Vol. 129, No. 21, November 19, 1999. 16 pages. View this issue
The 1800th Engineer General Service Battalion was the main subject of this issue. Paul Tsuneishi and Martha Nakagawa told the story of Cedrick Masaki Shimo and the Army unit of Japanese, German and Italian American soldiers, set apart from the better-known 442nd Regimental Combat Team and 100th Battalion. A second article on page 8 followed the men’s loyalty questioning, their discharges and the later upgrade of those discharges to honorable.
Elsewhere, Redress ran through the news. A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit over uninvested redress funds, and authors Harry Kitano, Mitchell Maki and Megan Berthold discussed their book on how redress was won. Other pages covered an indictment in the Xerox shooting in Honolulu, the 50th anniversary of the Central California District Council, a Naomi Hirahara column on okazu, and reader letters, including one on Minidoka.
What’s in this issue
National
- Remembering the 1800th Engineer General Service Battalion, by Paul Tsuneishi & Martha Nakagawa, page 1. The article tells the story of Cedrick Masaki Shimo and the 1800th Engineer General Service Battalion, a special WWII Army unit made up of Japanese, German and Italian American soldiers considered security risks. Though sometimes viewed as troublemakers for resisting a loyalty questionnaire, the battalion went on to earn distinction for engineering work including flood relief in the Mississippi Valley.
- Suspect Indicted in Hawaii Xerox Shooting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Byran Uyesugi was indicted by a grand jury on charges of murder and attempted murder following a shooting at a Xerox parts warehouse in Honolulu. He is accused of shooting six colleagues and a supervisor with a 9mm handgun, and prosecutors revealed at least one other co-worker was shot at during the Nov. 2 incident.
- Lawsuit Over Uninvested Redress Funds Dismissed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal judge Charles Legge dismissed a malfeasance lawsuit accusing the U.S. government of failing to properly invest a redress fund meant to compensate Japanese Americans. The National Coalition for Redress/Reparations (NCRR) and Joe Suzuki had filed the class action suit, arguing that lack of investment income deprived later claimants, including Japanese Latin Americans, of equitable redress.
- Los Alamos Scientist Investigated on Alleged Espionage, by Associated Press, page 3. A scientist connected with Los Alamos National Laboratory was under investigation for alleged espionage involving classified nuclear weapons documents. The case raised concerns among civil rights groups about racial profiling of Asian American scientists at national weapons labs.
- Survey Finds Only 30 Percent of AAs Aware of 2000 Census, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A study conducted for the U.S. Census Monitoring Board found only 30 percent of Asian Americans are aware the 2000 census is coming, compared to 42 percent of the general population. The survey suggested messaging about political representation, community counting, and confidentiality assurances would help increase AA participation in the census.
- 1800th Battalion Members Faced Discrimination, Sought Discharge Upgrades, by Paul Tsuneishi & Martha Nakagawa, page 8. Continuing coverage details how members of the 1800th Engineer General Service Battalion were repeatedly questioned about loyalty and faced demotions, with some later receiving “without honor” discharges despite retaining civil rights. Decades later, attorney Hyman Bravin helped a Kibei veteran’s case succeed, leading to all 1800th battalion members having their discharges upgraded to honorable.
Community
- ‘Achieving the Impossible Dream’ is Labor of Love for Authors, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Authors Harry Kitano, Mitchell Maki and Megan Berthold hosted a panel discussion and book signing at the Japanese American National Museum for their newly published book on how Japanese Americans obtained redress. The authors discussed the decades-long redress movement, outlining factors that led to its success including framing the internment as a political injustice rather than a wartime misfortune, and praised the collective effort of many individuals and groups involved.
- Central Cal District Council Honors JACL Pioneers at 50th Anniversary Fete, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The Central California District Council celebrated its 50th anniversary with a gala banquet in Fresno attended by close to 500 people, honoring longtime JACL pioneers including Fred Hirasuna. The event featured remarks on the district’s history dating back to 1949, a slideshow of chapter histories, and recognition of honorees with medallions for decades of service.
Commentary
- In Search of Okazu, by Naomi Hirahara, page 6. Columnist Naomi Hirahara explores the varied and personal meanings of “okazu,” the term for a main dish in Japanese American households, drawing on stories from friends and family across generations. She traces possible origins of the dish tradition from Hawaii’s plantations to Depression-era stretching of food, concluding that okazu is less about specific ingredients than a shared state of mind.
- An Open Letter to Sen. Daniel Inouye, by Kanshi Stanley, page 7. A letter writer expresses admiration for Sen. Daniel Inouye’s community service while criticizing his past comments on Nisei who resisted the draft during World War II. The writer challenges Inouye’s characterization and calls for reconsideration of the resisters’ legacy.
- Reader Thanks P.C. for Minidoka Coverage, page 7. The secretary of a Minidoka-related project thanks Pacific Citizen readers for their contributions of photos and materials related to a camp choir project. She specifically thanks contributors from Wisconsin and Washington state for sharing programs and photographs.
- Reader Criticizes Tone of Letters, page 7. A non-subscriber reader expresses being appalled by the hostility in letters to the editor concerning draft resisters, apologies, and wartime culpability debates. The letter criticizes the combative tone found in recent published exchanges.
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