Vol. 124, No. 3, February 7, 1997. 12 pages. View this issue
Two stories shared the front page of this 12-page issue. The San Francisco school board moved to award belated diplomas to an estimated 200 Nisei students who were evacuated during World War II before they could graduate. Al Muratsuchi reported that anxious elderly Issei were calling JACL’s Los Angeles office for help applying for citizenship after the 1996 welfare reform bill cut noncitizens from programs like SSI and food stamps. Judge Lance Ito spoke at the San Fernando Valley Chapter’s installation dinner, where Caroline Aoyagi counted a record turnout of 230.
Columns by Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and Harry K. Honda fill the commentary pages. Inside are more chapter installations, a JACL fund drive appeal from Herbert Yamanishi, and a rededicated Japanese garden at Roosevelt High School. Reviews cover Dear Miye, Puppe’s Story and Jojofu, and a report on the film Visas and Virtue, about diplomat Chiune Sugihara.
What’s in this issue
National
- San Francisco School Board Seeks WWII Evacuee High School Graduates, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Francisco Unified School District will award belated diplomas to an estimated 200 WWII-era Nisei students who were evacuated before graduating. School board commissioner Leland Yee authored a resolution directing the superintendent to identify affected students, several of whom shared their memories of being denied proper commencement ceremonies.
- Elderly Issei Seek Citizenship Amid Welfare Reform Fears, by Al Muratsuchi, page 1. Anxious elderly Issei have been calling JACL’s Los Angeles office seeking help applying for U.S. citizenship after the 1996 federal welfare reform bill cut noncitizens from programs like SSI and food stamps. JACL Pacific Southwest District and the Little Tokyo Service Center are organizing citizenship workshops, though demand has far outpaced capacity.
JACL
- Ex-JACL Director Eyes Justice Dept. Post, by P.C. Staff, page 3. National JACL urged President Clinton to appoint Dennis W. Hayashi, a former National JACL Director and civil rights lawyer, to be an assistant U.S. attorney general. Hayashi previously headed the civil rights section at the Department of Health and Human Services.
- JACL Fund Drive Needs Support, by Herbert Yamanishi, page 6. National Director Herbert Yamanishi appealed for donations to reach the 1996-97 Annual Giving Campaign goal of $100,000, noting $74,820 had been raised so far. He explained that Annual Giving has become critical to balancing the JACL budget and funding new initiatives like curriculum distribution and hate crime programming.
Community
- Judge Lance Ito Thanks JACL for Hard Work and Accomplishments, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 3. A record turnout of 230 people attended the San Fernando Valley Chapter’s 55th Installation Dinner to hear Judge Lance Ito speak about growing intolerance in America following Propositions 187 and 209. Ito praised JACL’s work and noted a positive trend of Japanese Americans in prominent legal positions, while new co-president Akemi Kayieng Knight discussed the chapter’s efforts to attract younger members.
- Publisher’s Note to P.C. Subscribers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Pacific Citizen publisher addressed subscriber complaints about not receiving the Holiday Issue, noting that 20,714 copies were mailed in December 1996. Readers who did not receive their copy were advised to contact their postmaster or send $3 for a replacement.
- South Bay JACL Thriving as Young Adult Members Take on Leadership Roles, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 4. The South Bay Chapter of Los Angeles has successfully integrated young members into leadership, with 27-year-olds Christine Ige and Christine Sato installed as co-presidents. The chapter’s Young Adults Group has nearly 80 members, and longtime members praised the chapter as a model for attracting younger generations to JACL.
- Selanoco Chapter Returns Ken Inouye as Chair, by Harry K. Honda, page 5. Southeast Los Angeles-North Orange County JACL installed Ken Inouye as chapter president again at a luncheon attended by 130 people, with Olympic diving champion Dr. Sammy Lee as guest speaker. Lee recounted the racial discrimination he faced in 1955 when trying to buy a home in Garden Grove, and the community support that eventually helped him settle in Anaheim.
- Mile-Hi Chapter Honors Kimiko Side for Years of Volunteer Work, by Tom Masamori, page 5. The Mile-Hi Chapter’s installation dinner-dance, emceed by Denver TV anchor Adele Arakawa, honored Kimiko Side with the Kansha no Hi award for her volunteer efforts including chairing the Denver Takayama Sister Committee. Newly elected president Dr. Frank Sakamoto thanked outgoing president Tom Migaki and pledged to grow chapter membership.
- Japanese Garden Rises Again at Roosevelt High School, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A rededication ceremony at Roosevelt High School unveiled a new Japanese garden honoring the students who built the original 1933-34 garden as well as Japanese Americans who were interned during WWII. Approximately 225 people attended the event, which included speeches from alumni who served in the 442nd and MIS, and a tour led by student leaders.
Obituaries
- Successive Deaths of Bill Yoshino’s Parents Mourned, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The parents of Midwest Regional Director Bill Yoshino, Matrice and Misako Yoshino, died a month apart in Chicago, with his mother passing on New Year’s Eve and his father on Feb. 2. Memorial donations were directed to the Chicago JACL.
Military & Veterans
- ‘Pre-442nd’ Ft. Sam Houston Nisei Veterans Ready for ’97 Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Nisei GIs who were stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio during WWII continue their annual reunions, with the 1997 gathering scheduled for April 21-23 in Las Vegas. The article recounts the group’s history, including 12 volunteers who participated in dangerous chemical warfare research experiments and were denied a retroactive Bronze Star, plus stories from veterans like Jim Tazoi who later fought with the 442nd in the rescue of the Lost Battalion.
Commentary
- Looking for the ‘Staunchiest’ JACLer, by Henry Mori, page 6. Henry Mori reflects on the racial discrimination faced by Nisei college graduates in the 1930s who often ended up working in fruit stands despite their education. He recalls JACL’s founding mission to combat discrimination and muses that while the organization has minimized prejudice, true equality remains elusive.
- A Postscript for ‘Something Weird’, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Bill Hosokawa explains that a column about Nisei and ‘glass ceilings’ was mistakenly republished from a prior issue due to a production error. He recounts a curious coincidence in which an Irish JACL member read about conductor Kent Nagano in both an Irish newspaper and the reprinted Pacific Citizen column on the same day.
- A Personal Strike Against Leukemia, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Bill Marutani writes about his eleven-year-old granddaughter Brenna’s diagnosis with leukemia, referencing the bone marrow matching work of A3M (Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches). He shares fond memories of Brenna’s athletic and theatrical talents while expressing hope for her recovery through an upcoming bone marrow transplant.
- ‘Thank You’ Time, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Harry Honda thanks numerous donors and contributors who supported the Pacific Citizen through the PC SAVE campaign and other gifts, including a $2,500 donation from Michi Masunaga in memory of her husband. He also acknowledges readers who regularly send news clippings from around the country to help supplement the paper’s obituary and news coverage.
- Another Look at ‘Reconciliation’, page 9. A letter writer challenges Stanley Kanzaki’s earlier call for JACL reconciliation with Fair Play Committee draft resisters, arguing for a clearer distinction between the loyalty oath and draft resistance. The writer criticizes JACL leaders’ historical condemnation of resisters and calls for an act of contrition rather than mere reconciliation, with an editor’s note responding to some of the historical claims.
- Instead of ‘A’ Magazine, page 9. A letter writer criticizes JACL National’s mailing of a free copy of ‘A’ magazine to members as a poor use of funds, arguing it offers little relevant content to a Japanese American civil rights organization. The writer suggests JACL instead offer books, videos, or music produced by Japanese American authors and artists.
- Rolling Riceballed Identities, by Gael Muramoto, page 9. A poem by Gael Muramoto explores the Japanese American immigrant experience, from early settlement through wartime internment to postwar resilience and military service. The postwar-born poet draws on her parents’ stories of WWII hysteria and prejudice, expressing pride in Nikkei heritage and vigilance against future injustice.
Arts & Entertainment
- Wartime Thoughts of a Strandee: Review of ‘Dear Miye’, by Rev. S. Michael Yasutake, page 10. This review examines ‘Dear Miye, Letters Home from Japan, 1939-46,’ a book of personal letters by Nisei Mary Kimoto Tomita, who was in Japan during WWII. The letters reveal how national and international events shaped her personal life and highlight the mistreatment of stranded Nisei by both U.S. policy and Nisei GIs who viewed them as disloyal.
- The Chiune Sugihara Saga: Review of ‘Puppe’s Story’, by Harry K. Honda, page 10. This review covers ‘Puppe’s Story,’ a children’s book by Anne Hoshiko Akabori that recounts diplomat Chiune Sugihara’s rescue of 6,000 Jewish refugees during the Holocaust, as remembered by his son Hiroki. The book is filled with photographs depicting Sugihara as a loving father alongside his historic diplomatic career.
- A Different Japanese Folktale: Review of ‘Jojofu’, by Harry K. Honda, page 10. This review discusses ‘Jojofu,’ a children’s book by Michael P. Waite illustrated by Yoriko Ito, about a white hunting dog who repeatedly saves her master in an ancient Japanese folktale. The illustrations vividly dramatize scenes that may be intense for very young children, including a giant snake attack under moonlight.
- Film on Chiune Sugihara in Final Production Phase, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 10. The creators of ‘Visas and Virtue,’ a 24-minute film about diplomat Chiune Sugihara who saved thousands of Jews during WWII, have reached post-production but need additional funds to complete the project. Writer-director Chris Tashima, who plays Sugihara, said he wanted to portray a positive Asian male hero, while executive producer Tim Toyama based the film on his own play after discovering Sugihara’s story on NPR.
- Singer Pat Suzuki Back on Stage, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Pat Suzuki, star of the original Broadway production of ‘Flower Drum Song,’ will perform at San Francisco’s Alcazar Theater on March 8 for a Nihonmachi Legal Outreach benefit, marking her first Bay Area appearance in nearly 30 years. Her show will include her memorable rendition of ‘I Enjoy Being a Girl.’
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