Vol. 121, No. 12, January 5, 1996. 12 pages. View this issue
Herbert Yamanishi, the new JACL National Director, introduced himself to members across three pages. An interview described his Idaho upbringing after his family’s incarceration (often called internment) at Tule Lake and Minidoka, and his first column laid out questions about JACL’s mission and membership. The front page followed the Troy Shiozawa case in Idaho, where he pled guilty to a reduced battery charge and Pocatello Blackfoot Chapter members raised civil rights concerns about his bail and detention. Grayce Uyehara reported on the Annual Giving campaign.
Sylvia Kobayashi wrote about the Nisei linguists of the Military Intelligence Service. Bill Hosokawa’s column looked at interracial marriage and hapa identity. Other pages included a $2,000 gift from the Mt. Olympus Chapter to the Topaz museum, Henry Tanaka’s honor from the government of Japan, Sachi Seko on David Mas Masumoto’s Epitaph for a Peach, and a letter from Ronald S. Shibata on Executive Order 9066 and the Civil Liberties Act.
What’s in this issue
National
- Shiozawa Pleads Guilty to Reduced Battery Charge, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Troy Shiozawa, 24, pled guilty to a reduced misdemeanor battery charge and was sentenced to 90 days in jail after a jury deadlocked on a felony aggravated battery charge involving his estranged wife. Local JACL members had expressed concern about civil rights violations during his incarceration, including a $1 million bail and denial of family contact.
- Shiozawa Speaks to Pacific Citizen, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Continuing coverage of the Shiozawa case reports that Troy Shiozawa initially resisted pleading guilty, telling the judge he didn’t want to plead guilty to something he didn’t do. The prosecutor called the plea bargain a reasonable compromise, and Shiozawa’s father noted his son is now pursuing an MBA while serving his sentence.
JACL
- At the Helm: An Interview With Herbert Yamanishi, page 1. New JACL National Director Herbert Yamanishi discusses his background growing up in Idaho after his family’s internment at Tule Lake and Minidoka, his education, and his path into community organizing and nonprofit management. He reflects on how the camp experience and JACL involvement shaped his identity and career leading up to becoming national director.
- First Thoughts, by Herbert Yamanishi, page 3. In his first column as JACL National Director, Herbert Yamanishi thanks the membership, outgoing director Karyl Matsumoto, and the JACL Board for stabilizing the organization’s finances. He outlines the fundamental questions facing JACL’s mission, membership, and identity as it moves forward from a period of fiscal and leadership crisis.
- Yamanishi Continues Discussion on JACL’s Future, page 4. In a continued interview, Yamanishi discusses his priorities of administration, financial stability, and program direction for JACL, emphasizing membership revitalization and improved communication among chapters. He addresses accountability, fundraising strategies, attracting younger members, and maintaining a positive public image for the organization.
- Mt. Olympus, JACL, Donates to Topaz Museum, page 5. The Mt. Olympus Chapter, JACL, held a 1994 workshop featuring a seminar on the Topaz internment camp with speaker Jane Beckwith, who shared her research on the camp. The chapter presented Beckwith with a $2,000 donation check for the Topaz museum.
- Chapter Business: Mori Presents Check to Salt Lake Chapter, page 5. Floyd Mori presented a $1,500 check to Terry Nagata, chairman of the 1994 JACL national convention and Salt Lake Chapter member, for the chapter’s support during the convention planning. The funds came from proceeds of the 1994 convention held in Salt Lake City.
- JACL, OCA Plan D.C. Conference, page 5. The JACL Washington, D.C. Leadership Conference, running jointly with the Organization of Chinese Americans this year, provides participants understanding of the federal decision-making process. Applications for the March 1996 conference are due to JACL District Governors by Jan. 12, 1996.
- JACL Annual Giving Campaign: Support for JACL Continues, by Grayce Uyehara, page 6. Grayce Uyehara explains a glitch in the second year of JACL’s Annual Giving campaign that caused some members to not receive appeal letters, and reports $51,544 raised from 1,252 contributors as of Dec. 28. National President Denny Yasuhara’s accompanying letter urges continued member support to fund JACL programs including educational curriculum development.
Community
- Japanese Government Honors Tanaka, page 5. Henry Tanaka, former JACL national president from 1972-74, was honored by the government of Japan with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, for his dedication to the Japanese American community. Tanaka has been active in JACL for over 40 years and worked on the national redress effort, as well as serving nearly 30 years as executive director of Hill House in Ohio.
Arts & Entertainment
- A Sweet and Flavorful Story, by Sachi Seko, page 7. Sachi Seko recounts attending a reading by David Mas Masumoto of his book Epitaph for a Peach, which chronicles his family’s farming life and the fight to save an old peach variety. The article explores Masumoto’s family history, including internment during WWII, and his reflections on farming as both livelihood and legacy.
Military & Veterans
- Kubota: Smokejumper, by Yuki Kawamoto, page 7. Stanley Kubota, a Sansei smoke jumper for the U.S. Forest Service based in Redding, Calif., describes his firefighting career fighting forest fires across the western United States since 1981. He details the training, equipment, and dangers involved in parachuting into remote fire locations to battle blazes.
- The Silent Warriors, by Sylvia Kobayashi, page 9. Sylvia Kobayashi details the history of the Military Intelligence Service Language School and Nisei linguists who served in WWII, including stories of Henry Suyehira in the Aleutian campaign and her husband Koby’s service. The article also recounts Merrill’s Marauders’ Nisei linguists in Burma, including Sgt. Roy Matsumoto’s heroic actions and Frank Hachiya’s death on Leyte.
- Warriors: MIS Nisei Linguists’ Legacy, by Sylvia Kobayashi, page 11. This continuation details how MIS Nisei linguists served throughout the Pacific theater, China-India-Burma, and elsewhere, often as top-secret assets nicknamed ‘human secret weapons’ by General MacArthur. Kobayashi reflects on the enduring legacy of these ‘Silent Warriors’ who proved their loyalty despite having ‘enemy faces.’
Commentary
- The Face Is Familiar…, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Bill Hosokawa discusses inter-racial and inter-cultural marriages among Japanese Americans, referencing a Holiday Issue feature on hapa identity and reflecting on historical anti-miscegenation laws. He shares anecdotes about mixed-race individuals in Denver, including a blond Sansei with a Japanese surname and TV anchor Adele Arakawa.
- The Right Thing to Do, by Karl K. Nobuyuki, page 8. Karl Nobuyuki addresses a Los Angeles controversy over a WWII veterans memorial and whether it should list all who served or only those who died. He argues for honoring the fallen first through a proper memorial, then creating an honor roll for all veterans who served.
- Reader Suggests Stories on Kibei, by Finoshi Watsumeote, page 8. A reader from Los Altos, Calif., writes about how Kibei returnees were initially shunned by Nisei society but later assimilated after using bilingual skills to succeed professionally, especially in Japanese companies. He suggests Pacific Citizen explore this subject further.
- New JACL Member Wants to Help Out, by Michael Cibenko, page 8. A University of Montana student and new JACL member describes his interest in Japanese studies and asks how he might contribute to JACL activities from Montana, including connecting the local Japanese community with JACL. He also mentions plans to travel to Japan after graduation through JET or similar programs.
- Letter Defends Republican Party on Redress and Civil Rights, by Ronald S. Shibata, page 9. Ronald Shibata of Albuquerque responds to criticism of the Republican Party in the Pacific Citizen, listing historical facts about Republican presidents’ roles in rescinding Executive Order 9066 and signing the Civil Liberties Act. He argues Democrats bear responsibility for other issues affecting Japanese Americans and questions why some assume loyalty to the Democratic Party.
- Hosokawa Continued: Reflections on Hapa Identity, by Bill Hosokawa, page 11. Hosokawa continues his column citing Sandra Mikesell Buscher’s essay about experiencing prejudice both as Asian in a mostly white community and as white in a mostly Asian community. He concludes that the experience helped her understand prejudice as a broadly human problem rather than one limited to a single group.
Obituaries
- In Memoriam—1995, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The second installment of Pacific Citizen’s 1995 obituary report lists numerous Japanese Americans who died in 1995, including artists, veterans, community leaders, and professionals. Entries include Taro Yashima, Judge Masaji Marumoto, Katsuma Mukaeda, and many others with brief biographical details of their contributions.
- Kay K. Kamimoto, page 10. Kay K. Kamimoto, 78, passed away Dec. 22 in San Juan Bautista, Calif. He is survived by his wife Yoshiko, three sons, a daughter-in-law, and several sisters and numerous nieces and nephews.
- In Memoriam—1995 (Continued), by P.C. Staff, page 11. The obituary listing continues with additional names including George Togasaki, Kaz Umemoto, and Walter Weglyn, detailing their contributions to journalism, architecture, and Japanese American history research. Entries note various community roles including JACL leadership, military service, and business achievements.
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