Vol. 129, No. 18, October 29, 1999. 8 pages. View this issue
JACL scholarship recipients and the long-running debate over World War II draft resisters ran through this eight-page issue. On page 5, Mika Tanner and others presented recipients such as Jon Kikuo Shishido and Yuri Kikuchi, whose essay excerpts touched on Hapa identity, intermarriage and what JACL has meant to them. In Commentary, a writer argued the community should stop spending energy on the dispute and turn to current work, such as naming former incarceration camps as U.S. historical monuments. A letter on the same page urged JACL to reconcile with the resisters, and another reader praised the paper’s coverage of the dedication of Camp Hirabayashi in Arizona.
Also inside: a personal account of living with HIV since 1986, a response from the JACL U.S.-Japan Relations Committee defending its work, and a Hacienda-La Puente school board candidate, Treakle, on school safety and funding ahead of the Nov. 2 election.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Candidate Treakle Shares Views on School Safety, Funding and Programs, page 3. Treakle, a candidate for the Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District governing board in the Nov. 2 election, outlined her positions on school safety, student retention, funding, and after-school programs. She supports tighter security measures, case-by-case retention decisions, a possible school bond measure, and expressed reservations about the new BRIDGES after-school program while favoring vocational alternatives and bilingual support for students.
- Scholarship Recipients Reflect on Community, Identity and Education, by Mika Tanner and others, page 5. Several JACL scholarship recipients, including Jon Kikuo Shishido and Yuri Kikuchi, shared biographical information and essay excerpts about their academic achievements and personal connections to the Japanese American community. Essays touched on themes of Hapa identity, intermarriage, and the value of community organizations like JACL in providing belonging and support.
Commentary
- My 16-Year Battle With HIV/AIDS, page 6. The author recounts a long personal struggle with HIV, describing physical symptoms, medication trials including AZT, and the emotional toll of living with the diagnosis since being told there was no real hope for survival in 1986. He details declining T-cell counts, depression, and various treatments including testosterone therapy to cope with both physical and mental effects of the disease.
- Time to Quit Our Energy-Draining Activity, page 6. The writer responds to the ongoing debate in the Pacific Citizen over the World War II draft resisters controversy, arguing that continued division is draining community energy. He calls for the Nikkei community to move past old wounds and focus efforts on current issues, such as designating former incarceration camps as U.S. historical monuments.
- Reconciliation, page 7. A letter writer argues that it is time for JACL to reconcile with World War II draft resisters, acknowledging the impossible dilemma they faced between demonstrating loyalty through service or protesting the denial of their rights. The writer urges the community to move past polarizing debates and focus on external threats such as hate crimes.
- Reader Praises Article on Hirabayashi Camp, page 7. A reader praises the Pacific Citizen’s coverage of the dedication of Camp Hirabayashi in Arizona, commending the newspaper’s integrity in covering difficult community issues. The letter also references an article by Martha Nakagawa about differing wartime reactions and praises national JACL director John Tateishi’s calls for community healing.
- U.S.-Japan Committee Response to Kawanishi, page 7. The JACL U.S.-Japan Relations Committee responds to prior criticism, explaining its mission and defending the relevance of its work given fluctuating U.S.-Japan relations and their impact on how Japanese Americans are perceived. The writers acknowledge the committee’s low visibility but argue that its work addressing bilateral tensions remains important and ongoing.
Obituaries
- Dr. George Uchiyama, page 7. Dr. George Uchiyama, 77, a longtime orthodontist and clinical professor at St. Louis University, died Sept. 25. He held degrees from the University of Utah and was active in the St. Louis JACL chapter, helping raise funds for the Japanese Garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden, and was involved with Gideons International and his church.
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