Manzanar, Peru’s Nikkei and MIS Language School honors

Vol. 124, No. 10, May 16, 1997. 12 pages. View this issue

The Manzanar Pilgrimage opened this 12-page issue. Caroline Aoyagi reported that close to 500 people attended the 28th annual gathering, held as the site passed to the National Park Service, with students from several California universities among them. Harry K. Honda wrote about Peruvian Nikkei and their place in Peru’s politics, and about the Park-Partner Ceremony at the Presidio of San Francisco, where the first MIS Language School class studied. Colonel Thomas T. Sakamoto’s speech from that ceremony is printed in full.

Also inside: Bob Sakaniwa on Asian Pacific American politics in Washington, a debate in Bill Hosokawa’s column over the word “Jap” on the planned memorial in Washington, D.C., and several readers’ letters about railroad workers who were denied redress. Coverage also includes a Heart Mountain foundation, Arizona’s new hate crimes law, and vandalism at Oahu cemeteries.

What’s in this issue

In-Depth

• Peruvian Nikkei Now Feel They’re ‘No Longer Foreigners’ in Peru, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. Dr. Mary Fukumoto lectured on President Alberto Fujimori and the Peruvian Nikkei community’s transformation from feeling like foreigners to full political participants in Peru. The article traces the history of Nikkei political involvement in Peru from the 1979 constitutional assembly through Fujimori’s 1990 election victory and his handling of the hostage crisis.

Commentary

• For APAs, Dipped First Week in May, by Bob Sakaniwa, page 1. The Washington D.C. JACL Representative describes the busy first week of May featuring the CAPACI dinner and other APA events, noting the absence of a keynote speaker due to fallout from campaign finance scandals involving John Huang. He argues the APA community needs greater political stature and unified organization to command more respect from policymakers.
• Re: Committee Appointments, Media Bashing, by Richard Uno, page 3. National VP for General Operations Richard Uno outlines his committee chair recommendations approved by National President Helen Kawagoe, including appointments to Convention, Nominations, Credentials, Awards, and other committees. He also urges JACL members and Asian Pacific Americans to get involved in leadership roles amid media bashing of Asian Americans tied to campaign finance controversies.
• The Value of Networking, by Tom Kometani, page 3. Eastern District Council governor Tom Kometani recounts how grassroots networking, including a ‘Methodist connection,’ helped secure a key West Virginia congressman’s support for the 1988 Civil Liberties Act redress legislation. He announces a Networking Workshop planned for the 1997 Tri-District Conference in Chicago.
• To Paint in the Other Eye, by Karl Nobuyuki, page 6. AADAP co-founder Karl Nobuyuki reflects on JACL’s often-unrecognized role in founding AADAP amid the 1971 crisis of 31 Japanese American drug overdose deaths in Los Angeles. He calls for JACL to formalize support for AADAP and similar community service programs as the organization moves toward self-sufficiency.
• Should the Word ‘Jap’ Be Included in the Monument?, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa discusses a contentious debate among the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation’s board over whether to include General DeWitt’s offensive quote using the word ‘Jap’ on the planned Washington D.C. memorial. He presents both sides of the argument and invites reader opinions on how to handle the historically significant but offensive language.
• Who, What Is a Kibei?, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Marutani explores the definition and etymology of the term ‘Kibei,’ referring to Japanese Americans educated significantly in Japan, consulting Japanese and English dictionaries for varying definitions. He reflects on perceived differences between Kibei and Nisei in terms of confidence and identity formation.
• More on Peru, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Honda reflects on Peru’s hostage crisis and President Fujimori’s political trajectory, citing an Economist article that frames the crisis resolution within international context and discusses the challenges of Peru’s transition to a better life for its poor population. He also notes a related Economist piece on the rebuilding of Los Angeles after the riots and the rise of the Korean community there.
• Redress for Railroaders: My Father Was Denied, by Lily K. Inouye Nishikawa, page 9. The writer details her father Kinsaku Inouye’s 1942 dismissal from a 25-year Southern Pacific Railroad career due to his Japanese ancestry, and his subsequent denial of redress by the Office of Redress Administration. She includes correspondence evidence showing coordination between railroad administrators and the FBI to remove Japanese employees.
• We Were Denied Redress for Union Pacific Railroader Father, by Lucille Agemura, page 9. The writer’s father, a Union Pacific railroad worker, was similarly denied redress, and the family is uncertain whether to pursue individual action given the complexity of the matter. She references Michi Weglyn’s earlier reporting on redress for Japanese American railroad workers.
• Asian Girls Need/Want White Men to Guide Them? The First Good Nisei Man, by Akemi Kayleng, page 9. The writer challenges stereotypes about White Man/Asian Woman relationships by recounting her childhood identification with the character Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird as a symbol of moral courage rather than romantic ideal. She reveals that her actual first heroic figure was a modest, ethical Nisei man, contrary to assumptions about her preferences.
• Thank You, Michi Weglyn, by Yda Otani, page 9. A survivor of wartime railroad company discrimination expresses gratitude to Michi Weglyn for reporting on the issue and references Jeanne Konishi’s similar account of family experiences. She invites others with similar experiences to contact her.

JACL

• JACL-PSW Supports JANM Expansion, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL Pacific Southwest District Council backed a $5 million state budget augmentation for the Japanese American National Museum’s expansion project. PSW regional director Albert Muratsuchi noted the appropriation would be consistent with past state support for similar large-scale museum projects.
• ‘Inside’ View of State Politics Seen, by Emily Murase, page 3. A 14-member JACL delegation attended the California Legislative Leadership Conference sponsored by NCWNP District, meeting with state legislators and executive branch officials including Assemblyman Mike Honda and Assemblyman Nao Takasugi. The conference covered topics from campaign strategy to welfare reform and left participants energized to engage in the political process.
• Increasing Asian American Political Representation Discussed at Leadership Conference, by Yoshiaki C. Kubota, page 3. Riverside JACL member Yoshiaki Kubota reports that Asian Americans represent 10 percent of California’s population but less than 2 percent of state legislature membership, prompting the JACL-NCWNP District’s three-day Legislative Leadership Conference. The conference featured legislators Nao Takasugi and Mike Honda sharing insights on running for office and influencing policy.

National

• JACL Applauds Passage of Arizona Hate Crimes Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Arizona Governor Fife Symington signed Senate Bill 1047 into law, giving judges discretion to impose stiffer sentences for hate-motivated crimes, making Arizona the 37th state with such a law. JACL praised the legislation as sending a message that bigotry will not be tolerated in the state.
• Mainland Ties Suspected in Graffiti at Oahu Cemeteries, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A joint police and FBI task force investigated red spray-paint vandalism defacing 260 grave markers and 22 walls at Oahu cemeteries, including the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, believed to be tied to a group possibly from the Mainland. Governor Ben Cayetano called the desecration outrageous, and rewards for information exceeded $20,000 as volunteers helped clean the sites.
• Census Update: The Budget Angle Looms, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senate Appropriations Committee action to block Census Bureau funding for statistical sampling tools could affect undercounted minority populations, according to Census Director Martha Farnsworth Riche. The article also discusses debate over a proposed ‘multiracial’ census category, with opposing views published in USA Today.
• No-Bid Treasury Dept. Contract for Frank Sato Under Senate Probe, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Senator Charles Grassley scrutinized allegations that Treasury Department Inspector General Valerie Lau arranged a no-bid $113,000 contract for Frank S. Sato, a former inspector general with the Veterans Administration and Transportation Departments. The Washington Post reported Sato had also urged consideration of Lau for other federal inspector general positions.
• JACL Applauds Arizona Hate Crime Law Amid Rising Incidents, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Following Governor Symington’s signing of the hate crimes bill, Arizona Department of Public Safety reported 248 hate crimes in 1996, a 10 percent increase from 1995, with African Americans as the largest group of victims. JACL leaders Joe Allman and Albert Muratsuchi praised the legislative victory as a reminder of the importance of civic engagement.

Incarceration & Redress

• Youth ‘Keeping Memories Alive’ at Manzanar Pilgrimage, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. The 28th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage drew close to 500 people, including Nisei survivor Honey Wada returning after 50 years, coinciding with the historic transfer of the site from LADWP to the National Park Service. Young people from universities including Loyola Marymount, Cal State Northridge, and Cal State Fullerton attended to learn about and preserve the internment history.
• Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation Organized, Charter Members Sought, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The newly formed Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation is conducting its first membership drive to educate the public about the internment camp’s history near Powell, Wyoming. The foundation absorbed assets from a dissolved sister organization and includes an advisory council with Alan Simpson, Norman Mineta, and other notable figures.
• Teachers Publish Own Asian American Histories for Classroom, by P.C. Staff, page 5. In the 1970s, Richmond United School District organized Asian American faculty to write histories of Chinese and Japanese Americans in California for use in classrooms, filling gaps left by academic and general reading materials. In 1992, Chizu Iiyama and June Kodani secured district recognition of Day of Remembrance and distribution of an internment curriculum guide.
• Oahu Cleanup and 442nd Veteran Honored Amid Vandalism Investigation, by P.C. Staff, page 6. As investigators continued analyzing the cemetery vandalism, over 700 volunteers helped clean graffiti at the Punchbowl, while a 21-gun salute honored 442nd veteran Masaji ‘Shadow’ Kurozumi during the cleanup. Buddhist families at Honolulu Memorial Park also found their loved ones’ graves defaced with obscene messages.

Community

• D.C. Chapter Education Committee Brings Internment History to Classrooms, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Washington, D.C. JACL Chapter’s Education Committee developed a three-pronged program including oral history interviews, technology-based dissemination, and teacher workshops to bring internment history into local classrooms. Team members collected 21 interviews and created an educational video shown at the chapter’s 50th anniversary.
• Okura Mental Health Foundation Names 1997 Interns, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Okura Mental Health Foundation selected ten White House Fellows/Interns from over 40 applicants for its 1997 Week in Washington leadership seminar held April 20-26. The fellows represent various fields including psychology, public health, and community counseling.
• New Mexico Nisei Named to Senior Hall of Fame, by P.C. Staff, page 5. S. Ruth Y. Hashimoto, a longtime JACLer and founder of the New Mexico chapter, will be inducted into the Senior Foundation Hall of Fame in Albuquerque. The ceremony recognizing three seniors for outstanding achievements will be held June 8 at Bear Canyon Estates Retirement Residence.
• AADAP Celebrates 25 Years of Serving APA Community, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 6. The Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP) celebrated its 25th anniversary with approximately 500 attendees, honoring co-founder Mas Fukai and longtime supporter Haru Yamasaki. Former patients Dean Nakanishi and Mark Manzo, now AADAP staff members, shared their personal recovery stories and reflected on the stigma of drug addiction in the Asian American community.
• Seattle to Open Home for Elderly Asians, by P.C. Staff, page 6. “Village Square,” a $19.5-million housing and social-service project in Seattle’s International District, is scheduled for completion in late 1997. The facility will include 75 apartments and space for the Asian Counseling and Referral Service, employment center, and multicultural child care.
• Missouri Alumni Fetes Sansei Educator, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Professor Michael C. Hosokawa of the University of Missouri received the Faculty-Alumni Award for his work developing public health programs and revising the medical school’s curriculum. He also leads minority affairs initiatives to increase diversity among medical students.
• Northern Cal JACL Jr. Olympics Set for June 8, by P.C. Staff, page 12. The Northern California JACL District Council will host its 45th annual Junior Olympics track and field meet at Chabot College on June 8. The event, originally started by the San Francisco chapter in 1952, has grown into the longest-running JACL-sponsored meet of its kind.
• PANA-Mexico to Host July 23-27 Convention, Program Details Set, by P.C. Staff, page 12. The 1997 PANA convention will be held in Mexico City July 23-27, with a $300 registration fee covering ceremonies, meals, banquets, and cultural events. Registrations after May 30 will cost $330, with lodging at Hotel Nikko Mexico City.
• Artist of the Month: Yayoi Ailene Shibata, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Abstract painter Yayoi Ailene Shibata was honored as Featured Artist of the Month at Angel Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro, with a reception held May 11. Her new series ‘Passages’ explores her family history and heritage through texture, color, and fabric.
• Harvard Bound, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Steven Ujifusa, a senior at Horace Greeley High School, was admitted as an Early Action candidate to Harvard’s class of 2001, with interests in architecture and history. He is the son of JACL redress leader Grant Ujifusa and Amy Ujifusa.

Military & Veterans

• The ‘Real’ Right Stuff: The GI Joes in the 442nd Regt., by Harry K. Honda, page 5. A Washington Post profile of Joseph Ichiuji, a modest retired accountant and 442nd veteran interned at Poston, recounts his volunteer military service and the 522nd Field Artillery’s liberation of the Dachau concentration camp on April 29, 1945. Ichiuji reflects on the irony of Japanese American soldiers from relocation camps liberating Jewish prisoners from Nazi camps.
• Ft. Sam Houston AJA Reunion — Vets Meet, Vow to Return in ’98, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Close to 70 veterans, spouses, and friends gathered in Las Vegas April 21-23 for the Ft. Sam Houston AJA Veterans Reunion, swapping war stories and honoring reunion chair emeritus Ken Uchida’s return after illness. Editor emeritus Harry Honda spoke about his 50 months of Army service, and attendees voted to hold the 1998 reunion again in Las Vegas.
• National Park Service with NJAHS Assures Unfolding of Nisei MIS Saga, by Harry K. Honda, page 7. A Park-Partner Ceremony at the Presidio’s Crissy Field Building 640 celebrated the site of the first MIS Language School class, with seven combat linguists posthumously and belatedly recognized with military honors including the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star. Dignitaries including San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and Coram Nobis attorney Don Tamaki attended, alongside Fred Korematsu and his wife Catherine.
• Tom Sakamoto’s Speech: Most Nisei GIs in WWII Fought Two Wars Simultaneously, But MISers Faced a Third, by Col. Thomas T. Sakamoto (ret.), page 9. Colonel Sakamoto’s speech at the Presidio Park-Partner ceremony recounts the first MIS Language School class of November 1941, describing harsh training conditions and the combat deployment of 32 graduates across the Pacific theater. He describes facing a ‘third war’ of discrimination and distrust within the U.S. military alongside the wars against the enemy and racial prejudice at home.

Arts & Entertainment

• Documentaries Preserve Memories of Japanese American Internment, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 10. Close to 400 people attended a screening of David Tatsuno’s historic Topaz home movie footage and the documentary ‘Something Strong Within’ at Los Angeles’ Japan America Theatre. Tatsuno’s films, recently added to the National Film Registry, were smuggled into camp via a hidden 8mm camera and depict community resilience during internment.
• Inspiration from Tragedy: The Nakatani Story, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Al Nakatani of San Jose spoke about the book ‘Honor Thy Children’ by Molly Fumia, which chronicles the premature deaths of his three sons from gun violence and AIDS. The book focuses on the impact of devaluing young children rather than solely on illness.

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