Vol. 128, No. 10, May 21, 1999. 12 pages. View this issue
Support for the National Japanese American Memorial in Washington, D.C. ran through this 12-page issue. A fundraising update put the total at $6,259,699.20, about 72.79% of the $8.6 million goal, and commentary from Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani made the case for finishing it. Hosokawa linked it to the rise of Gen. Erik Shinseki, and Marutani wrote about its place between Union Station and the Capitol. The front page and page 12 reported a resolution from the NCWNP District Council honoring Japanese American draft resisters of conscience and urging the national JACL to do the same.
Other pages carried Wes Nakane’s tribute to Michi Weglyn and Clifford I. Uyeda’s call for Nanking Massacre redress, which he compared to the redress won under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Inside are a look at the centennial of Issei arrival in Peru, an obituary for Karl Yoneda, the film festival in Los Angeles, Dean Tokuno’s family photographs, and two JACL job openings.
What’s in this issue
Community
- New Exhibit to Highlight Japanese American Women in Oregon, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center will hold an opening reception on May 23 for a new exhibit titled ‘Oregon Nikkei Women: A Proud Legacy,’ highlighting the contributions of Japanese American women in Oregon. Featured women include dancer Satomi Tachibana and others who blend Japanese tradition with American life.
National
- National Heritage Language Education to be Held on May 27-28, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The California Association of Japanese Language Schools will hold a conference on May 27-28 at the Japanese American National Foreign Language Center addressing issues related to curriculum and teaching of Japanese language education in the U.S. Speakers will discuss the future and context of Japanese language education among Japanese Americans.
JACL
- JACL Job Openings: Director Positions Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 5. JACL announced openings for a Washington, D.C. office director position focused on political and civil rights issues, and a Director of Youth Student Affairs position. Both positions require travel, weekend work, and experience relevant to JACL’s national programs and goals.
Incarceration & Redress
- $2.3 Million Will Meet Aim for Japanese American Monument in D.C., by P.C. Staff, page 5. A four-month update on fundraising progress for the Japanese American Memorial in Washington, D.C. shows district-by-district contribution totals, with the Pacific Northwest exceeding its goal while other districts lag behind. The grand total stands at $6,259,699.20, about 72.79% of the $8.6 million goal.
- NCWNP District Council Resolution Honors Japanese American Draft Resisters of Conscience, page 12. The Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District Council passed a resolution recognizing Japanese American WWII draft resisters of conscience for their principled constitutional stand, urging the National JACL to similarly honor them and issue an apology. The resolution follows years of debate within JACL about acknowledging resisters alongside the loyalty and service of the 442nd and other Nisei veterans.
Arts & Entertainment
- Making the Art of Family: Dean Tokuno’s ‘Japanese American Gothic’, page 6. Photographer Dean Tokuno created a photography series chronicling four generations of his family, including intimate and poignant portraits of his grandfather’s decline after a stroke. The exhibit captures raw family moments, blending humor and pain in its documentation of Japanese American family life.
- The 74th Annual L.A. Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival, by Tracy Uba, page 7. Filmmaker Arbitrario, a UC San Diego graduate student, discusses his long history with the L.A. Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival and his latest short film ‘Valerie’s Hat.’ He reflects on the challenges of surviving financially as an independent Asian American filmmaker while staying true to his artistic vision.
- Visual Communications Presents the 14th Annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The festival showcased over 200 submissions including works by playwright Philip Kan Gotanda and a Godzilla-themed symposium tied to JANM’s Bruce and Norman Yonemoto exhibition. Highlights included Barbara Sonneborn’s Sundance-winning documentary ‘Regret to Inform’ and Dai Sil Kim-Gibson’s ‘Silence Broken: Korean Comfort Women.’
Commentary
- Gen. Shinseki — A Good Reason to Support the National Monument, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Bill Hosokawa reflects on the contrast between Minoru Yasui’s WWII-era rejection from military service due to his ancestry and Erik Shinseki’s rise to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He argues that Shinseki’s achievement is a powerful reason to support the completion of the National Japanese American Memorial in Washington, D.C.
- Shame Beyond Contemplation: A Failure to Honor Our Elders, page 8. The article warns that the National Japanese American Memorial, authorized by Congress, is in jeopardy unless $1.6 million in donations is raised within four months. It urges the community not to hold back out of enryo (reserve) and to actively support the memorial’s completion.
- East Wind: Clearing Up Confusion Over Nikkei Memorial Projects, page 8. The column clarifies confusion between the D.C. Nikkei Memorial and other Nikkei monument projects around the country. It explains the specific Congressional authorization behind the Washington D.C. memorial and its significance to the broader American public.
- Forever’s a Long Time, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Bill Marutani discusses the design and location of the National Japanese American Memorial, noting its auspicious placement between Union Station and the Capitol Building. He reflects on the permanence and significance of the memorial for future generations.
- Remembering Michi, by Wes Nakane, page 9. Wes Nakane writes a personal tribute to the late Michi Weglyn, author of ‘Years of Infamy,’ recalling their decade-long correspondence and her profound generosity and passion for justice. He reflects on a poignant quote she shared shortly after her husband’s death, expressing that she fully lived life’s short-lived joys.
- Nanking Massacre Redress Should Be Considered, by Clifford I. Uyeda, page 9. Former JACL national president Clifford Uyeda argues that redress for the Nanking Massacre should be pursued independently, comparing it to the Japanese American redress campaign under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. He criticizes Japan’s failure to acknowledge the massacre despite extensive evidence and calls on JACL members to support redress for Nanking victims.
- Need to Overcome the Japanese Trait of Denial, page 9. The letter writer discusses the historical context of the Nanking Massacre and Japan’s cultural tendency toward denial of negative events, referencing ‘The Rape of Nanking’ and General Matsui’s wrongful execution. The author draws parallels to a similar trait observed among Issei and Shin-Issei in America, arguing that self-criticism is a sign of strength rather than weakness.
In-Depth
- Japanese in Peru to Celebrate Centennial of 1899 Arrival of First Issei Immigrants, by P.C. Staff, page 9. The article traces the history of Japanese immigration to Peru beginning with the first group of immigrants who arrived in 1899, followed by subsequent waves through 1941. It details early Japanese-Peruvian relations, including the first Peruvian Nisei born to diplomat Oscar Heeren’s Japanese workers, and notes that nearly 55 percent of Japanese in Peru are of Okinawan descent.
- Nanka Nikkei Voices: Resettlement Years, 1945-1955, by Lane Hirabayashi, page 10. A book review of ‘Nanka Nikkei Voices,’ an anthology featuring 39 personal accounts of Southern California Japanese Americans during the post-WWII resettlement period. The reviewer praises the book’s unique approach of first-person retrospective narratives over structured sociological data, covering topics like migration, veterans’ stories, and community rebuilding.
Obituaries
- Yoneda, Longtime Labor and Redress Activist, Dies, page 10. Karl Yoneda, a labor organizer and redress advocate, passed away; the article recounts his history of activism including strikes, imprisonment, and his work with the International Labor Defense. He served in the Military Intelligence Service in Burma and China during WWII despite his family’s incarceration at Manzanar, and continued labor and redress activism until his death.
- Japan’s Minamata Victim Advocate, 67, Dies, page 11. Teruo Kawamoto, who led the organization raising worldwide awareness of Minamata disease caused by industrial mercury discharge, died on February 18 at age 67 of liver cancer. He was a three-term member of the Minamata municipal assembly and is survived by his wife and two sons.
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