Diversity at the Supreme Court and the Puyallup camp exhibit

Vol. 129, No. 15, October 8, 1999. 8 pages. View this issue

A call for more minorities and women among U.S. Supreme Court law clerks led the issue. A coalition of bar associations, including the JACL, noted that of 462 clerks hired, very few were minorities and no Hispanic or Native American had ever served. Organizations such as the NAACP, NAPABA and HNBA asked to meet with Chief Justice Rehnquist, and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. pledged to keep pushing the Judicial Branch Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Other front-page stories covered a new head of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Census figures on fast-growing populations.

Inside are a Puyallup Fair exhibit, ‘Executive Order 9066: 50 Years Before and 60 Years After,’ on Camp Harmony, and Bill Marutani’s account of being welcomed at Dakota Wesleyan University after leaving a World War II camp. Columns by Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani appeared on page 6, followed by a page of letters and a statement from the P.C. Editorial Board.

What’s in this issue

National

• Multicultural Coalition Calls for U.S. Supreme Court to Hire More Minorities, Women, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A coalition of bar associations, including the JACL, called on the U.S. Supreme Court to hire more ethnic minorities and women as law clerks, noting that of 462 clerks hired, very few were minorities and no Hispanic or Native American had ever served. Organizations including the NAACP, NAPABA, and HNBA criticized the court’s hiring practices and requested a meeting with Chief Justice Rehnquist to discuss improving diversity.
• Executive Director Named to White House Initiative Addressing API Health, page 1. Shamina Singh was named the first executive director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, an office created by President Clinton to improve quality of life for APIs in underserved areas. The initiative addresses health, education, and other concerns affecting the API community.
• Stats Show APAs, Hispanics Fastest Growing Populations, by Associated Press, page 1. U.S. Census Bureau data shows the Asian population growing faster than the national average in areas like Washington D.C. suburbs, with Fairfax and Montgomery counties among the top 25 counties nationally for Asian Pacific American population. Philadelphia saw a 22 percent increase in its APA population despite an overall population decline, while Hispanic and black populations also grew significantly across various counties.
• Justices (Continued): Congressman Pushes Judicial Branch Employment Non-Discrimination Act, page 5. Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. pledged to continue pushing for passage of the Judicial Branch Employment Non-Discrimination Act, arguing the Supreme Court operates outside civil rights laws that govern other branches of government. NAPABA’s Nancy Choy noted that justices’ reliance on a narrow pool of law schools for hiring clerks perpetuates the lack of diversity.

Community

• Consortium Joins Minority National Call to ‘Fix 96’ Charitable Giving, page 3. A new report titled ‘Culture of Caring’ examines philanthropic practices among Asian Americans, American Indians, African Americans and other minority groups, recommending ways to increase diverse participation in institutional philanthropy. The report was produced through collaboration involving the Council on Foundations and major foundations including Ford and Kellogg.
• Click2Asia.com Launches with Prominent Asian American Advisory Board, page 3. Click2Asia.com, merging with a major Korean online community, is set to launch as a web destination for people of Asian heritage to connect for social and educational purposes. Prominent Asian American business leaders including Gareth Chang and other executives joined its advisory board.
• Dakota Wesleyan University Honors Bill Marutani’s Wartime Refuge, page 4. Bill Marutani recounted his experience being welcomed at Dakota Wesleyan University (DWU) after leaving a WWII internment camp, describing how the school and community of Mitchell, South Dakota treated him without discrimination during a dark period in U.S. history. He later served in the U.S. Army’s military intelligence in the Pacific Theatre before returning to DWU to complete his degree.
• Hapas Sought for Dissertation Study, page 4. Researcher Lori Ono is conducting a dissertation study on how interracial parents raise mixed-race children and is seeking first-born participants aged 20-45. Participants will be asked to complete confidential questionnaires for the study.
• San Francisco JACL Helps Clean National AIDS Memorial Grove, page 4. Fourteen volunteers from the San Francisco JACL participated in a cleanup effort at the National AIDS Memorial Grove. The event reflected the chapter’s community service engagement.
• VC Accepting Entries for 2000 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival, page 4. Visual Communications is accepting entries for the 15th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival, scheduled for May 18-25, marking the organization’s 30th anniversary. The festival, which has grown from a small event to showcasing over 100 productions, honors APA cinema and has featured renowned filmmakers like Ang Lee and Chris Tashima.
• Exhibit Recalls Internment of Nikkei at Puyallup Fairgrounds, page 5. An exhibit at the Puyallup Fair, ‘Executive Order 9066: 50 Years Before and 60 Years After,’ documents the history of Camp Harmony, the temporary assembly center that held over 7,300 Japanese Americans in 1942. Former internees like Tama Tokuda and Sharon Aburano shared memories of arriving at the camp and the hardships they faced there.
• Shows Explore Japanese Pioneers, page 5. The Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center opened an exhibit titled ‘Determined to Succeed – Oregon’s Issei,’ honoring first-generation Japanese immigrants who came to Oregon between the 1880s and 1920s. The exhibit features photographs and historical context about Issei life, discrimination, and community, running through January 15, 2000.
• Placer County JACL Donates $5,000 to National Japanese American Memorial Foundation, page 5. The Placer County JACL board voted to donate $5,000 toward the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation’s $8.6 million goal for a memorial in Washington, D.C. The chapter’s fundraising effort, part of a larger Greater Sacramento Valley drive, raised nearly $9,000 total.
• APA Youth Conference Applications Available, page 5. Applications are now open for the 10th annual Asian Pacific Youth Leadership Project conference, set for April 13-16, offering 50 California high school students a chance to learn about the legislative process. The program especially encourages applications from students facing economic, geographic, or language barriers, with a postmark deadline of Nov. 12, 1999.

Commentary

• P.C. Editorial Board Statement, by The P.C. Editorial Board, page 3. The Pacific Citizen Editorial Board, including representatives from multiple district councils, issued a statement addressing a controversy the publication had caused. The letter is signed by district council representatives from across the country.
• ‘Vas You Dere, Charley?’, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Bill Hosokawa reflects on a 1943 Pacific Citizen issue containing commentary from that era, including a column by Chester Rowell criticizing anti-Japanese sentiment and his own past writings countering false wartime narratives about Japanese Americans. He recalls how the JACL provided crucial support to Issei and Nisei during the chaotic days of evacuation despite unfounded accusations against the community.
• The Lone Grain of Rice, by Bill Marutani, page 6. Bill Marutani writes about the Japanese concept of ‘mottai-nai,’ meaning wasteful, and how the Issei generation instilled frugality in avoiding waste of resources like paper and rice. He shares personal anecdotes about how these values shaped his own habits, including reusing paper and picking up dropped merchandise in stores.
• Hosokawa Too Harsh on Ed Mitoma, by Ron Ikejiri, page 7. A letter writer argues that Bill Hosokawa was overly critical of Ed Mitoma regarding JACL’s U.S.-Japan Relations Committee. The writer contends that questioning the influence of a small group of committee members is presumptuous given JACL’s longstanding bipartisan positions.
• Reader Disagrees with Marutani’s Stance on AJR 27, by Wetherall, Abiko, Japan, page 7. A reader from Abiko, Japan, responds to Fred Hirasuna’s argument in a previous issue, contending that the United States, including California, is as fallible as Japan and should not selectively criticize other countries. The writer argues that AJR 27 unfairly singles out Japan for criticism it does not deserve relative to the U.S.’s own historical failings.
• Letter Questions Motives Regarding Frank Chin Criticism, by Ron Ikejiri, page 7. A letter writer challenges Frank Chin’s criticism, questioning why he did not respond directly and pointing out that lawyers, including JACL-affiliated ones, serve varying roles in the legal system. The letter disputes claims made about the JACL’s credit and involvement in various legal matters.

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