Tri-district conference and protests over FOX’s ‘Banzai’

Vol. 137, No. 3, August 1, 2003. 12 pages. View this issue

A joint conference in Omaha and a protest over a television show shared the front page. The Mountain Plains, Midwest and Eastern district councils met under the theme “Keeping the Flame Alive,” with Hiro Nishikawa reporting on the workshops and the 89 people who attended by banquet time. Caroline Aoyagi covered the Asian American protest outside a Hollywood hotel against FOX’s game show “Banzai,” and a follow-up on page 12 reported that the network kept it on the air. Floyd Mori’s column and a story on President Bush signing the bill that named a Maui post office for Patsy Takemoto Mink also ran on page 1.

Elsewhere, the National Park Service announced public workshops on the Minidoka Internment National Monument, and the JACL Gala Dinner plans to honor Mink. Four pages of sports include Kosuke Kitajima’s world record, and Bill Marutani’s column recalled the music of three eras. Chapter scholarship stories and a new column by Berkeley chapter youth round out the issue.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Tri-District Conference: ‘Keeping the Flame Alive’ — Mountain Plains, Midwest and Eastern Districts Hold Conference, by Hiro Nishikawa, page 1. The Mountain Plains, Midwest, and Eastern district councils held a joint tri-district conference in Omaha July 17-20, drawing 52 delegates from 16 chapters and growing to 89 attendees by banquet time. National officers gave updates on JACL membership growth and financial struggles, while workshops covered hate crimes, caregiving, youth leadership, and history lessons.
• Mori Memo: Supporting JACL to the Fullest, by Floyd Mori, page 1. JACL National President Floyd Mori thanks members for their support and highlights the importance of growing JACL’s membership, especially among younger generations. He praises the National Youth/Student Conference in St. Louis and honors George and Beverly Tadehara of the Mount Olympus chapter for their decades of family membership recruitment.
• Congresswoman Mink to Be Honored at 2003 JACL Gala Dinner, page 3. The late Congresswoman Patsy Mink will be honored posthumously at the JACL National Gala Dinner in Los Angeles alongside Norman Mineta, Daniel Inouye, Robert Matsui, and Mike Honda. The article details Mink’s trailblazing career as the first Asian American woman elected to Congress and author of Title IX, plus event pricing details.
• JACL Announces Mike M. Masaoka Congressional Fellows for 2003-2004, page 3. Carly Sumi Hamaguchi and Evan Naoyoshi Okamura were named the 2003-2004 Mike M. Masaoka Congressional Fellows, each set to work on Capitol Hill for a member of Congress with a stipend. Both fellows have extensive backgrounds in Asian Pacific American community activism and plan to pursue further public service careers.
• Tri-District Conference Photo Recap, page 6. A photo spread documents highlights from the MPDC-MDC-EDC Tri-District Conference, including workshop leaders, district officer installations, and scholarship graduation honorees. Images capture speakers like Bob Wolfson, Bill Yoshino, and Floyd Mori alongside newly installed governors and award recipients.
• Tri-District Conference Concludes with Resolutions and Pledges, by Hiro Nishikawa, page 12. During the final joint session of the tri-district conference, delegates passed a resolution urging the national JACL president to appoint a National Education Committee chair, and EDC pledged funds to support MDC’s educational curriculum efforts and the Pacific Citizen. Workshops on youth leadership and historical lessons comparing Dec. 7, 1941, to Sept. 11, 2001, were also held, alongside a keynote address by Bob Wolfson.

National

• AAs Protest FOX’s Decision to Air ‘Banzai’, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. Dozens of Asian American protestors, including MANAA and JACL members, gathered outside a Hollywood hotel to demand FOX pull its game-show parody ‘Banzai’ off the air for perpetuating racist stereotypes of Asians. FOX defended the show as a parody and continued airing it despite the protests and lack of AA representation in its other programming.
• President Bush Signs Bill Naming Maui Post Office for Mink, by Associated Press, page 1. President Bush signed legislation renaming a Maui post office the Patsy Takemoto Mink Post Office, honoring the late congresswoman near her birthplace. Mink, who died at age 74, served in Congress for 24 years and was remembered for her decades of public service.
• Voters Still Favor Racial Privacy Initiative, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. A Field Poll found half of California voters continue to support Ward Connerly’s Racial Privacy Initiative banning government collection of racial data, despite low voter familiarity with the measure. The initiative, expected on the gubernatorial recall ballot, has drawn criticism from Democrats who say it would hamper anti-discrimination efforts.
• UW Deans Unite to Press for Changes Reflecting Supreme Court, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. University of Washington deans hope to push the state Legislature to amend Initiative 200 in light of recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action at the University of Michigan. Minority enrollment at UW dropped after I-200 passed in 1998 but has been slowly recovering, with mixed results across different racial groups.
• Hate Crimes Drop in 2002 as Post-Sept. 11 Emotion Abates, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. California hate crimes fell sharply in 2002, particularly against Middle Easterners, as emotions cooled following the Sept. 11 attacks, according to the state Department of Justice. Overall hate crimes dropped 26.6 percent, though race-based crimes still made up two-thirds of all reports.
• ‘Banzai’ Protest Continues as FOX Refuses to Pull Show, page 12. Despite meetings between MANAA/JACL representatives and FOX executives, the network continued airing ‘Banzai’ as scheduled, only agreeing to add a disclaimer noting the show’s British origin. Advocacy groups including MANAA, JACL, KAC, and SIPA vowed to continue pressuring FOX to cancel the show, which they say perpetuates racist stereotypes.

Commentary

• Letters to the Editor, page 2. Three readers wrote in on topics including support for the JACL Gala Dinner, a question about why Republicans like S.I. Hayakawa aren’t honored by JACL, and a complaint about the use of the word ‘Jap’ in eBay item listings. The letters reflect a range of reader opinions on JACL politics and community issues.
• A Call to All Youth, by Jessica Kawamura, Emily Teruya, and Kyle Morishita, page 3. Three Berkeley chapter JACL youth introduce a new column meant to give young JACL members a voice, sharing their personal backgrounds and reasons for valuing the organization. They discuss the continuing relevance of JACL in fighting racism, citing the FOX ‘Banzai’ controversy, and invite other youth to contribute to the column.
• The Three Eras of Music, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Columnist Bill Marutani reflects on his musical memories spanning three eras of his life as a Nisei: prewar, wartime camp dances, and postwar recovery, recalling big band and vocal artists like Glenn Miller, Jo Stafford, and Mel Torme. He notes the enduring emotional power of wartime tunes and pays tribute to the late Henry Mancini and Mel Torme.

Community

• APAs in the News: Awards, Appointments, Announcements, page 4. Governor Gray Davis appointed attorney Brian Yep as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, William Yu was installed as president of the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicagoland, and Ross M. Harano was named managing director of the Illinois Trade Office. Each honoree’s professional background and community involvement is detailed.
• Nikkei Golf Tournament Raises Funds, page 4. The first National Nikkei Golf Tournament, jointly sponsored by NJAMF, JACL, and JAVA, was held in Chantilly, Va., drawing 66 golfers and raising thousands of dollars for the three organizations. Corporate sponsors and individual donors contributed prizes and hole sponsorships, and organizers hailed the event as a model for future cooperation.
• Public Workshops Scheduled on Minidoka Internment National Monument, page 5. The National Park Service will hold 11 public workshops in Washington and Oregon to gather input on development and management proposals for the Minidoka Internment National Monument. The proposals include preservation of historic features, visitor facilities, and educational programs about the WWII incarceration site.
• JAVA to Hold 10th Anniversary Celebration, page 5. The Japanese American Veterans Association will hold a three-day 10th anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C. in September, featuring panel discussions on WWII and post-9/11 experiences, a Stradivarius concert, and a wreath-laying ceremony. A gala dinner will honor Norman Mineta and invited recipients Robert Dole and Eric Shinseki.
• JA Korean War Veterans Seeking Names for Book, page 5. The Japanese American Korean War Veterans group is compiling names of JAs who served during the Korean War era for a commemorative booklet honoring the often-overlooked veterans. The booklet will include a memorial section for the 247 JAs killed in action.
• Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation to Host Its 4th Annual Jr. Golf Tournament, by Pacific Citizen and Associated Press, page 7. The Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation will host its fourth annual non-competitive junior golf tournament for youths ages 8-18 on Aug. 24. The event promotes sportsmanship and team play and includes a barbecue lunch and awards ceremony.
• Florin Athletic Club to Host 51st Annual Baseball Tournament, by Pacific Citizen and Associated Press, page 7. The Florin Athletic Club will host the 51st Annual Nisei Athletic Union baseball tournament over Labor Day weekend, featuring eight teams from Northern and Southern California. The Florin Athletic Club, founded in 1932, is one of the oldest Japanese American semi-professional baseball clubs in the nation.
• Twin Cities Chapter Holds 40th Annual Scholarship Awards Program, page 8. The Twin Cities JACL awarded more than $8,000 in scholarships to local high school graduates at its 40th annual awards program in Minneapolis. Twelve students received named memorial scholarships, with the ceremony emceed by Fred Tsuchiya and featuring a musical performance by honoree Mariko Austin.
• Ventura County Chapter Distributes $4,200 in Scholarships, page 9. The Ventura County JACL awarded a total of $4,200 in scholarships this year, including Outstanding Scholarship Awards and Scholar Awards to multiple local high school students. Dr. Tom Taketa, who has contributed $24,000 to the chapter’s scholarship program over two years, presented one of the top awards.
• Alice Kasai to Be Honored by JACL and Utah Community, page 12. Alice Kasai will be honored at a dinner in Salt Lake City for her lifetime of community service on her 88th birthday, sponsored by 37 organizations including national JACL. Kasai and her late husband Henry were recognized for decades of volunteer work and civil rights advocacy, including efforts to repeal Utah’s Anti-Miscegenation Law.

Sports

• All-Star Game Celebrates Diversity in Dugout, page 7. The 2003 MLB All-Star Game showcased the sport’s growing international diversity, featuring Japanese stars Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui alongside players from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Colombia. Players and coaches reflected on how far the game has come in embracing talent from around the world.
• Japanese Swimmer Kosuke Kitajima Sets Another World Record, page 7. Kosuke Kitajima of Japan won gold and set a world record in the 200-meter breaststroke at the World Swimming Championships in Barcelona. It was his second world record of the championships after also breaking the 100-meter breaststroke record days earlier.
• Ikeda, Jun Win Junior World Titles, page 7. Yuta Ikeda of Japan won the boys 15-17 division of the Junior World Golf Championship at Torrey Pines, while Hannah Jun of San Diego won the girls 15-17 division by seven strokes. The tournament has a history of producing top golf talent including Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

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