3.
Also inside: the JACL budget for 1996, a board resolution supporting Jonathan Kaji, and Peggy Liggett’s response to it. The Office of Redress Administration outlined its latest actions on Redress. A Moment in History recalled war crimes trials in Yokohama, and Bill Hosokawa wrote the Wai-ro column. Fr. Clement Boesflug, who served at Manzanar, Poston and Gila River, is remembered.
What’s in this issue
National
- Bill Targets Naturalized U.S. Citizens, Says Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Congressional Asian Pacific, Black and Hispanic caucuses issued a joint statement opposing welfare bill provisions they say discriminate against naturalized U.S. citizens because of their foreign birth. Rep. Patsy Mink called the provision unconstitutional, noting legal immigrants would be denied needs-based health and welfare benefits.
- Bill Would Stop APs From Reuniting With Families Overseas, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A coalition of Asian Pacific American groups condemned the House Judiciary Committee’s vote on H.R.2202, which would make it extremely difficult for parents of U.S. citizens to immigrate and would end family reunification laws for siblings and adult children. Advocates like Karen Narasaki and Vicki Shu called the move devastating to the community and urged Americans to support family reunification.
JACL
- National Director Hired, Barebones ’96 Budget OK’d, by Richard Suenaga, page 1. The JACL Board of Directors named Herbert Yamanishi of Lansing, Mich., as the new executive director, succeeding interim director Karyl Matsumoto starting Jan. 1, 1996. Yamanishi brings 25 years of nonprofit and community organizing experience, including founding roles in Michigan Asian American advocacy organizations.
- JACL Budget for Year Ending Dec. 31, 1996, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL National Board approved a 1996 budget balanced through trimming expenses and seeking new revenues, following review by the Budget Committee. The austere budget left little room for member-attracting programs, and was sent to districts for ratification.
- Director (Yamanishi Profile Continued), by P.C. Staff, page 3. Herbert Yamanishi’s background includes serving as a mental hygiene specialist in the U.S. Army, earning a Bronze Star, and holding leadership roles in Michigan human services associations. He described himself as bridging generations between Nisei and Sansei and pledged to bring stability to JACL.
- JACL Board Supports Kaji, Alleged Wrongdoing Repudiated, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL National Board passed a closed-session resolution supporting Secretary/Treasurer Jonathan Kaji and repudiating allegations made in a court pleading filed by attorney Peggy Liggett linking him to a missing $400,000 reserve fund. Liggett countered that the resolution distracts from real financial accountability issues and detailed Kaji’s alleged failures to oversee JACL’s finances.
- 1995 JACL Membership Renewals, Jan.-Sept., by P.C. Staff, page 4. A membership report details JACL renewal figures by chapter and district for January through September 1995 compared to 1994. The report notes discrepancies in some chapters’ reporting due to differing renewal schedules.
Military & Veterans
- Moment in History: War Crimes Trials in Yokohama, page 1. A historic photo depicts a 1946 war crimes trial in Yokohama where Japanese prisoners of war faced a U.S. Army general court martial. Many Military Intelligence Service Nisei, including Tad Ichinokuchi and Sho Onodera, served as interpreters and translators at similar trials.
Incarceration & Redress
- ORA Announces Latest Decisions, Actions on Redress Issues, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Office of Redress Administration outlined plans to continue monthly Redress payments and conduct outreach for individuals affected by the Ishida decision, which made children born to volunteer evacuees eligible. ORA is also drafting regulations for minor relocatees and continuing to review misclassified Japanese Peruvian cases with the INS.
Obituaries
- Longtime JACL Staffer Emily Ishida Dies at 72, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Emily Ishida, a longtime JACL headquarters employee since 1976, died in her sleep while vacationing in Kunming, China. She is remembered for her decades of service including as membership coordinator, her devotion to family, and her wartime internment experience at Tanforan and Topaz.
- RIP: Fr. Clement, 88, National JACL’s Chaplain, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Rev. Clement Boesflug, known as the national JACL chaplain, died at age 88 after serving as a wartime chaplain at Manzanar, Poston and Gila River internment camps. He was recognized as JACLer of the Biennium in 1964 for his community and civil rights work in the Pacific Southwest District.
Commentary
- Wai-ro, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa discusses the practice of
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