The JANM Pavilion opens in Little Tokyo, plus a census ruling

Vol. 128, No. 3, February 5, 1999. 12 pages. View this issue

The Japanese American National Museum’s Phase II Pavilion opened in Little Tokyo, and the 12-page issue gave it a front-page story and an in-depth feature, both by Martha Nakagawa. The Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling against statistical sampling in the census also made the front page, as did JACL’s push for answers about remaining redress funds as the Office of Redress Administration prepared to close. The search for missing INS attorney Joyce Chiang continued on pages 1 and 12.

Commentary included Emily Murase on the community press and Brian Niiya on Asian American Studies. Day of Remembrance events, marking Executive Order 9066, were announced in Salinas and Fresno, along with a Manzanar photo exhibit and an honor for Sue Kunitomi Embrey. Other pages cover the Utah English-only vote, chapter installations and the Minidoka barrack exhibit.

What’s in this issue

Community

• JANM Pavilion Ushers in New Era, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. The Japanese American National Museum’s Phase II Pavilion opened in Little Tokyo, marking the culmination of a long-nurtured dream to tell the story of Japanese Americans. Designed by Gyo Obata, the $22 million granite, steel, glass and sandstone structure aims to greatly increase visitor numbers beyond the original building’s 10,000 annual visitors.
• Mile-Hi JACL Installation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Mile-Hi JACL chapter held its installation event in Denver, recognizing community volunteers with the annual Kansha no Hi (Day of Appreciation) award. Dr. Frank Sakamoto and Tom Masamori were among those honored for their years of service.
• Japan America Society Pays Tribute to Bill Hosokawa, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Bill Hosokawa was honored for over 25 years of service as honorary consul general at a tribute dinner in Denver, sponsored by the Japan America Society of Colorado. International, national and local leaders attended the event at the Westin Hotel Grand Ballroom.
• Leaders Sought for Okura Mental Health Seminar/Internship, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Okura Mental Health Leadership Foundation is seeking Asian Pacific American professionals for its ‘Week in Washington’ program scheduled for April 11-17. The program includes briefings with APA congressional delegates, the White House Office of Public Liaison, and private sector leaders.
• Annual SELANOCO Installation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The SELANOCO chapter held its annual installation event featuring special recognition awards. Congressman William Dannemeyer’s brother and national JACL board members Hiromi Ueha and Nicole Inouye participated in the ceremony.
• $5,000 Received for JA Historical Book Project, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Sacramento JACL chapter received a $5,000 grant from Ed Johnson of East Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary for the Japanese American Historical Book of the Greater Sacramento Valley project. The publication is expected to cover Sacramento and surrounding areas and be completed by 2000.
• Las Vegas Mochitsuki, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Las Vegas JACL chapter held its mochitsuki event at a school in downtown Las Vegas on Dec. 19. National JACL director Herb Yamanishi and other chapter and district leaders attended the event.
• Sue Kunitomi Embrey to Be Honored for 50 Years of Community Activism, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Manzanar Committee and Project TEAM will honor Sue Kunitomi Embrey with a special event featuring a 1940s-themed fashion show and dance on Feb. 27 at the Venice Japanese Community Center. Embrey has dedicated 50 years to preserving Manzanar’s history and advocating for the Japanese American community.
• Chile to Host 10th PANA Convention July 28-31, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Pan American Nikkei Association will hold its 10th biennial convention in Santiago, Chile, themed ‘Unity without Frontiers in the Next Millennium.’ The event includes workshops, sightseeing, and a Sayonara banquet, with registration fees ranging from $175 to $380 depending on age and registration date.
• JAKWV’s Third Annual Installation Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Japanese American Korean War Veterans installation dinner will be held at the Golden Dragon restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, with information presented on year 2000 events including a memorial in Korea. A raffle with monthly $500 prizes culminating in a $2,500 grand prize will also be held.
• Rohwer Reunion II Update, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Response for the Saturday night banquet at Rohwer Reunion II, scheduled for April 17, has been strong with the hotel’s 800-person capacity nearly reached. Those who have not yet signed up were urged to do so immediately.
• Assemblyman to Keynote Central California’s DOR, by P.C. Staff, page 9. An assemblyman will keynote the Central California coastal area’s annual Day of Remembrance observance on Feb. 21 at the California Rodeo Grounds in Salinas, the site of a temporary WWII assembly center. Five JACL chapters are co-sponsoring the event commemorating Executive Order 9066.

National

• Supreme Court Shoots Down Statistical Sampling in Census, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 1. In a narrow 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the next census cannot use statistical sampling to correct for an expected undercount of minorities. JACL leaders expressed disappointment but noted the ruling leaves open the possibility of using sampling for redistricting and federal aid distribution.
• Search Continues for Missing INS Attorney, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Family, friends, and INS colleagues have been trying to piece together what happened to missing INS attorney Joyce Chiang, with vigils held in multiple cities. Investigators have found several of her personal items near the Anacostia River but no confirmed leads on her whereabouts.
• OSC Fighting Job Bias, by Martha Nakagawa, page 3. The U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices is increasing outreach efforts to educate both employees and employers about discrimination based on national origin and citizenship status. Officials expressed concern about the INS’s new Quick Response Team program potentially conflating criminal law enforcement with immigration status checks.
• Utah’s English-Only Initiative Defeated, by Staff Reports, page 3. The Utah legislature defeated an English-only initiative for the third time in three years by a 43-31 vote in the House. JACL chapters joined with the ACLU and other civil rights organizations to oppose the measure, though the sponsor plans to gather more signatures for a 2000 ballot initiative.
• Courts Rule Against Sampling, by P.C. Staff, page 12. This continuation article details the Supreme Court’s ruling against statistical sampling in the census, including reactions from Karen Narasaki of NAPALC and debate over Republican versus Democrat positions on the issue. The piece also notes a separate Census 2000 change allowing people to specify multiethnic identity.
• FBI Continues Search for Missing INS Attorney, by P.C. Staff, page 12. This continuation article provides further details on the search for missing INS attorney Joyce Chiang, including items found near the Anacostia River and reward funds totaling over $85,000 offered by The Washington Post, FBI, and INS. Chiang’s background as a Smith College graduate and former legislative aide to Rep. Howard Berman is also detailed.

Incarceration & Redress

• JACL Seeks Answers to Remaining Redress Questions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. As the Office of Redress Administration prepares to close on Feb. 6, JACL is pushing for meetings with government officials to ensure adequate funding remains to satisfy the Mochizuki settlement terms. JACL representative Robert Sakaniwa and consultant John Tateishi emphasized the urgency of determining fund status before ORA ceases operations.
• Original Minidoka Camp Barrack Located, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Jerome County Historical Society will feature an original barrack from the Minidoka Internment Camp as a permanent exhibit at the new Idaho Farm and Ranch Museum. The barrack will help preserve the history of the camp and honor Nisei veterans from Minidoka who served in WWII.
• Manzanar — An American Concentration Camp Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 12. A photographic exhibit by Bob Goldfeder titled ‘Manzanar — An American Concentration Camp’ will open Feb. 19, 1999, at the Spectrum Gallery in Fresno. The Fresno JACL chapter will host a Day of Remembrance reception on Feb. 21 to commemorate the issuance of Executive Order 9066.

JACL

• National JACL Praises Attorney General’s Civil Rights Initiative, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL praised California Attorney General Bill Lockyer’s new civil rights plan announced Jan. 15, which includes creating a dedicated civil rights unit and reviewing hiring and recruitment procedures. JACL’s John Tateishi called it one of the most comprehensive state-level civil rights efforts undertaken.
• 1999 JACL/OCA Washington D.C. Leadership Conference Scheduled, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL/OCA Leadership Conference will be held March 26-30 at the Double Tree Hotel in Washington, D.C., with 16 slots available for chapter representatives. Application deadlines and procedures were outlined for interested participants.
• How Do We Stand? … We Can Do It!, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Harry Honda provides an update on JACL’s national fundraising campaign progress across various districts, listing gift totals and percentages of goals reached for each region. He also mentions a special foundation gift recognition for the Japanese American National Museum tied to WRA camp names.

Military & Veterans

• A Letter to MIS/100th/442nd Veterans, Friends, by Phyllis (travel agent), page 6. A letter promotes the Branson Tribute to Japanese American Veterans, an escorted tour honoring the 100th/442nd and MIS veterans in Branson, Missouri, scheduled for May 1999. The tribute includes a gala banquet with Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Hershey Miyamura and various entertainment shows.

Commentary

• The Scoop on Our Community Press, by Emily Murase, page 8. Emily Murase interviews leaders of the Nichi Bei Times and Hokubei Mainichi newspapers about their history, challenges, and importance to the Japanese American community. Both editors discuss declining circulation, the need for community engagement, and the vital role vernacular papers play in covering stories mainstream media ignores.
• Positions of Power, by Brian Niiya, page 8. Brian Niiya discusses a troubling situation involving Asian American Studies at a university, drawing comparisons to the historic three-year battle for Don Nakanishi’s tenure at UCLA. He reflects on how activism and community mobilization have shaped the growth of Asian American studies programs nationally.
• Letters: Calling All Military Intelligence Language Teams, by Military Intelligence Researcher-Historian, Phoenix, Ariz., page 9. A researcher writing an article for the Marine Corps University seeks information about Nisei who served in Military Intelligence Language Teams attached to Marine Corps combat units in the Pacific during WWII. The letter notes that official Marine Corps records lack documentation of these Nisei linguists’ contributions.
• Letters: Japanese Latin Americans’ Dilemma, by Clifford Uyeda, page 9. Clifford Uyeda writes about the U.S. government’s wartime kidnapping of Japanese Latin Americans and the ongoing battle in Congress over redress funding for this group. He argues that a small amount of money could provide some measure of justice for these victims of a tragic historical episode.
• Letters: Economics of Internment, by A reader (Ellis Island docent), page 9. A former Ellis Island Immigration Museum docent writes about learning that FDR signed a memo approving plans for Japanese American internment as early as 1936, five years before Pearl Harbor. The writer connects this to economic motivations, noting Japanese Americans’ significant role in California produce farming at the time.

In-Depth

• JANM Building with the Pacific Citizen: A New Era, by Martha Nakagawa, page 10. This in-depth feature details the history and construction challenges of JANM’s Phase II Pavilion, including a labor dispute over Kajima Construction and union picketing over prevailing wages. The article also covers the museum’s future plans for archives, traveling exhibits, and community partnerships, plus descriptions of current exhibits like ‘Common Ground’ and ‘J-Town Rhapsody.’

Obituaries

• Dr. John Burden, 98, Nisei-MIS Advocate, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Dr. John A. Burden, who advocated for Nisei soldiers to serve in the Military Intelligence Service during WWII, died Jan. 2 in Nashville at age 98. Burden was one of two haole graduates in the first MIS class and later insisted on bringing Nisei linguists into combat zones, opening commanders’ eyes to their invaluable contributions.
• Reginald ‘Reggie’ Okamura, 62, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Reginald Okamura, a volcanologist for 34 years and spokesman for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory at Kilauea, died Jan. 16 following a heart attack. He helped establish the Minority Participant in Earth Sciences program and is survived by his wife, children, and siblings.

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