Hate crime arrest in Illinois, and the story of Japan’s ‘comfort women’

Vol. 128, No. 8, April 16, 1999. 12 pages. View this issue

A fatal shooting in Crystal Lake, Illinois, led the issue. Douglas G. Vitaioli, 38, was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and committing a hate crime in the death of Naoki Kamijima. JACL midwest regional director William Yoshino urged officials to keep prosecuting it as a hate crime. Martha Nakagawa also profiled Yoon Shim Kim, 69, a survivor of the military sex slave system who now travels the U.S. to tell her story. Caroline Aoyagi reported on Richard Edlebeck’s effort to win a Medal of Honor upgrade for fellow Korean War veteran Wataru Nakamura.

Inside are Bob Sakaniwa’s column on Bill Lann Lee’s nomination, news that a body found along the Potomac was confirmed to be Joyce Chiang, and a report on redress delegates meeting the Department of Justice. Bill Hosokawa compared the removal of Kosovars to the 1942 exclusion orders. Plans for the Tri-District Conference in Scottsdale included a bus trip to the Gila River Relocation Center.

What’s in this issue

National

• Illinois Police Arrest Man in Suspected Hate Crime Against JA, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 1. Douglas G. Vitaioli, 38, was arrested for the first-degree murder and hate crime shooting of Naoki Kamijima at a Crystal Lake general store, after police determined he had targeted the victim due to his apparent ethnicity. JACL’s midwest regional director William Yoshino contacted local officials to praise the investigation while urging continued prosecution of the case as a hate crime.
• Body Found Along Potomac Confirmed to be Joyce Chiang, page 3. A body found along the Potomac River on April 1 has been confirmed to be that of missing Immigration and Naturalization Service attorney Joyce Chiang. Chiang had been missing since Jan. 9.
• APA Leaders Meet With Top Officials on Los Alamos Incident, Demand Apology from Senator Shelby, page 3. National Asian Pacific American leaders met with Energy Secretary Bill Richardson and White House officials to discuss the impact of the Los Alamos espionage case on the APA community, stressing concerns about being questioned about loyalty to the U.S. The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association also demanded a public apology from Senator Richard Shelby for calling the Chinese ‘very crafty people.’
• Railroad/Mine Researcher Needs Help, by Andy Russell, page 9. A doctoral researcher who helped uncover documents leading to redress for Japanese Americans fired from western railroads and mines during WWII is now seeking oral histories and archival materials for his dissertation. He is traveling through Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho this spring and asks community members to contact him with information.
• NAPALC Releases ‘Report Card’ on the 105th Congress, page 9. The National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium released the first-ever APA report card compiling voting records of senators and representatives on issues affecting Asian Pacific Americans. The report covered 14 House votes and five Senate votes on affirmative action, immigration, language rights, voting rights, and welfare reform.
• Lee Nomination Update: Utah Coalition Advocacy Continues, page 12. The article continues coverage of advocacy efforts for Bill Lann Lee’s confirmation, including testimonials from young Asian Americans inspired by his story and statements from AAUW president Carol Stinner urging senators to allow a full Senate vote. Karen Kwan-Smith describes Lee as a role model whose story represents the promise of hard work and achievement in America.

Military & Veterans

• Korean War Vet Seeks Medal of Honor Upgrade for JA Fellow Veteran, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. Richard Edlebeck, a Korean War veteran, has devoted his retirement to getting fellow veteran Wataru Nakamura’s Distinguished Service Cross upgraded to a Congressional Medal of Honor, believing racism led to the downgrade. Edlebeck tracked down Nakamura’s surviving siblings and is working with legislators to get his case reviewed by the Army Decorations Board.
• Sadao Munemori American Legion Post Fills In for Defunct Commodore Perry Post, page 4. Members of the historic Commodore Perry Post 525, founded in 1935 as the first all-Japanese American American Legion post by WWI Nikkei veterans in Los Angeles, are invited to transfer to the Sadao Munemori Post after the Commodore Perry Post recently disbanded. The article notes Munemori’s Medal of Honor citation for his heroism in Italy in April 1945.
• Korean War Vet on Mission to Get Medal of Honor Upgrade for Fellow Veteran, page 5. This continuation details how Richard Edlebeck met Wataru Nakamura during Korean War machine gun training and learned of Nakamura’s internment and 442nd service. It recounts Nakamura’s heroic actions during the May 1951 Massacre that led to his death, and Edlebeck’s ongoing effort with Nakamura’s family to secure a Medal of Honor upgrade.

In-Depth

• A WWII Atrocity: Japan’s ‘Comfort Women’, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. Yoon Shim Kim, 69, survived being forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military as a 13-year-old girl and now travels the U.S. to educate people about the plight of an estimated 200,000 ‘comfort women.’ She recounts horrific abuse and is on a mission to seek justice and recognition for survivors.
• Filmmaker Nakamura Appointed to Endowed Chair in JA Studies, page 12. Robert Nakamura, one of the country’s most influential filmmakers on the Japanese American experience, has been appointed to an endowed chair to continue documenting JA history including video life histories of the Nisei generation. Nakamura previously made notable films like ‘Manzanar’ and serves as director of the Media Arts Center at the Japanese American National Museum.

Commentary

• The Symbol for the APA Community, by Bob Sakaniwa, page 3. JACL’s D.C. representative explains why Bill Lann Lee’s confirmation battle has become symbolically important to the Asian Pacific American community amid concerns about being viewed as foreigners. He describes a bipartisan Utah coalition’s meeting with Senate Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch to press for a full Senate vote on Lee’s nomination.
• Red, Delicious, by Bill Marutani, page 8. The retired judge reflects on several ambiguous encounters with possible racism, including a cashier bowing and saying ‘arigato gozaimashita’ to him and a city clerk asking only him about citizenship status. He ponders whether and how much energy he should spend addressing subtle racism that doesn’t directly intrude on his life.
• Mixed Messages, page 8. The columnist explores the contradictory media images available to Asian American kids today, from positive figures like Michelle Kwan to offensive stereotypes like Fu Manchu. The piece questions how young Asian Americans navigate and make sense of these mixed portrayals in popular culture.
• I Wanted to be Yum Yum, by Mika Tanner, page 8. The author recalls childhood memories of performing in ‘The Mikado’ and later encountering criticism of the show’s racist Orientalist depictions of Japan in college. She reflects on the complexity of identifying positively with something later recognized as problematic.
• Echoes of Internment in Kosovo, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. The columnist draws parallels between the ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Kosovars and the forced removal of Japanese Americans during WWII, quoting the original exclusion order posted in 1942. He notes that unlike Kosovo, the JA removal proceeded without violence largely due to victim cooperation, and reveals government contingency plans to forcibly round up all Japanese Americans within 24 hours if needed.
• Re: ‘Branson: Tribute or Tribulation?’, page 9. A letter writer requests correction of misinformation regarding a Branson tour for 100th/442nd veterans, clarifying details about pricing comparisons between Chase Travel and A V Travel. The writer explains that A V Travel’s owner has a long history of supporting Japanese American veterans and has agreed to make an in-kind donation to the 100th/442nd/MIS/WWII Memorial Foundation.
• Dialogue Needs to Continue, by Mannie Mueller, page 9. The author of a novel set at Tule Lake segregation camp describes touring the country and encountering intense emotional responses from audiences learning about Japanese American internment. Born in Tule Lake camp, the writer argues that ongoing storytelling and questioning about the internment must continue, similar to Holocaust survivor testimony.
• Letters to the Editor: DSC and Medal of Honor Advocacy, by Bruce Pachus, page 9. A letter writer from the East San Gabriel Valley JACL argues that racism likely influenced Distinguished Service Cross awards over Medal of Honor recognition for 100th/442nd/MIS veterans. The writer calls for JACL chapters to lobby for review and possible upgrade of Senator Inouye’s DSC to the Medal of Honor.
• Re: APA Teen Moms, page 9. A reader writes to thank the Pacific Citizen for its compassionate front-page coverage of APA teen moms and the services supporting their families. The writer also praises other regular columns including Nikkei Voice, Mixed Messages, and interviews with community figures.

Incarceration & Redress

• Redress Delegates Seek Justice in Washington, D.C., page 3. Delegates from the Campaign for Justice/NCRR traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with the Department of Justice about the depleted Office of Redress Administration and the status of redress payments. The group also discussed implementation of the Mochizuki v. U.S. settlement for Latin American Japanese former internees.
• Atrocities of the Military Sex Slave System, page 6. This continuation details further horrors experienced by ‘comfort women’ including torture, forced abortions, and infanticide, and describes ongoing survivor testimonies and studies documenting the scale of abuse. It also covers Japan’s Asian Women’s Fund controversy, U.S. Congressional actions, and a 1998 UN report finding Japan legally obligated to compensate survivors.

JACL

• Schedule for the Upcoming Tri-District Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., Released, by David Kawamoto, page 4. The PSW, NCWNP, and CCDC Tri-District Conference will be held in Scottsdale, Arizona, featuring workshops on civil rights, membership/planned giving, affirmative action, and draft resisters. The schedule includes a golf outing, welcome mixer, plenary sessions, and a bus trip to the Gila River Relocation Center.

Community

• First-ever Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk Attracts 500 Participants, by Seiko N. Wakabayashi, page 4. The first Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk in Washington, D.C. drew 500 participants of all ages and backgrounds for a 4-mile walk during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The event featured Nen Daiko drummers, a Boy Scouts color guard, and speakers including Admiral Mel Konishi and Norman Mineta.
• San Francisco Bay Area Installation Dinner, page 5. The Community Center of Northern California announced Drue Kataoka, a Stanford University junior and Sequoia JACL chapter member, as recipient of their 1999 scholarship. Gale Kondo installed new officers at the event attended by singles chapters from various regions.

Arts & Entertainment

• Hanako Brings ‘Comfort Women’ Issue to the Stage, page 6. A playwright created a stage production about the ‘comfort women’ issue, aiming to educate audiences and set the historical record straight. Yoon Shim Kim hopes Japanese officials will view the play before it closes.
• Much Ado About Interesting Casting: Juicy Roles for AAs, by Tracy Uba, page 10. The Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company’s all-female, multicultural production of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ features Japanese American actors Amy Hill, Emily Kuroda, and Deborah Nishimura in prominent roles alongside co-directors Natsuko Ohama and Lisa Wolpe. The actors discuss the rare opportunity to play substantial classical theater roles not typically available to Asian American performers.

Obituaries

• Henry Shigeru Yamaga, page 11. Henry Shigeru Yamaga, 82, a Los Angeles-born Nisei and La Habra resident, passed away March 13. Funeral services were held at Higashi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles, and he is survived by his wife Dorothy Haruko Yamaga, children, grandchildren, siblings, and other relatives.

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