Race-hate forum, Manzanar bill and redress education in 1996

Vol. 122, No. 12, June 21, 1996. 12 pages. View this issue

Race and civil rights ran through this 12-page issue. The Sonoma County JACL chapter planned a June 29 forum on race-hate violence built around the film The Color of Fear. A bill by Congressmen Robert T. Matsui and Jerry Lewis to expand the Manzanar National Historic Site passed subcommittee. The General Services Administration proposed criteria for grants from the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund, and Robert Sakaniwa explained how that fund works. Ron Osajima made the case for affirmative action, and Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani wrote columns on speaking out.

Pages 4 and 5 report on the Pacific Southwest District leadership conference, with talks by Angela Oh, Joe R. Hicks and Tritia Toyota. Elsewhere are a possible Medal of Honor review for Nisei soldiers, a tour of Alaska by JACL and MIS veterans, book reviews and the Pacific Citizen’s move to new offices in Monterey Park.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Sonoma County JACL to Host Race-Hate Violence Forum Featuring ‘The Color of Fear’, page 1. The Sonoma County Chapter of JACL is sponsoring a forum on race-hate violence on June 29 at Enmanji Memorial Hall in Sebastopol, centered on the film The Color of Fear. Community activists Randy Imai, Dennis Sato, and Cynthia Hayashi will share experiences and lead discussions on combating racism and fostering multicultural understanding.
• L.A. City Audit Policy OKs Nikkei WWII Memorial Foundation, page 1. The 100/442/MIS World War II Memorial Foundation received a letter from the city stating no discrepancies were found after a six-year financial audit conducted independently by the Los Angeles Department of Social Services. The Foundation, led by retired Col. Young O. Kim, will kick off fund-raising activities with a Sept. 1 luncheon at the Bonaventure Hotel featuring keynote speaker retired Maj. Gen. James H. Mukoyama Jr.
• Eagle Scouts Win Badges With Community Work, page 12. Seven scouts from North Gardena United Methodist Church Boy Scout Troop 719 earned their Eagle Scout badges through community development projects including trail restoration, park maintenance, and building repairs. Projects ranged from 158 to 386 volunteer hours each, involving dozens of scouts and parents across sites like Henninger Flats and Madrona Marsh Nature Area.
• Personally Speaking: Honors from Japan, page 12. Four Southern Californians—James Nobuo Yamazaki, Clarence Iwao Nishizu, Helen Craig McCullough, and Kuwako Takahashi—were decorated by the Japanese government for contributions to community and U.S.-Japan relations. The article details their varied careers spanning medicine, JACL activism, academia, and ikebana instruction.
• Honors and Awards: Ruth Tanbara and Kristi Yamaguchi Recognized, page 12. Ruth Tanbara received the Walter ‘Chip’ Fricke Award for 40 years of leadership with the Saint Paul-Nagasaki Sister City Committee, while Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi received the United Way Award for Volunteerism. Both women have long histories of community service and support for Japanese American causes.

National

• Pacific Citizen Moves Offices, page 1. The Pacific Citizen newspaper announced it has moved to a new office facility a few hundred feet from its old location. The new address is 2 Coral Circle, Suite 204, Monterey Park, CA 91755.

Incarceration & Redress

• Manzanar Bill Creating Land for Site Passes Subcommittee, page 1. A bill sponsored by Congressmen Robert T. Matsui and Jerry Lewis to create a National Historic Site boundary expansion for Manzanar passed subcommittee and now moves to the full House Resources Committee. Supporters including Sue Kunitomi Embrey, Rose Ochi, and Rear Admiral Melvin Chiogioji say the environmentally sensitive legislation will preserve the site for future educational efforts.
• Criteria for Redress Public Education Fund Proposed, page 3. The General Services Administration announced 14 criteria for evaluating grant proposals to be funded by the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund, with written comments due by July 10. The criteria emphasize consistency with the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, educational impact, multicultural outreach, and collaboration among applicants.
• Workshops Set for August, September on Redress Filing Deadline, page 3. The Office of Redress Administration reminded Nikkei community and JACL leaders that only two years remain until the August 1998 sunset date to complete redress filings. Community organizations have until July 1 to estimate the number of people needing assistance so workshops can be scheduled.
• The Injustice of Exclusion: Teaching the Lessons of Internment, by Robert Sakaniwa, page 9. Sakaniwa explains the structure and funding challenges of the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund Board established under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, detailing the appropriations process and current $5 million funding level. He stresses that the board’s educational mission to teach about internment will have lasting impact beyond the Act’s 1998 sunset date.

JACL

• Legacy Fund Grants Now Available, page 1. Applications for 1996 Legacy Fund Grants are available through the JACL Pacific Northwest Regional Office. Applications must be sent to the Legacy Fund Grants Committee in Seattle and postmarked by Friday, Aug. 30.
• Make Your Voices Heard, Says Community Leader, by Richard Suenaga, page 4. Attorney and civil rights leader Angela Oh opened the PSW leadership conference by discussing the growing political potential of Asian Americans amid rising anti-Asian sentiment and the controversial California Civil Rights Initiative. Oh urged Asian Pacific Americans to educate themselves, unify, and make their political voices heard.
• Make Multiculturalism Work, Says Speaker, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Joe R. Hicks, executive director of the Multi-Cultural Collaborative, told PSW conference attendees that collaboration and coalition-building are the only ways to address Los Angeles’s cultural conflicts and violence. He warned against divisive politics and stressed the need for a mutual commitment to sharing power and responsibility among all minority groups.
• In Media, Asian Americans Still Face Problems, page 4. Newscaster Tritia Toyota discussed the challenges Asian Americans face in the television news industry, including a persistent glass ceiling despite career advancement in some roles. She noted one-third of AAJA journalists consider leaving due to lack of advancement and racial stereotyping by management.
• Teamwork Pays Off for Successful Conference, page 4. Nearly 20 PSW District volunteers organized the 1996 ‘Eyes to the Future’ leadership conference, drawing over 120 attendees and praise from participants including Chris Leong and Stephen Liu for its multicultural, teamwork-oriented approach. Certificates of achievement were presented to roughly 75 participants who took part in the weekend event.
• Journalists Show How to Use Media Effectively, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. At the ‘Lights Camera ACTION’ workshop, Southern California Nikkei media professionals including Naomi Hirahara, Karen Wada, Nancy Yoshihara, Clara Young, Gordon Tokumatsu, and Robert Fukuzaki explained how newsrooms operate and how community groups can effectively pitch stories. Panelists discussed the differences between ethnic and mainstream press coverage and the importance of building relationships with editors.
• Speaking Out: Say Something Important—And Say It Loud, by Richard Suenaga, page 5. Warren Furutani led a workshop on public speaking at the PSW conference, offering tips on preparation, eliminating barriers like podiums, and connecting emotionally with audiences. Keynote speaker Angela Oh added her own advice on handling media appearances and hostile audiences.
• Get Involved in Politics, Say Veterans and Experts, by Harry K. Honda, page 5. Torrance Councilman George Nakano and California Assemblyman Nao Takasugi shared their experiences becoming politically active at a PSW conference workshop, alongside consultants Trisha Murakawa, Ron Wong, and Audrey Noda. The session included a mock campaign exercise to teach participants the fundamentals of political strategy and organizing.
• Firm Donates $10,000 to Sponsor Convention’s Sayonara Banquet, page 10. Applied Materials, Inc. donated $10,000 to sponsor the Sayonara Banquet at the 1996 JACL National Convention in San Jose. Fund-raising chair Carl Fujita announced that a total of $104,000 has been raised for the convention so far.

Military & Veterans

• More Nisei GIs May Be in Line for Medal of Honor, page 3. Legislation inspired by the case of Lt. Col. Richard Sakakida has opened the door for the Army to review Distinguished Service Cross awards given to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during WWII for possible upgrade to the Medal of Honor. Sen. Daniel Akaka introduced the bill, and cases such as those of Kazuo Masuda, Shinyei Matayoshi, and Hoichi Kubo are cited among those who may be reconsidered.
• Medal of Honor Review Continues for Nisei Veterans, page 10. Continuing coverage details the Medal of Honor review process, noting that four Japanese Americans have received the Medal of Honor to date, including Sgt. Hershey Miyamura and Pfc. Sadao Munemori. A 1988 study by George Kihara found no significant difference in medal distribution rates between the European and Pacific theaters.
• MIS Hall of Famers Inducted, page 12. Maj. Kan Tagami and Harry M. Akune were inducted into the Military Intelligence Corps Hall of Fame at Fort Huachuca, Arizona on June 28. Akune parachuted into Corregidor in 1945 as the lone Nisei MIS specialist, while Tagami served as aide-de-camp to Gen. MacArthur and had a private audience with the Emperor of Japan.

In-Depth

• A Denali Grand Slam: Nikkei Rounded Up for Event in Open Spaces of Alaska, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. Fourteen JACL and MIS veterans traveled to Alaska over Memorial Day weekend, achieving a rare ‘Denali Grand Slam’ by sighting Mt. McKinley, caribou, moose, grizzly and fox in a single day. The trip included a Japanese American Gathering hosted by Alaska JACLers, featuring 442nd veteran Mark Hiratsuka and Don Seki singing the 442nd Fight Song.
• Remembering a Japanese Bombsite in Oregon, by Hiro Nishimura, page 6. The article recounts the September 1942 bombing of the Siskiyou National Forest near Brookings, Oregon by Japanese pilot Nobuo Fujita, and his later return visits to the site as gestures of peace and friendship. Fujita donated his samurai sword to the town and planted a redwood tree in 1992 during the 50th anniversary of the attack, transforming a wartime incident into a symbol of reconciliation.
• A JACL Book List, by Harry K. Honda, page 7. The article compiles a list of book titles that acknowledge JACL support, including works by Bill Hosokawa, Michi Weglyn, John Tateishi, and others documenting Japanese American history and the redress movement. Each entry notes the specific JACL chapter, project, or individual who assisted in the book’s research or publication.
• Fountaingrove Remembered, page 12. The second anniversary celebration of Paradise Ridge Winery featured rare photos of the historic Fountaingrove Winery and ‘Baron’ Kanaye Nagasawa, an Issei cellarmaster who was the right-hand man to religious utopian leader Rev. Thomas Lake Harris. Nagasawa, son of a Kagoshima samurai, studied in Britain before emigrating to America in the 1860s and 1870s.

Arts & Entertainment

• Book Reviews: Children’s Titles Explore Japanese American History, by Harry K. Honda, page 7. Reviews cover children’s books including Ken Mochizuki’s Heroes and Baseball Saved Us, Janet Mitsui Brown’s Thanksgiving at Obaachan’s, and Lauren Lee’s Stella on the Edge of Popularity, all addressing Japanese and Korean American experiences. The reviewer highlights the authors’ backgrounds and the books’ contributions to community storytelling for young readers.
• Entertainment: Tap Dance History Book Highlights Asian American Pioneers, by Harry K. Honda, page 7. The revised edition of Rusty E. Frank’s Tap! 1900-1955 gives expanded coverage to Dorothy Toy and Paul Wing, Asian American tap dance stars dubbed the ‘Chinese Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.’ The review notes Toy’s wartime survival story and her family’s connection to the Topaz internment camp.
• New Book Titles on Japanese in Hawaii, Korean Americans, and Kurosawa Films, by Harry K. Honda, page 7. Reviewed titles include Jiro Nakano’s Kanda Home about a Japanese language school founder in Hawaii, Easurk Emsen Charr’s autobiography The Golden Mountain about a Korean immigrant’s citizenship fight, and a comprehensive collection of essays on Akira Kurosawa’s films. Each book offers historical insight into Asian immigrant experiences and cinema history.
• Literature and Fiction: New Translations and Novels Reviewed, by Harry K. Honda, page 7. To Live and to Write presents translated works by nine Japanese women writers from 1913-38, while novels Pearl Moon by Katherine Stone and Japanese by Spring by Ishmael Reed offer fictional takes on Hong Kong and Oakland academia respectively. The reviewer also notes travel narratives by British authors living in Japan.

Commentary

• Are We Speaking Out More?, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa reflects on a personal experience complaining about a disappointing restaurant meal, using it to explore whether Japanese Americans have become more outspoken with age and changing times. He wonders whether younger generations still carry the traditional ‘enryo’ reluctance to speak up despite being generally more assertive than their parents and grandparents.
• Are We Speaking Out More? Legal Technicalities, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Marutani discusses the judiciary’s obligation to follow the rule of law despite public pressure, citing Judge Harold Baer’s reversed ruling and the shameful precedent set by Hirabayashi v. United States in 1943. He shares personal anecdotes from his time as a judge handling controversial rape cases where he had to follow the law despite backlash.
• Nishikawa Corrects Stand on JACL Investment Committee, by Koy Nishikawa, page 8. Nishikawa clarifies that he supports the interim Investment Committee led by John Enomoto and Marshal Sumida, but has been critical of the Endowment Fund’s past decision-making process. He emphasizes his continued commitment to accountability and responsibility regarding JACL’s financial trusts.
• Reader Urges Nikkei to Revisit San Francisco Japanese YMCA, by Roy J. Ashizawa, page 8. Ashizawa invites former Nisei YMCA members to tour the historic Victorian mansion on Sutter Street that once housed the San Francisco Japanese YMCA before 1932. He laments the wartime loss of the Buchanan Street YMCA, Sutter Street YWCA, and Japanese Salvation Army facility due to forced evacuation.
• Affirmative Action: Necessary and Good for Business, by Ron Osajima, page 9. Osajima presents data showing that Asian Pacific Americans and other minorities remain underrepresented in management despite qualifications, citing glass ceiling statistics and studies proving affirmative action’s effectiveness and business benefits. He argues that continued affirmative action is necessary to counter persistent institutional racism and sexism in corporate America.
• On Being Responsive to Our Membership, by David Kawamoto, page 9. Kawamoto, governor of the Pacific Southwest District, explains that the majority of JACL chapters favored a budget increasing dues without increasing Pacific Citizen frequency, emphasizing the need for District offices to have adequate travel funding. He describes the graduated dues increase structure adopted to ease burdens on families and support youth programs.

Obituaries

• In Memoriam: Hugh B. Mitchell, page 10. Hugh B. Mitchell, who served on the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians from 1980-83 and was a former U.S. senator and representative from Washington state, died in Seattle on June 10 at age 89. The Seattle JACL Chapter had previously recognized Mitchell for his dedication and support of Japanese American causes.

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