The fight to rename a Texas road, and Mineta on Asian American health care

Vol. 116, No. 25, June 25, 1993. 12 pages. View this issue

A fight over a racial slur on a Texas road sign and a congressional hearing on health care shared the front page. JACL members Sandra Tanamachi Nakata and Betty Waki lost a first vote to rename Jap Road in Beaumont, but vowed to keep going, and they said they got little help from former National Director Hayashi, which he denied. Rep. Norman Mineta told a House subcommittee that federal health agencies had ignored Asian Pacific American concerns. The San Fernando Valley Chapter also opposed a proposed Pearl Harbor Survivors Highway name.

Inside, the University of Utah’s Marriott Library received the papers of Mike Masaoka, and Delegate Eni Faleomavaega praised the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. After a February article, 755 requests for wartime internment files reached the National Archives. Columns by Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and JACL National President Lillian Kimura, letters, and a review of Zatoichi films by Richard Suenaga fill the later pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• Mineta Criticizes Health Care Response for Asian Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Testifying before a House Subcommittee, Rep. Norman Mineta criticized federal agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services for ignoring the health care concerns of Asian Pacific Americans. He cited specific failures by AHCPR, the Office of Minority Health, and the Bureau of Health Care Delivery Assistance in addressing the community’s needs.
• First SAT Test in Japanese Draws 1,800, by P.C. Staff, page 3. More than 1,800 high school students took the College Board’s first Asian Language Achievement Test in Japanese this spring, with nearly half coming from California and Hawaii. The rapid growth in students studying Japanese reflects increasing interest, with a Chinese Language Test to debut in 1994.

Community

• Nikkei Lose 1st Battle but Vow to Change ‘Jap Road’, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. JACL members Sandra Tanamachi Nakata and Betty Waki continue their fight to rename Jap Road in Beaumont, Texas, despite local residents and commissioners voting to keep the name. Waki says the effort, expected to take about five years, is far from over despite the setback.
• Chapter Opposes Pearl Harbor Highway Name, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Fernando Valley Chapter, JACL, is opposing California SCR 13, a bill that would rename portions of Highway 99 the ‘Pearl Harbor Survivors Highway,’ citing poor timing given ongoing racial intolerance against Japanese Americans in Central California. Critics say the renaming could perpetuate negative stereotypes and increase racism in a region already affected by hate incidents.
• Denver-Area Scholars Honored, by Amy Masamori, page 4. Fifty-eight graduating high school seniors in the Denver area were honored at the 38th annual Mile-Hi Chapter JACL scholarship program, which began in 1956 with a single $50 award. Today the program offers 34 scholarships worth up to $2,000, supported by 21 sponsors and community fundraising events.
• Japanese in Brazil Celebrate 85th Year, by Jun Takahashi, page 4. Brazil celebrated the 85th anniversary of Japanese immigration, commemorating the 1908 arrival of the first immigrants aboard the Kasato Maru. The Nipo-Brazilian Week festivities honored elderly survivors and pioneers, including 87-year-old Tomi Nakagawa and centenarian-aspirant Toki Nogami.
• Environmental Expert David Suzuki Headlines PANA-Canada Event, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Canadian scientist and broadcaster Dr. David T. Suzuki will headline a PANA-Canada workshop on racism, science and the environment in Vancouver. The conference will also feature a documentary screening and exhibits open to the public.
• LEAP Schedules Awards Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) will honor five individuals and organizations at its 10th anniversary awards dinner in Los Angeles, with keynote remarks from television journalist Tritia Toyota. The event supports LEAP’s Leadership Management Institute and its national Asian Pacific American Public Policy Institute.
• UCLA Extension Aims at Myths of Modern Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Assistant professor Dennis Patterson will teach a UCLA Extension course on Japanese government and politics aimed at dispelling myths about Japan’s economy, trade practices, and political system. Patterson argues common American assumptions about US-Japan trade imbalance oversimplify complex economic realities.
• War Brides in Australia Mark 40 Years ‘Down Under’, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Japanese women who married Australian soldiers after WWII gathered in Melbourne to mark 40 years since immigration restrictions were lifted, celebrating their assimilation into Australian society. Teruko Blair, a Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor who married an Australian serviceman, described facing discrimination but persevering despite hardships.
• Business Briefs: SBA Honors, Business Association Appointments, by Sumiko Hennessy, page 7. Lynn Choy Uyeda was honored by the SBA for her work furthering minority business interests, while the Japan Business Association of Southern California named Tamotsu Yamaguchi as its new president. Seattle’s Tomio Moriguchi of Uwajimaya Inc. won an SBA Entrepreneurial Success Award for Region X.
• Group Honors Seven Asian American Women in Colorado, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Asian Pacific Women’s Network of Colorado announced its 1993 Asian Women Achievement Award recipients, honoring women in social work, education, business, science and health. Honorees included Sumiko T. Hennessy for social work, Li-Mei Ge for Chinese language education, and Amelia C. Ashmann for medicine.
• Six New Directors Elected to JACCC Board, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Six new directors were elected to the Los Angeles-based Japanese American Cultural and Community Center board, including executives from Hitachi, Mazda, Union Bank and Union Pacific Railroad. Toshikaru Terasawa was re-elected JACCC president for his eighth term.

JACL

• JACL Texans Say They Got Little Help from National Director Hayashi, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Betty Waki and Sandra Tanamachi Nakata claim former National Director Hayashi failed to respond adequately to their requests for support on the Jap Road controversy since fall 1992. Hayashi denies the allegations, saying his office did try to contact them, while the women describe repeated unreturned calls and delayed correspondence.

In-Depth

• Marriott Library Receives Masaoka Papers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The University of Utah’s Marriott Library has received a gift of papers documenting the life of Mike Masaoka, JACL’s first paid national staff member and a key advocate for Japanese Americans. Former Ambassador Edwin O. Reischauer and Rep. Norman Mineta praised Masaoka’s legacy as a lobbyist and civil rights leader.

Military & Veterans

• American Samoa Official Praises 442nd, by Thomas Owan and Hank Wakabayashi, page 3. Delegate Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa praised the wartime contributions of Japanese Americans, particularly the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, at a National Association of Professional Asian Women dinner. He said he was a direct beneficiary of the Nisei war record, which broadened American acceptance of ethnic minorities.

Incarceration & Redress

• Response Great to Internee Wartime Record Requests, by Ike Hatchimonji, page 6. Following a February 1993 Pacific Citizen article, 755 requests for WWII internment case files were received by the National Archives, showing strong interest among former internees and their families. The article details what the files contain and how to request copies from the National Archives or the Japanese American National Museum.

Commentary

• The Old West—in Japan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Columnist Bill Hosokawa recounts visiting Hope Lodge, an American-style dude ranch in Nagano Prefecture run by Yoshihiko Kawamura, who developed a fascination with the American West after working with GIs following WWII. Kawamura traveled through the U.S. learning cowboy culture before building his own slice of the Old West in Japan.
• History in the Making, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Columnist Bill Marutani reflects on the swearing-in of Marilyn D. Go as a federal Magistrate Judge in New York, noting she was one of two law clerks he selected in 1977 who went on to distinguished legal careers. He details her family background and rise as a trailblazing Asian American jurist.
• Wants to Communicate with in PC Stories, page 8. A letter writer from the San Jose Chapter JACL requests that Pacific Citizen include contact information for subjects of articles so readers can share opinions directly. The editor’s note explains that providing such contact information is not standard journalistic practice.
• Disabled Vet’s Views on Donating Redress Money, by Robert T. Shada, page 8. A disabled 442nd veteran responds to a prior article suggesting redress recipients donate money to the Legacy Fund, stating he already gave his fair share through his wartime service and sacrifice. He calls the suggestion an unwarranted and demeaning comment toward those who have not donated.
• Says Ginsburg Supported JA Redress Claims, by William Holt, page 8. A letter writer describes how Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s questioning during a 1985 appeals court hearing helped extend the statute of limitations for a Japanese American redress lawsuit, allowing it to proceed. The writer credits her rulings with helping create pressure that led to eventual passage of redress legislation.
• Their Legacy Lives On, by Lillian Kimura, page 9. JACL National President Lillian Kimura recounts visiting sites honoring the legacies of Isamu Noguchi, Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, and George Nakashima, all notable Japanese Americans who made lasting contributions despite wartime internment. She reflects on their achievements and hopes future generations will remember their stories.
• On Throwing Stones, by Karl K. Nobuyuki, page 9. Columnist Karl Nobuyuki discusses the significance of Asian American appointments in the Clinton Administration, arguing that appointments should be measured by their contribution to community empowerment rather than as symbolic achievements. He also criticizes JACL for focusing power at the national level while neglecting local chapters.
• Have Dukes, Will Chastise, by Jin Konomi, page 9. Columnist Jin Konomi challenges a Japanese academic’s claim that Japan is ‘more civilized’ because it relies on words rather than violence, citing historical assassinations and ongoing corporal punishment scandals in Japanese schools. He argues American redress for Japanese American internment shows greater tolerance than Japan’s handling of wartime comfort women reparations.
• What Saying ‘Yes’ Means in Japan, page 11. A letter writer responds to a previous commentary on President Clinton’s remark about Japanese people saying ‘yes’ when they mean ‘no,’ explaining the Japanese custom of ‘hai’ as acknowledgment rather than agreement. The writer suggests diplomats are trained to avoid outright lying, offering Clinton the benefit of the doubt.

Arts & Entertainment

• Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Comes to Video, by Richard Suenaga, page 10. Editor Richard Suenaga reviews the classic Japanese Zatoichi samurai film series, now available on video with English subtitles, comparing the blind swordsman hero to American Western archetypes like Shane and Clint Eastwood characters. The piece includes brief synopses and ratings for six Zatoichi films now on the market.

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