Vol. 129, No. 1, July 2, 1999. 8 pages. View this issue
Congress approved President Clinton’s nomination of Gen. Eric Shinseki as Army chief of staff, and the issue led with that news. Its other front-page stories covered the 1999 JACL National Youth/Student Conference at UC Irvine, written by Tracy Uba, and the first grants from the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program, aimed at teaching the public about the World War II incarceration (often called internment). A Chicago townhall meeting on hate crimes against Asian Americans drew more than 200 people.
Pages 4 and 5 return to the youth conference with roundtables on Hapa identity and on women in activism. Twila Tomita and the Seattle JACL Chapter each wrote on JACL and the Nisei draft resisters. Columns by Brian Niiya and Harry K. Honda look at Colorado’s community and Bill Hosokawa’s writing. Miwako Yanamoto reported on a panel of Nisei WAC veterans, and Chicago and Snake River Valley chapters held scholarship events.
What’s in this issue
Military & Veterans
- Gen. Shinseki Nomination Approved by Congress, page 1. Congress approved President Clinton’s nomination of Gen. Eric Shinseki, a second-generation Japanese American, as Army chief of staff, making him the first JA to attain the Army’s highest rank. Born in Hawaii, Shinseki is a 33-year Army veteran with two combat tours in Vietnam and service commanding NATO peacekeeping forces in Bosnia.
- Women in Military Service for ‘Mannequins of Democracy’ Panel, by Miwako Yanamoto, page 5. Three Nisei WAC veterans, Kathleen Iseri, Atsuko Moriuchi, and Miwako Yanamoto, participated in a panel discussion titled ‘Mannequins of Democracy’ at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington on June 15. The panel discussed the history of over 300 Nisei women who served in the WAC and Army Nurse Corps during and after WWII, many of whom graduated from the Military Intelligence Service Language School.
Incarceration & Redress
- California Civil Liberties Public Education Program Announces Recipients of Grant Program, page 1. CCLPEP, created by legislation from Assemblymember Mike Honda, announced 27 grant recipients for its first year of funding beginning June 1, 1999, aimed at public education about the WWII internment of Japanese Americans. Recipients met at the California State Library in Sacramento to review procedures and meet the State Librarian.
- Reexamining the Resisters’ Resolution: Why Should We Support the Nisei Resisters of Conscience?, by Twila Tomita, page 7. A Florin JACL delegate argues for JACL to formally recognize and support Nisei draft resisters of conscience from WWII, noting recent resolutions of support from veterans groups and community leaders. The piece details the history of resistance at various camps, subsequent trials, and calls for a public ceremony to heal community divisions over the issue.
- Draft Resisters Recognized by National JACL in 1990, by Seattle JACL Chapter, page 7. This piece argues that National JACL already recognized and honored draft resisters through Resolution 13, passed unanimously at the 1990 San Diego convention. It reviews the historical background of the resolution, including the Seattle JACL ad hoc committee’s research and the lack of dissent from draft resisters after its passage, while also calling for equal recognition of WWII veterans.
JACL
- ‘Hey You Guys!’ Takes a Closer Look at the Youth of JACL’s Future, by Tracy Uba, page 1. The 1999 JACL National Youth/Student Conference was held at UC Irvine from June 25-27, bringing together teens and young adults from nearly every JACL district to discuss issues relevant to JACL and Asian American youth. Workshops covered topics like community activism, gender issues, and Asian American identity, with speeches from leaders like Rose Ochi and Carole Hayashino.
- Youth Conference Held at U.C. Irvine, page 4. The JACL National Youth/Student Conference featured workshops including ‘Womyn Activists’ and ‘Asian American Movement Past, Present and Future,’ with speakers from various JACL districts and community organizations. The conference concluded with a Vision Award Dinner honoring athlete Dat Nguyen and a keynote address from Carole Hayashino sharing ten life lessons for youth.
- Chicago JACL Holds 42nd Annual Scholarship Luncheon, by Kathy Suzuki, page 5. The Chicago JACL held its 42nd annual scholarship luncheon on June 12 at the Terrace Garden Restaurant to honor graduates, including recipients of the Matsumoto Memorial Scholarship and Yatabe Scholarship. This year’s recipients included Kae Tomae Suzuki, who plans to attend Williams College, and a Mizuuichi family member heading to the University of Illinois at Chicago.
National
- Chicago ‘Townhall Meeting on Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans’ Attracts More Than 200 Participants, page 1. More than 200 people attended a townhall meeting on hate crimes against Asian Americans on June 15 at CBS studios in Chicago, discussing cases like the Kamijima hate crime and thanking authorities for their sensitivity. Panelists included Yoshino, hate crime survivors, police, and civil rights officials who discussed why hate crimes should be treated differently than other crimes.
- CT Study: Minorities More At-Risk Than Whites for Many Health Problems, by Associated Press, page 3. A new Connecticut state study found that racial minorities face greater health risks than whites for issues including infectious diseases, low birth weights, asthma and diabetes, while whites face higher risks for heart disease, stroke and some cancers. The Department of Public Health plans to use the findings to tailor health programs to specific communities using local leaders and agencies.
- Disparaging Term for Japanese Used at Games Commission Meeting, by Associated Press, page 3. A commission member used a disparaging term for Japanese during a June 22 meeting before defending it as an ‘abbreviation’ rather than an insult, later apologizing after being told the term was offensive. Officials noted the sensitivity needed when referring to a delegation’s ethnicity, especially during international games.
In-Depth
- Hapas: Exploring Our Identity, page 4. A roundtable discussion at the JACL youth conference explored what it means to be Hapa (half Japanese or half Asian) and how to move beyond fetishized stereotypes, led by Dr. Teresa Williams of CSU Northridge. Participants discussed multiplicity of identity rather than a divided self, using Kip Fulbeck’s film as an illustrative example.
- Our Well Recorded Generation, Thanks to the ‘Fryer’, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The article discusses Bill Hosokawa’s writing career and his book chronicling Japanese American history, including chapters on his family’s internment experience and his grandchildren’s disconnection from Japanese culture. It highlights a particularly poignant piece about a trip Hosokawa took with his grandchildren to Japan, including a visit to Hiroshima.
Commentary
- Womyn Activists, page 4. A roundtable discussion on gender and activism featured speakers including Dr. Izumi Taniguchi and Ayako Hagihara discussing feminism, the National Coalition for Redress/Reparations, and affirmative action activism. Panelists encouraged young people to engage in activism and question their environment at a critical age.
- Return to Colorado, by Brian Niiya, page 6. The columnist reflects on repeated visits to Colorado’s Japanese American community, noting that contrary to expectations of decline, he found a vibrant community with active young leaders. He observes that many graduating students were Hapa, yet remained connected to their Japanese American heritage, suggesting the culture isn’t tied strictly to ‘blood.’
Community
- Snake River Valley Chapter Holds Annual Graduation Banquet, page 5. The JACL Snake River Valley Chapter held its annual graduation banquet on May 7, awarding scholarships and grants to local high school seniors. The awards were funded by the chapter, Idaho-Oregon Nikkeiginkai, and an endowment from Sig and Mitsuko Murakami.
- Japanese American Service Committee Receives $48,626 Grant From Retirement Research Foundation, page 8. The Japanese American Service Committee (JASC) received a grant from the Retirement Research Foundation’s Organizational Capacity Building Initiative to improve management of nonprofit organizations serving elderly Nikkei in the Chicago area. JASC plans to conduct a needs and resources assessment addressing both elderly and ethnic community issues.
Obituaries
- Obituaries, page 7. This week’s obituary listings include tributes to community members such as Jiichi Furutani, a Korean War veteran, and Nobu Tanabe, a WWII MIS veteran, among others across California and other states. Survivors and family details are listed for each individual.
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