Food stamps restored for legal immigrants, plus the redress story

Vol. 127, No. 1, July 3, 1998. 12 pages. View this issue

Immigration and civil rights led the news on July 3, 1998. President Clinton signed a bill restoring federal food stamps to 250,000 legal immigrants, the elderly and disabled, though roughly 935,000 legal residents stayed ineligible. The Senate confirmed Susan Oki Mollway as a federal judge for Hawaii, and Fred Korematsu received the California Senate Medal. Mika Tanner wrote about Japanese war brides in two pieces, and Harry K. Honda looked back on 25 national JACL conventions ahead of the Philadelphia gathering.

Much of the issue returned to the World War II incarceration (often called internment) and redress. Inside are the Tulelake reunion, a new Manzanar tour book, the Smithsonian’s A More Perfect Union exhibit in San Francisco and Salt Lake City, and Executive Order 9066 essays by Day of Remembrance scholarship winners. Hasbro’s 442nd G.I. Joe figure and the Go For Broke Monument also appeared, along with chapter scholarship news.

What’s in this issue

National

• Clinton Restores Food Stamps to Legal Immigrants, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Clinton signed a bill on June 23 restoring federal food stamps to 250,000 legal immigrants, the elderly and disabled, who had lost benefits under the 1996 welfare overhaul. The Agricultural Research Bill restores $818 million in benefits over five years, though roughly 935,000 legal residents will still remain ineligible.
• Oki Mollway Confirmed as First APA Woman Federal Judge, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate confirmed Susan Oki Mollway as U.S. District Court Judge for Hawaii by a vote of 56-34, making her the first Asian Pacific American woman to serve on the federal district court. A Harvard Law graduate and litigation partner in Honolulu, she was strongly supported by NAPABA and the ABA, which gave her its highest rating.

Community

• War Brides: An Unknown Story, by Mika Tanner, page 1. In the second installment of her series on the Shin-Issei community, Mika Tanner tells the story of Hiroko, a Japanese war bride who married an American serviceman after WWII and moved to the U.S. The article explores the stigma war brides faced from other Nisei and the hardships of adjusting to a new country and marriage.
• Torrance JACL 4 Kids Day Golf Tournament Fundraiser, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Torrance JACL Chapter is holding its first annual golf tournament fundraiser on July 25 to benefit four children’s charitable organizations in the L.A. area. The event includes contests, a buffet dinner, and raffle, with sponsorship and donation opportunities available.
• Lessons Learned from History: An Essay Writing Competition, by P.C. Staff, page 5. San Mateo JACL sponsored a Day of Remembrance essay contest for San Mateo County high school students on topics including Asian migration and Japanese American internment. Winners Logan Price, Keri Owyang, and Bradley Okamoto will receive savings bonds and educational materials at a July 18 potluck.
• Watsonville Chapter Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The JACL Watsonville Chapter awarded Kee Kitayama Memorial Scholarships to Amy Uyematsu, Derek Hayashi, and Michelle Kadotani, who each wrote essays on Executive Order 9066 for Day of Remembrance. Thanks to increased funding, the chapter awarded a record $2,250 total this year.
• Fremont JACL Holds Scholarship Luncheon, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Fremont JACL held its annual scholarship luncheon on May 31, honoring graduates including Catherine Droboff, Jeni Yamashita, Emi Kamei, and Ryan Nagata. Guest speaker Fire Marshall Bill Reykalin discussed his career and encouraged youths to embrace change.
• West Los Angeles JACL Scholarship Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 5. West Los Angeles JACL and Auxiliary held a scholarship dinner honoring graduating seniors, including recipients of the Taye Isono and Dr. Milton Inouye scholarships. Miss West Los Angeles Erin Kimie Sato congratulated recipients and Rev. Mark Nakagawa led prayers at the event.
• Santa Maria Valley Chapter Scholarships Awarded, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Santa Maria Valley Chapter JACL awarded two $500 scholarships for 1998, including one to Sumi Araki-Kawaguchi, who will transfer from Allan Hancock College to continue her computer science education. The article details her academic plans and family background.

Incarceration & Redress

• Korematsu Awarded Calif. Senate Medal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fred Korematsu received the California Senate Medal on June 11 for his contributions to liberty, following his earlier receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Korematsu had refused internment during WWII and his case, along with those of Minoru Yasui and Gordon Hirabayashi, challenged the constitutionality of Japanese American incarceration.
• Tulelake Reunion VI: Memories of WWII Internment and Redress, by Toko Fujii, page 4. The Tulelake Reunion VI in Sacramento featured four symposiums covering evacuation health effects, a documentary on children of the camps, Japanese American musicians, and a panel on the redress movement. Panelists including John Tateishi, Dr. Clifford Uyeda, William Marutani, Priscilla Ouchida, and Harry Fukuhara recounted their roles in achieving redress and reparations.
• CLPEF Statement on Japanese Latin Americans, by Susan Hayase, page 4. The Civil Liberties Public Education Fund vice chair discusses the Mochizuki v. United States settlement for Japanese Latin Americans, noting policy concerns including lower compensation ($5,000) compared to Japanese Americans’ $20,000 redress. The piece calls for further study and greater public understanding of JLA wartime experiences.
• Manzanar Committee Completes Tour Guide Book, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Manzanar Committee announced completion of a 45-page self-guided tour book, Reflections: In Three Self-guided Tours of Manzanar, funded by the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund. The book includes historic photographs, a reading list, and maps of three suggested tours of the former internment camp site.
• A More Perfect Union Opens at San Francisco Public Library, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The San Francisco Public Library is presenting the Smithsonian exhibit and program series commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, examining the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans and constitutional issues. The series includes children’s programs, storytelling, and performance art to reach younger audiences.
• Utah Chapters Make a Big Deal Out of Visit of A More Perfect Union Exhibit, by Yas Tokita, page 6. Utah JACL chapters organized extensive programming around the traveling Smithsonian exhibit at the Salt Lake City Public Library, including a gala opening with taiko drummers, panel discussions, and a teacher workshop. Speakers included Jane Beckwith on the Topaz Museum and the Nikki Nojima Louis Troupe performed their reader’s play on internment.
• A Lesson in American History, by Steven C. Nagata, page 6. New York JACL Chapter conducted its first teachers’ workshop at NYU, attracting more than 25 educators to learn about Japanese American internment and redress. The workshop, held in conjunction with JANM’s exhibit at Ellis Island, included personal testimonies from panelists who had been incarcerated at Minidoka.
• San Francisco State Honors Japanese American Students Forced to Leave College, Sent to Internment Camps in 1942, by P.C. Staff, page 10. San Francisco State University honored four former students – Sue Yusa, Aiko Nishi Uwate, George Magotaka Hirose, and Helen Nitta Hori – who were forced to leave college in 1942 due to Executive Order 9066, at its May 30 commencement. The university also awarded honorary degrees to sculptor Ruth Asawa and historian John Hope Franklin, and the article details each honoree’s wartime experience and later life.

JACL

• JACL Legacy Grant Deadline Extended, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL Legacy Grant deadline has been extended to July 24, with nearly $23,000 available this year to encourage chapters to develop local programs. Past programs funded include leadership conferences, oral history projects, and educational workshops and films.

Arts & Entertainment

• Disney’s Mulan: China Goes Mainstream, by Mika Tanner, page 3. Mika Tanner reviews Disney’s animated film Mulan, praising its departure from typical Disney romance formulas and its more realistic depiction of its heroine. She notes the film Americanizes Chinese folklore and may be many children’s only exposure to Chinese history, despite being far better than an earlier proposed version called China Doll.

Military & Veterans

• G.I. Joe Salutes the WWII 442nd, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Hasbro’s 1998 G.I. Joe Classic Collection will include a 442nd Combat Team figure honoring Nisei soldiers, available in September. The article recounts the history of the 442nd, their incarceration, volunteer service, and their record as the most decorated unit in U.S. Army history.
• 442 Vets O.K. Nisei G.I. Joe Doll, by P.C. Staff, page 3. AJA veterans in Hawaii reviewed the new Hasbro 442nd Combat Team G.I. Joe doll and found minor inaccuracies in its equipment but still considered it an honor. A Nikkei Hasbro employee suggested the figure a year earlier to designer Kurt Groen, and a prototype was well received at a G.I. Joe convention in San Jose.
• Korean Vets Seeking KIA Photos for Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Japanese American Korean War Veterans are hosting their second annual Korean War Memorial Exhibit during Nisei Week, seeking additional photographs of Korean War KIAs for their Gallery of Honor display. The committee aims to expand the exhibit ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Korean War in 1999.
• Update on the Go For Broke Monument, page 9. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Go For Broke Monument in Los Angeles honoring WWII Nisei veterans, with Sen. Inouye’s name to be included on the Honor Roll of 15,000 men who served. The article also notes a reconciliation between feuding veteran groups and states $500,000 more is needed to reach the $2.5 million fundraising goal.

Commentary

• Bubble Girl, by Mika Tanner, page 7. In this Nikkei Voice column, Mika Tanner reflects on Japanese American reserve around physical affection compared to the openness of Brazilian culture she encountered through samba dancing. She considers how JAs adapt their physical expressiveness depending on cultural context while maintaining that lack of physical demonstrativeness doesn’t equal lack of caring.
• A P.C. Reporter’s Reflections of 25 National JACL Conventions, by Harry K. Honda, page 7. Harry K. Honda recounts memorable moments from 25 biennial national JACL conventions dating back to 1938, including the 1952 Walter-McCarran bill emergency session and the 1968 naming of Norman Mineta as Nisei of the Biennium. He reflects on the evolution of the conventions leading up to the 1998 Philadelphia convention.
• Coming or Going, by Bill Marutani, page 7. Bill Marutani recounts an experience with an Asian airline employee’s attentive customer service and questions whether it stemmed from shared ethnicity, drawing a parallel to a restaurant seating incident he witnessed. He reflects on ambiguous treatment based on ethnicity in service industries.
• Internet 101, by Emily Murase, page 8. In this JACL Board column, Emily Murase provides a beginner’s guide to the Internet ahead of her workshop at the Philadelphia National Convention, explaining terms like ISP, web browser, and search engine. She highlights how JACL chapters are using websites to reach members and promote community events.
• A 4th of July Celebration, by Grace Kimoto, page 8. CCDC Governor Grace Kimoto reflects on her work with JACL and poses questions about whether Japanese Americans are treated as equals in society. She calls for unity at the 35th National Convention in Philadelphia as the country celebrates the 4th of July.
• A Lasting Memorial, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. In his From the Frying Pan column, Bill Hosokawa describes the 52nd annual Memorial Day service at the Nisei War Memorial in Denver’s Fairmont Cemetery, honoring Japanese American war dead. He expresses concern about who will carry on the commemoration as veterans age, while noting the planned Japanese American National Memorial in Washington, D.C. will be permanently maintained by a federal agency.
• Prop 209 Is Our Fight, by Jerry Enomoto, page 9. Past National JACL President Jerry Enomoto argues that Asian Pacific Americans must continue fighting for affirmative action despite rising APA enrollment concerns, emphasizing solidarity with African Americans and Hispanics. He reminds readers that APAs were once themselves targets of discrimination during WWII incarceration.
• Arigatai, by Sharsu Tanihana, page 9. A letter writer discusses the disparity in redress amounts between railroad/mining workers’ families and Japanese Latin Americans, criticizing the $5,000 partial payment as insufficient. The writer encourages readers to send thank-you contributions (orei) to scholarship funds established by railroad and mining descendants.

Obituaries

• Aiko Reinecke, 91: A First Target of ‘Red’ Hysteria, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Aiko Toshimasa Reinecke, a fourth-grade teacher who fell victim to communist scare hysteria in 1948, died May 10 at age 91 in Honolulu. She and her husband John were fired from teaching positions and convicted of subversion, though their convictions were later overturned and the Hawaii State Board of Education eventually exonerated them.
• Ernest Makita, Decorated 442nd Veteran, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Ernest Makita, who volunteered from the Amache concentration camp to serve with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s Co. I, died May 20 at age 78. He earned three Purple Hearts and a Bronze Medal for bravery, including wounds sustained during the battle of the Lost Battalion in France.

In-Depth

• The Shin-Issei: A War Bride’s Story, by Mika Tanner, page 12. This continuation of Mika Tanner’s series follows Hiroko’s life after marrying an American serviceman, including her difficult adjustment to Alabama, her strained marriage, and eventual divorce after 15 years. Despite isolation and family rejection, Hiroko built a life in Los Angeles working for a Japanese community organization and embraced America as her home.

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