CLPEF grants and a push for citizenship, March 1997

Vol. 124, No. 6, March 21, 1997. 12 pages. View this issue

The Civil Liberties Public Education Fund announced its first 100 grant recipients, allocating $2.7 million for projects that carry on the education side of redress and the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Rep. Robert Matsui praised the awards on the front page. Caroline Aoyagi reported on a citizenship workshop in Venice, where elderly permanent residents faced benefit cuts under welfare reform. Bill Hosokawa answered columnist Richard Estrada’s attack on redress for Japanese Latin Americans, and Sakaye and George Aratani pledged $100,000 to the Go For Broke ’97 campaign for a veterans monument in Little Tokyo.

Elsewhere in these 12 pages, Day of Remembrance events were covered in Denver and Sacramento, with speakers recalling Tule Lake and Amache. Harry K. Honda reviewed new books on the Military Intelligence Service and Tule Lake, and wrote about Joan Myers’ photographs of Manzanar and Heart Mountain. Other items included Carson’s close mayoral race, the Korean War memorial groundbreaking, and Helen Kawagoe’s call to build JACL membership.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• CLPEF Allocates $2.7 Million in Grants, by P.C. Staff Report, page 1. The Civil Liberties Public Education Fund board announced its initial 100 grant recipients on March 5, allocating $2.7 million, with plans to develop a curriculum project initiative. Rep. Robert Matsui praised the grants as fulfilling the educational component of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, while a panel of 45 reviewers spent half a year evaluating thousands of applications.
• A Panoramic Summary of Nat’l JACL Finances, by David Hayashi, page 3. National JACL Secretary-Treasurer David Hayashi outlined his vision and goals for ensuring financial stability, citing improved membership revenues, a successful fundraising letter, and growth in the Legacy Fund investment portfolio to nearly $6 million. He detailed ongoing projects including new investment policy guidelines, technology upgrades, and the 1995 audit by Deloitte & Touche.
• Intermountain District Council Grows Membership Through Personal Outreach, by Yas Tokita, page 3. The Intermountain District Council, one of JACL’s smallest, saw the Wasatch Front North chapter increase membership by nearly 200% after a challenge from Denny Yasuhara to boost membership by 10%. Floyd and Irene Mori’s personal solicitation efforts and youth outreach were credited with revitalizing the Mt. Olympus chapter’s membership base.
• Theme for Taizo Kokubo Award Announced, page 4. Detroit JACL announced a $1,500 scholarship essay contest on the theme ‘On JACL membership — What’s in it for me,’ open to collegians or high school graduates affiliated with the chapter. The award, due June 30, perpetuates the legacy of Taizo Kokubo in supporting higher education.
• Young Chapter Board Takes Helm at Torrance JACL, page 4. New Torrance JACL president Stephanie Nakano outlined the chapter’s goals of preserving Japanese American culture and fighting discrimination, leading what may be the youngest chapter board in the country. The chapter, founded in 1983 by Councilman George Nakano, emphasized scholarships and community service as priorities.
• New Membership Administrator Named, page 4. National JACL Director Herbert Yamanishi announced Donna Okubo of San Jose joined National staff as membership administrator on March 13. Okubo previously worked at the Tech Museum of Innovation and KQED in development roles.
• Chiogioji Heads Nat’l JA Memorial Foundation, page 12. Dr. Melvin H. Chiogioji was elected chairman of the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation, succeeding William ‘Mo’ Marumoto. The Washington D.C. memorial will commemorate Japanese American WWII veterans and honor those who endured wartime internment camps.

Community

• Permanent Residents Rush to Become Citizens, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. More than 70 people attended a citizenship workshop at the Venice Japanese Community Center organized by JACL Pacific Southwest and Little Tokyo Service Center, as elderly and needy legal immigrants face benefit cuts under federal welfare reform. Individual stories, including 90-year-old Issei Sasami Maeda and others, illustrate the urgency and emotional difficulty of giving up Japanese citizenship to secure U.S. benefits.
• Filipino American Tops Japanese American in Race for Mayor, page 1. Peter Fajardo was sworn in as mayor of Carson after a razor-thin 155-vote victory over Mike Mitoma following a recount of absentee ballots. Fajardo called for healing in the city, while observers noted the win as a sign of growing Filipino American political unity.
• Kawagoe’s Ever-Present Challenge: Boosting Membership, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. National JACL President Helen Kawagoe spoke at the Ventura County JACL chapter installation, sharing her experience building Gardena Valley JACL’s membership past 1,000 and encouraging chapters to connect with younger generations. Assemblyman Nao Takasugi also spoke, and the chapter’s unique self-directed team leadership structure was highlighted.
• Citizenship Workshop Draws Crowds Amid Welfare Cuts, page 7. Continuing from the front-page story, elderly legal immigrants shared their motivations and struggles in seeking U.S. citizenship, including difficulties with the INS naturalization test and language barriers. Volunteers and organizers stressed the urgent community need created by looming benefit cuts for non-citizens.
• Three Asian Pacific American Women in Top California Trade Union Posts, page 9. Kim Yasuda was named the first organizing director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO, while Patricia Lee and Katie Quan also achieved high-level union positions. Quan was elected vice president of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees.
• East-West Center Gets $450,000 Grant from Japan Government, page 10. The Japanese government presented a $450,000 grant to the East-West Center for its Pacific Islands development program, part of over $2.8 million contributed since 1978. However, the center faces declining federal funding, dropping from $25 million to a projected zero by the early 2000s.
• Japanese Presbyterian Churches Convene, by David A. Fong, page 11. The Japanese Presbyterian Churches held its 91st annual assembly in Sacramento over Presidents’ Day weekend, featuring keynote speaker Ada Lum and workshops on prayer, self-esteem, and youth ministries. Outgoing moderator Joyce Uyeda was recognized, and new advisory board officers were elected representing churches across California and other states.
• Nikkei Pharmacist Heads State Board, page 11. Darlene F. Fujimoto was reappointed by Governor Wilson to a four-year term on the California State Board of Pharmacy, where she currently serves as president. A USC pharmacy doctorate graduate, she works as director of clinical programs for Clinical Care Pharmacies, Inc.
• PANA-USA Prepares for Mexico City Convention, page 12. The 9th International Pan American Nikkei Association convention is set for July 24-27 in Mexico City, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Mexico. At PANA-USA’s annual meeting, President Noritoshi Kanai reported on scholarship contributions benefiting students at Hideyo Noguchi School in Lima, Peru.
• Twin Cities to Celebrate Its 50th Anniversary, page 12. Twin Cities JACL celebrates its 50th anniversary April 5 at the Holiday Inn West with keynote speaker Mako and a performance by Kogen Taiko featuring personal histories of interned Minnesotans. The chapter was founded in 1947 as the United Citizens League to protect Japanese American community interests.
• JAHSSC Installs Officers at Theater Matinee, page 12. The Japanese American Historical Society of Southern California held its 1997 officer installation at East West Players following a matinee of Ed Sakamoto’s ‘The Taste of Kona Coffee.’ Incoming president George Kiriyama wanted the installation to be different, combining the ceremony with theater and community engagement.

Military & Veterans

• Generous Donation Launches ‘Go For Broke’, page 1. Sakaye and George Aratani pledged $100,000 toward the Japanese American WWII Veterans Monument in Little Tokyo, kicking off the Go For Broke ’97 fundraising campaign to raise $2.5 million. Foundation chair Col. Young Oak Kim expressed gratitude and outlined plans for a spring 1998 groundbreaking.
• Sansei Combat Naval Pilot Speaks at Sacramento’s Day of Remembrance, by Toko Fujii, page 5. Capt. Gordon R. Nakagawa, USN (ret.), a combat naval pilot and former Vietnam POW, was keynote speaker at Sacramento JACL’s Day of Remembrance program attended by over 300 people. He expressed gratitude to WWII veterans whose service opened the Navy to Japanese Americans, and medallions were presented to Nisei veterans.
• Sansei Naval Commander Addresses Nisei Veterans, page 5. Commander Frances Omori of Honolulu, daughter of a 100th Battalion veteran, spoke to the Japanese American Veterans Assn. about her 17-year Navy career and praised the loyalty and courage of Nisei veterans. She currently works at the Institute of National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University.
• Next-of-Kin Sought of Nikkei KIA-MIA in the Korean War, page 5. The Japanese American Korean War Memorial Committee is seeking information from next-of-kin of Nikkei killed or missing in action in Korea for its memorial wall dedication set for May 24 in Little Tokyo. Photos and military citation copies are requested by March 31.
• Nisei VFW Reunion Backs Controversial Monument, page 5. By an 8-5 vote, the 47th general reunion of the Nisei Veterans of Foreign Wars endorsed the 100th/442nd/MIS WWII Memorial Foundation’s mission to erect a monument in Little Tokyo. Col. Young Oak Kim explained the site approval process and clarified questions about permits and city authority.
• Ground Broken for Korean War Memorial, page 5. Ground was broken March 1 for the Japanese American Korean War Veterans memorial wall honoring 249 Japanese Americans who died in that conflict, with Medal of Honor winner Hiroshi Hershey Miyamura attending. The memorial will be dedicated during Memorial Day weekend, May 22-26, with a full weekend of reunion events planned.
• MIS History Keeps Growing, More Expected, by Harry K. Honda, page 10. A new book, ‘Unsung Heroes: MIS Past, Present, Future,’ compiles panelist presentations from a 1995 reunion documenting the history of Nisei Military Intelligence Service linguists during WWII. More MIS reunions and historical documentation projects are planned, including work by Army command historian Dr. James McNaughton.

National

• Hawaii Self-Determination Debate Heats Up Over Money, page 1. Hawaii lawmakers debated a bill seeking additional funds, possibly $8 million per year, to carry out last fall’s mandate for a Native Hawaiian sovereignty vote. Senator Dan Inouye insisted any sovereignty status must be recognized by Congress, while sovereignty advocates like Ha Hawaii sought to bypass Congress and resolve the issue within the Hawaiian community.
• Supreme Court Declines Test of Arizona’s ‘English Only’ Clause, page 12. The Supreme Court on March 3 declined to decide whether states may require public employees to speak only English, instead ruling the Arizona case moot since the plaintiff had left state employment. The ‘English-only’ movement continues to divide the nation, with groups like JACL advocating multicultural tolerance.
• U.S., Japan Await New Airlines Pact, page 12. Negotiators met in Washington to revise the 1952 U.S.-Japan air service agreement, with the U.S. seeking less restrictive terms for its carriers to extend service beyond Japan. Honolulu already has more flights from Japan than any other U.S. gateway, according to Professor Fred Collison of the University of Hawaii.

Incarceration & Redress

• Denverites Observe ‘Day of Remembrance’, page 5. Denver’s Day of Remembrance combined a memorial service at Denver Buddhist Temple with a panel of speakers who shared their WWII camp experiences, including internment at Puyallup Assembly Center, Tule Lake, and Amache. Speakers included 442nd veteran George Sakato and Dr. Ida Nakashima, moderated by Dr. Lane Hirabayashi.
• CLPEF Postpones Its Day of Remembrance, page 5. The Civil Liberties Public Education Fund rescheduled its National Day of Remembrance event planned for February 19, 1997, in Washington, D.C., until 1998. Board Chair Dale Minami cited the overwhelming response to the grants program and longer-than-expected proposal evaluation time.
• One Haiku/Tanka Sought for WWII Monument, page 5. The National Japanese American Memorial Foundation invited public submissions of original haiku or tanka poems in English to be imprinted on one of the memorial stones. Submissions are due April 17 and will undergo blind review.

Commentary

• The Last Good Nisei Man, by Akemi Kaylene, page 7. The author reflects on marrying her husband Steve, a white man with traditional Nisei-style personality traits like quiet strength, family devotion, and non-confrontational aggression channeled into ideas rather than people. She argues that cultural values, not race, defined her choice of spouse, noting the old Nisei personality is disappearing among younger generations.
• ‘White’ Racial Designation Outdated in a Nation of Ethnic Americans, page 7. Professor Gerald Horne suggests replacing ‘white’ as a racial reference with ‘Euro-American’ to reflect place of origin, similar to other ethnic American designations. He argues the term ‘white’ historically conveyed unearned privilege and may need reevaluation as the U.S. enters what some call the ‘Pacific century.’
• Mr. Estrada: Listen to Emmerson, Not Baker, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Columnist Bill Hosokawa criticizes syndicated columnist Richard Estrada for echoing discredited arguments against Japanese Latin American redress, comparing him to the late Lillian Baker. Hosokawa cites John Emmerson’s firsthand account in ‘The Japanese Thread’ documenting the U.S. government’s illegal internment of Japanese Peruvians as clear justification for redress.

Arts & Entertainment

• JANM Earns Federal Agency’s $112,500 General/Support Grant, page 10. The Japanese American National Museum received a $112,500 grant from the Institute of Museum Services, recognized by president Irene Hirano as validation of the museum’s dedicated staff and volunteers. Construction on the museum’s Phase II Pavilion began last month across from the original Nishi Hongwanji building.
• Whispered Silences: Japanese American Detention Camps, Fifty Years Later, by Harry K. Honda, page 10. Photographer Joan Myers’ exhibit at the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego features haunting images of remains from WWII internment camps including Manzanar and Heart Mountain. The exhibit runs through April 13 and drew about 200 attendees to its reception, including former internee Rose Sakemi Itano.
• Artifacts, Photos of Prewar Mainland Sumo Sought, page 10. The Japanese American National Museum is seeking artifacts and photographs related to prewar Mainland sumo for an upcoming traveling exhibit debuting this summer in Hawaii and Los Angeles. Interested parties should contact curator Glen Kitayama before bringing in items.
• Kubose Dharma Legacy Founded to ‘Americanize’ Buddhism, page 11. The Rev. Gyomay Kubose Legacy was established in January 1997 to continue the work of the late Rev. Kubose in developing a uniquely American form of Buddhism. His son, Rev. Sunnan Kubose, founded the organization to publish materials, hold seminars, and maintain educational resources including a 24-hour telephone teaching service.
• JANM Pavilion Among First to Rise in Little Tokyo as Year 2000 Dawns, page 11. The new Japanese American National Museum Pavilion is expected to be among the first major projects completed in downtown Los Angeles’s Civic Center revitalization, featuring a National Resource Center and multimedia production facilities. JANM has raised $20 million toward its $45 million Phase 2 campaign goal, following successful renovation of the historic Nishi Hongwanji building.

In-Depth

• An Important Contribution, by Harry K. Honda, page 10. Harold Jacoby’s book ‘Tule Lake: From Relocation to Segregation’ documents his experience as a War Relocation Authority staff member overseeing the warden corps at Tule Lake from 1942-1944. Retired Naval officers praised the book as an important historical contribution written primarily for Jacoby’s grandchildren and Tule Lake alumni.
• Cal Poly Pomona Receives $5.6 Million for Landfill Reclamation Project, page 12. The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts presented a $5.625 million grant, the largest lump-sum contribution ever, to Cal Poly Pomona for the LandLab project transforming the closing Spadra Landfill. The project will feature a 9-hole golf course serving as a wildlife sanctuary, walnut groves, and an educational theme park.

Sports

• ‘Diamonds in Rough’ Exhibit Expanded, page 10. Kerry Nakagawa’s photographic exhibit on Nisei baseball history, ‘Diamonds in the Rough,’ has been expanded and will open April 1 at the California State Capitol, running through August. A benefit reunion luncheon for baseball alumni will be held April 26 at Holiday Villa Restaurant in Sacramento to help defray exhibit costs.

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