Redress deadline and the Philadelphia convention, August 1998

Vol. 127, No. 3, August 7, 1998. 24 pages. View this issue

The first national JACL convention in Philadelphia, held June 30 to July 5, drew over 550 people, and Herb Horikawa, Greg Mayeda and Gil Asakawa wrote about it. Redress also ran through the issue. With the August 10, 1998 deadline close, advocates worried that many Japanese Latin Americans interned during World War II had not yet applied for redress. Dede Greene of the Office of Redress Administration gave an update, and a piece reprinted President Reagan’s 1988 remarks on signing the Civil Liberties Act.

Elsewhere, Craig Ishihara profiled Rhodes Scholar Cullen Taniguchi, and Tracy Uba and Mika Tanner covered Asian American music and books. Bill Hosokawa wrote on building the memorial in Washington, and Bill Marutani on Tule Lake and Heart Mountain reunions. Notices included a Jerome camp reunion planned for October.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• First-Ever National Convention in Philadelphia a Success, by Herb Horikawa, page 1. The JACL’s national convention held June 30-July 5 in Philadelphia drew over 550 attendees, mostly from the West, making it possibly the largest gathering of Japanese Americans ever in that city. Two years of preparation by the small Philadelphia chapter paid off with a successful event praised by many conventioneers.
• HIF & JACL Work Together Towards the 21st Century, by Greg Mayeda, page 5. Hapa Issues Forum board member Greg Mayeda’s remarks upon receiving the 1998 Vision Award describe the organization’s founding in 1992 to provide a voice for multiracial Japanese Americans and its growing partnership with JACL. Mayeda highlights the need for JACL to actively recruit and embrace younger, multicultural members to secure its future.
• Philadelphia Convention Draws JACLers from Across the Country, page 5. The 35th biennial JACL convention in Philadelphia featured a Homecoming Luncheon, a keynote address by Acting Assistant Attorney General Bill Lann Lee, and strong youth program turnout including a Youth Luncheon address by Rabbi Rettig. Attendees also toured historic sites and enjoyed Philadelphia hospitality, with tributes paid to Glenn Roberts for his role in passing H.R. 442.
• JACL’s Biennial Budgets for 1998, 1999-2000, and Programs, page 6. This article details JACL’s proposed 1998 budget and the 1999-2000 biennial budget, breaking down revenue sources and expenditures across programs including the Pacific Citizen, membership, leadership, fundraising, and education. New staff positions and program emphases are outlined for the coming years.
• ORA Update, by Dede Greene, page 7. The Office of Redress Administration’s statutory sunset date is August 10, 1998, and Administrator Dede Greene provides updates on the Japanese Latin American settlement terms, eligibility clarifications, and the unknown claimants list. A commemoration ceremony for the Civil Liberties Act and redress program is scheduled for September 10, 1998 in Washington D.C.
• JACL Thanks Sponsors of Biennial Convention, page 7. JACL recognizes corporate and chapter sponsors, led by official underwriter AT&T with a $20,000 sponsorship, for supporting the 35th biennial national convention. The article lists numerous sponsors across various convention events including the Awards Luncheon, Youth Conference, and Sayonara Banquet.
• Rick Uno New Chair of P.C. Editorial Board, page 8. Rick Uno, formerly national JACL vice president of general operations and a Sacramento attorney, has been appointed the new chair of the Pacific Citizen Editorial Board by national president Helen Kawagoe. He replaces Mae Takahashi, whom the P.C. staff thanked for her years of dedicated service.
• JACL Pacific Southwest District to Host September 19 Awards Dinner, page 8. JACL’s Pacific Southwest District will host an awards dinner on September 19 commemorating the end of the 10-year U.S. redress program, honoring several individuals and the National Coalition for Redress and Reparations. Attorney Dale Minami, who led the Korematsu coram nobis case, will deliver the keynote address.
• HIF Receives Vision Award, by Greg Mayeda, page 16. This continuation of Greg Mayeda’s Vision Award acceptance speech urges JACL to take concrete action reaching out to students and multicultural Hapa families to secure the organization’s future. He calls for HIF and JACL to work together as partners toward a more inclusive future for all.

Incarceration & Redress

• Low Response Rate from Former Internees Worries Redress Advocates, page 1. With an August 10, 1998 deadline approaching, advocates warn that many Japanese Latin Americans interned by the U.S. during WWII have not yet applied for redress under a settlement agreement and risk losing their right to compensation. Of roughly 1,200 believed eligible, only about 600 applications were pending, and advocates fear as many as 600 more may never learn of the settlement in time.
• A Moment in Time — Reagan Signs the Civil Liberties Act, Aug. 10, 1988, page 1. This piece reproduces President Ronald Reagan’s remarks from the historic August 10, 1988 signing of the Civil Liberties Act, which redressed the wrongful WWII internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans. Reagan acknowledged the internment as a mistake and praised the loyalty and heroism of Japanese Americans during the war.
• 1988 Seattle Convention: Reagan to Sign Civil Liberties Act, page 4. A letter from President Reagan to Grant Ujifusa, sent during the 1988 JACL biennial convention in Seattle, expressed his honor in working to redress the WWII internment of Japanese Americans through H.R. 442. Ujifusa, representing JACL’s Legislative Education Committee, played a key lobbying role alongside Senators Inouye and Matsunaga and Congressmen Mineta and Matsui.
• Redress Advocates Encourage JLAs to File Applications, page 5. Advocates fear many Japanese Latin American former internees scattered across countries in Latin America and elsewhere have not learned of the redress settlement before the August 10 deadline. Failure to apply in time means losing the right to an apology and compensation, and possibly being barred from suing independently.
• A Task at Hand — Building the Monument, by Bill Hosokawa, page 11. Bill Hosokawa’s column details the complex process of building the National Japanese American Memorial in Washington D.C., including navigating multiple federal review agencies and disagreements over inscription wording. With only about a third of the $8.6 million goal collected so far, the deadline for securing full funding is approaching.

In-Depth

• Future Bright for Rhodes Scholar Cullen Taniguchi, by Craig Ishihara, page 1. Cullen Taniguchi, a 22-year-old Yonsei from Hawaii and Occidental College student, was selected as one of 32 Rhodes Scholars in the nation, earning a two-year scholarship to Oxford University. His chemistry research and his professor’s strong recommendation helped him succeed despite tough competition, including at the interview stage.
• Rhodes Scholar Cullen Taniguchi Looks Forward to Life at Oxford, page 9. This continuation details the rigorous Rhodes Scholar selection process Cullen Taniguchi endured, including intense interviews and a fainting competitor at the district finals. Taniguchi’s ability to clearly explain his enzyme research was key to his selection as Hawaii’s sole Rhodes Scholar representative.

Arts & Entertainment

• Book Controversy: Lois-Ann Yamanaka Remains Fearless, page 1. Author Lois-Ann Yamanaka faced intense backlash within the Asian American community over her novel Blu’s Hanging due to its portrayal of Filipino characters. Despite the controversy, Yamanaka defends her right to tell honest stories from her characters’ perspectives and remains committed to her craft.
• Cracking Open Fortune4’s Shell — Music Label Celebrates Asian Americans in the Independent Arts, by Tracy Uba, page 3. Fortune4, a Chicago-based independent record label co-founded by Ben Kim, promotes Asian American musicians and artists through music releases and the multi-arts Asian American Showcase festival. The label emerged from a desire to create recognized visibility for Asian Americans in the indie music scene.
• No Color Lines? The Accidental Asian: A Controversial New Book on Asian American Identity, by Mika Tanner, page 3. Eric Liu’s new book The Accidental Asian explores assimilation, race politics, and Asian American identity through his personal journey from a Chinese immigrant family to elite American institutions. The book raises provocative questions about what is gained and lost through assimilation and challenges the notion of a unified Asian American identity.
• Author Lois-Ann Yamanaka Stands Behind Blu’s Hanging, page 9. In an interview, Lois-Ann Yamanaka discusses the exhausting backlash from the Asian American community over her novel Blu’s Hanging and her refusal to censor her writing despite the criticism. She maintains her characters reflect individual truths rather than serving as representations of entire ethnic groups.
• Book Explores AA Identity, page 14. This continuation of the review of Eric Liu’s The Accidental Asian examines his skepticism toward a unified Asian American identity based on race rather than shared culture or ethnicity. The review praises the book’s thought-provoking nature while critiquing its sometimes simplistic arguments and failure to address multiple overlapping identities.
• Music: Fortune4 and the Asian American Showcase, page 14. This continuation describes Fortune4’s Asian American Showcase multi-arts festival in Chicago, which has featured filmmakers like Jon Moritsugu and Garrett Wang alongside literary readings and multimedia art. Founder Ben Kim hopes to expand the showcase and further develop the record label despite it remaining a modest, labor-of-love undertaking.

National

• Creating Asian America: An Interview with Jeff Yang, Publisher and Founding Editor of A. Magazine, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 3. Jeff Yang, publisher of A. Magazine: Inside Asian America, discusses the magazine’s mission to fill a niche mainstream media often overlooks, reaching over 125,000 readers. He addresses the difficulty of defining a unified ‘Asian American’ identity while emphasizing the importance of engaging diverse Asian Pacific American communities.
• ‘Rebirth’ of Kingdom of Hawaii, page 12. Native Hawaiian sovereignty activists are marking the centennial of Hawaii’s annexation with ceremonies including a torch walk around Oahu and a procession honoring Hawaiian royalty. A political action committee, Long Live the Queen, is lobbying for U.S. recognition of Hawaiian sovereignty and restitution under the 1993 Apology Bill.

Commentary

• Staying on the Road to Peace Requires Moving Beyond the Past, by Jim Wright, page 4. Former House Speaker Jim Wright reflects on the JACL’s biennial convention in Philadelphia and draws parallels between the Japanese American community’s healing after internment and peace efforts in Northern Ireland. He argues that nations and individuals achieve their greatest triumphs by making peace with painful pasts without forgetting them.
• A Culinary Legacy, by Mika Tanner, page 11. Mika Tanner reflects on her mother’s culinary skills and mourns her own lack of proficiency in cooking traditional Japanese dishes, fearing the loss of this cultural legacy for future generations. She resolves to learn more family recipes to preserve this important connection to her heritage.
• Finding Romance at the JACL, by Emily Murase, page 11. Emily Murase recounts a heartwarming story of a woman who met her husband at a JACL national convention in Salt Lake City through a mutual childhood friend, leading to a two-year courtship and marriage. Murase notes the JACL’s shared values make it a good place to find like-minded partners.
• The Bridge to the 21st Century Crosses a Generation Gap, by Gil Asakawa, page 12. Gil Asakawa reflects on the generational shift within JACL observed at the Philadelphia convention, where the Sansei generation now dominates leadership as redress becomes history with the law’s sunset. He describes tensions between younger and older members over funding priorities, ultimately finding unity in shared values at the closing Sayonara Ball.
• Revisiting the Past, by Bill Marutani, page 12. Bill Marutani writes about attending camp reunions, including the sixth Tule Lake reunion in Sacramento and a Heart Mountain reunion near Seattle, reflecting on why former internees continue to gather despite the painful memories. He describes bringing soil from Tule Lake to eventually be placed at the Washington D.C. memorial site.
• Letter to the Editor: Re: List of Unknowns, by Dede Greene, page 13. ORA Administrator Dede Greene thanks the Pacific Citizen for publishing the list of individuals potentially eligible for redress but not yet located, noting the coverage reached many claimants unaware of their eligibility. She credits the newspaper’s generosity with contributing to the success of the ORA mission.
• Letter to the Editor: Re: Draft Resistors: Apology — Reconciliation, by Fudeko Maruki, page 13. A reader argues that the historical treatment of WWII draft resisters remains unresolved and should not be left to historians who may mischaracterize internment as merely a military necessity. The writer, recalling personal wartime experiences, contends draft resisters’ actions were positive and principled, deserving acknowledgment rather than shame.
• A Response to Kanzaki, page 13. A reader responds to Stanley Kanzaki’s advocacy for reconciliation with WWII draft resisters, questioning why JA intellectuals remain fixated on past evacuation wrongs rather than acknowledging progress since 1945. The writer urges support for the 100th/442nd/MIS Monument instead of continued focus on divisive historical grievances.

Community

• Railroad and Mining Scholarship Nearing Reality, page 7. Fumi Shimada of Sacramento has been a driving force behind establishing a new JACL scholarship honoring Japanese American railroad and mining workers, many of whom were fired from their jobs after Pearl Harbor. Families have donated generously, with some contributing as much as $1,000, to ensure this history is not forgotten.
• Teacher Workshops Continue in Salt Lake City, page 8. A teacher workshop titled ‘A Lesson in American History: The Japanese American Experience’ was held in Salt Lake City, drawing 27 teachers including four from Montana, to provide resources on Japanese American internment and the Topaz camp. Former Topaz internee Grace Oshita and Topaz Museum President Jane Beckwith shared personal experiences and museum preservation efforts.
• San Fernando Valley JACL Scholarship Winners, page 8. The San Fernando Valley JACL and Japanese American Community Center held its annual scholarship awards program honoring nine high school seniors, including recipients heading to USC, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, and Columbia University. The Merio Mizutani Memorial Scholar Athlete Award was also presented at the event.
• Interns Selected for the Harry Honda Internship Program, page 8. Craig Ishihara, a Northwestern University journalism freshman, and Tracy Uba, a recent Reed College graduate, have been selected for the Pacific Citizen’s Harry Honda internship program. Both will contribute to reporting, research, and production duties at the newspaper.
• Christie Kawada Wins Mortar Board Graduate Fellowship, page 8. Christie Larisa Keiko Kawada, a recent UCLA graduate in psychology, has been awarded a Mortar Board Graduate Fellowship for 1998-99 to pursue a Ph.D. in social psychology at New York University. She is the daughter of Kay and Stephanie Kawada of Gardena, California.
• 1997-98 Annual Giving Fund, page 8. The JACL’s 1997-98 Annual Giving Fund campaign raised over $52,118 from members with full board participation, funds used for operational and programmatic needs. The article lists major donors who contributed $250 or more and breaks down contributions by district.
• Puyallup Valley Graduates and Scholarship Award Winners, page 8. Several graduating seniors from Puyallup, Spanaway Lake, Stadium, and Fife high schools received JACL scholarships based on academics, service, and community leadership. A correction notes a photo from a previous scholarship story should have accompanied this piece.
• A. Magazine Explores Asian America, page 10. This continuation of the Jeff Yang interview describes A. Magazine’s founding at Harvard, its struggle to attract advertisers who doubted Asian American consumers, and its growth into a magazine planning its 10th anniversary. Yang emphasizes pop culture’s power to educate people about Asian America alongside more overtly political issues.
• See You in Monterey in the Year 2000, by Harry K. Honda, page 12. Harry Honda recaps highlights and memorable moments from the Philadelphia convention while previewing plans for the next biennial JACL convention in Monterey, California in 2000. Attractions mentioned include the Monterey Aquarium, Pebble Beach golf, and tours of Central Coast Japanese American history sites.
• Jerome Camp 55-Year Reunion Set for October, page 14. A 55-year reunion combining the Jerome Relocation Center and Denson High School gatherings will be held October 16-18 in Fresno, expecting more than 350 attendees. Organizers have planned a mixer, banquet, and breakfast along with additional Saturday activities.

Military & Veterans

• Foundation’s Education Program Begins, page 10. The 100th/442nd/MIS WWII Memorial Foundation launched an educational program called ‘An American Story’ to teach K-12 students about Japanese American involvement in World War II. Co-partners include the Japanese American National Museum, JACL, and Nikkei for the Monument.
• Spark Matsunaga Honored with U.S. Savings Bond, page 10. The late U.S. Senator Spark Matsunaga of Hawaii, a decorated WWII veteran of the 100th Infantry Battalion who played a major role in passing the Civil Liberties Act, will be honored on a $10,000 savings bond issued in May 1999. His son, State Senator Matt Matsunaga, called the honor fitting given his father’s devotion to the country.
• JA Korean War Veterans Exhibit Opens in Sacramento, page 13. An exhibit honoring Japanese American Korean War veterans opened in Sacramento with a ceremony featuring Nisei Post 8985 VFW and remarks from Rev. Yamada. The exhibit featured a replica wall listing those killed in action, described by attendees as simple but effectively moving.

Obituaries

• George Kondo, Former NCWNP Regional Director, page 15. George Kondo, who served as JACL’s NCWNP Regional Director between 1975 and 1990, died July 6 at age 93. Born in Berkeley, Kondo was interned at Tanforan and Topaz during WWII, later helped start seven new JACL chapters, and was instrumental in redress efforts by gathering testimonies from former internees.
• Col. James M. Hanley, WWII Nisei Battalion Leader, page 15. Col. James M. Hanley, commander of the highly decorated 2nd Battalion of the 442nd RCT during WWII, passed away peacefully at age 93. He was known for writing a public letter defending Nisei soldiers’ heroism against anti-Japanese American sentiment printed in his hometown newspaper during the war.
• Kenneth T. Masamitsu Jr., Physician’s Assistant, page 15. Kenneth T. Masamitsu Jr., a pioneering Physician’s Assistant who worked in Santa Clara County’s Public Health Department and later the Emergency Housing Consortium’s Homeless Shelter, died July 16, 1998 from renal/hepatic disease. Colleagues and friends remembered him for his compassionate care, wide-ranging interests, and dedication to maintaining friendships.

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