Vol. 122, No. 10, May 17, 1996. 12 pages. View this issue
A murder case in Tustin, Calif., led this issue. Gunnar Lindberg, accused of killing Vietnamese American Thien Minh Ly, will stand trial on a hate crime charge as well as robbery charges. JACL and Orange County Vietnamese community representatives met with the District Attorney’s office to monitor the prosecution. Richard Suenaga profiled Dan Tani, named to NASA’s 1996 astronaut class, and Gwen Muranaka reported on a volunteer award from the San Francisco chapter.
On the JACL side, candidates for the eight national offices introduced themselves, and three budget scenarios for 1997-98 were laid out ahead of the national convention. Bill Hosokawa wrote about memorial projects, and Harry K. Honda and others covered how the redress education fund might spend $5 million. Albert Muratsuchi described a Manzanar pilgrimage, and Grayce Uyehara listed Legacy Fund donors.
What’s in this issue
National
- Accused Killer of Vietnamese Man Gets Hate Crime Charge, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gunnar Lindberg, accused of stabbing to death Vietnamese American Thien Minh Ly in Tustin, Calif., will stand trial for a hate crime along with special circumstance robbery charges. Lindberg admitted writing a letter bragging about the killing but denied involvement in the murder.
- JACL, Vietnamese Community to Monitor Trial, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL and Orange County Vietnamese community representatives met with the District Attorney’s office to discuss prosecution of two alleged white supremacists accused of murdering Thien Minh Ly. Officials cited rising hate crime statistics in Orange County and urged continued vigilance against organized racism.
- The Right Stuff: Dan Tani Named to NASA Astronaut Class of ’96, by Richard Suenaga, page 3. Dan Tani, the second Japanese American selected for NASA’s astronaut program, is profiled while working at Vandenberg Air Force Base managing Pegasus rocket launch operations. Tani discusses the rigorous selection process, his career at Orbital Sciences Corp., and his hopes to represent the Japanese American community and honor the memory of Ellison Onizuka.
- Japanese Research Scientist and Daughter Shot to Death Near San Diego, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Tsunao Saitoh, a UC San Diego neuroscience professor researching Alzheimer’s disease, and his daughter Loullie were found shot to death in La Jolla, Calif. Police have found no clues or witnesses, and family members are arriving from Asia and Europe to meet with investigators.
- Affirmative Action Reaffirmed, by P.C. Staff, page 10. A coalition of five national Asian Pacific American organizations, including JACL, reaffirmed their support for affirmative action on April 30. The groups stated that affirmative action remains an important tool for remedying discrimination and is not about quotas for unqualified persons.
JACL
- Running for JACL Offices, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Candidates for the eight elected JACL national offices for the 1997-98 biennium have submitted their candidacies ahead of the National Convention. Biographical information for each candidate, including Helen Kawagoe, Richard Uno, David Hayashi, Gary Mayeda, Karen-Liane Shiba, Lori Fujimoto, Hiromi Ueha, and Nicole Inouye, is presented, with platform statements to follow.
- Overview of 1997-98 Proposed Budgets, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Three JACL budget scenarios—A, B, and C—have been presented to chapters ahead of the national convention, differing in dues increases, reserve funding, and whether the Pacific Citizen returns to weekly publication. Membership dues increases of $6-$14 are proposed to fund programs and rebuild reserves depleted since 1994.
- JACL’s NCWNP Urges Voter Registration Program, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The Northern California-Western Nevada Pacific District Council unanimously approved a resolution urging JACL to pursue a national voter registration program, to be forwarded to the National Convention Resolutions Committee. The resolution cites underrepresentation of Asian Americans in government and calls for chapters to register members and organize voter drives.
- Deadline for Masaoka Internship Is Now June 1, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The deadline for the Mike M. Masaoka Congressional Intern Program for 1996-97 has been extended to June 1, 1996. The program offers a $6,000 stipend for an internship in the office of an Asian Pacific American member of Congress.
Community
- Nominees for Volunteer Award Sought by San Francisco Chapter, by Gwen Muranaka, page 2. Applications are open for the Kay Okamoto Volunteer Award, sponsored by the San Francisco JACL Chapter, honoring exceptional community volunteers in the Bay Area. The recipient receives an engraved plaque and a $1,000 award for a nonprofit of their choice, with nominations due by June 15.
- JACL Donor Honor Roll: The Legacy Fund, by Grayce Uyehara, page 9. The JACL National Board acknowledges contributions to the Legacy Fund received from October to December 1995, as the five-year active campaign concluded. The fund will remain open as a perpetual endowment supporting JACL programs, districts, and chapters.
Commentary
- Lest We Forget, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa reflects on the proliferation of memorial projects within the Japanese American community, including a planned national memorial in Washington, D.C. authorized by Congress to honor Japanese American loyalty and sacrifice during WWII. He urges support for the ambitious project led by a dedicated board of Japanese Americans.
- Comments on Use of Public Education Funds, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Community members offered suggestions at an April 30 Little Tokyo meeting on how the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund should disburse its $5 million, including proposals for videotapes, oral histories, CD-ROMs, and monuments. Speakers included Dr. Don Nakanishi, Sue Embrey, and others emphasizing the need to reach audiences unfamiliar with the internment.
Incarceration & Redress
- Public Education—Canadian Style, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Honda details how the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund board met in Little Tokyo to gather ideas for disbursing $5 million in public education funds related to redress. He compares this effort to the Canadian Japanese Redress Foundation’s experience distributing $12 million for community compensation projects since 1989.
- Manzanar, Lillian Baker and Historical Vigilance, by Albert Muratsuchi, page 9. Muratsuchi recounts his first visit to the Manzanar Pilgrimage and a tense encounter at the site’s memorial plaque, initially mistaking a sympathetic gardener for a vandal amid ongoing revisionist attacks by figures like Lillian Baker. He discusses ongoing efforts, including a letter-writing campaign and legislation (H.R. 3006), to expand and protect the Manzanar National Historic Site.
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