Renunciants, Florida’s alien land laws and the Poston story

Vol. 136, No. 2, February 7, 2003. 12 pages. View this issue

Bill Nishimura’s account of the war years led the issue. One of about 5,589 Nisei and Kibei renunciants who gave up American citizenship in the camps, he told Martha Nakagawa about his path through Poston, Tule Lake and Crystal City, and said he would make the same choices again. Also on the front page, Caroline Aoyagi reported on Florida bills to remove the state’s Alien Land Law from its constitution, and Tracy Uba covered Minnesota activists who pressed a restaurant for an apology over offensive billboard ads.

Elsewhere in the 12 pages, readers wrote in on the pledge of allegiance and on draft resisters, and Bill Marutani paid tribute to cartoonist Pete Hironaka. News items covered the Supreme Court admissions case, the INS special registration, and the Yao Ming remarks. The 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team memorial CD-ROM and a Gila River reunion notice also appeared.

What’s in this issue

National

• Renunciant Bill Nishimura Recalls Trying War Years, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. Bill Nishimura, one of about 5,589 Nisei and Kibei renunciants who gave up American citizenship in WWII concentration camps, recounts his family’s ordeal after his father’s FBI arrest and his own path through Poston, Tule Lake, the Hoshidan movement, and Crystal City. Nishimura says he would make the same choices again, believing the government violated his constitutional rights first.
• Florida Legislature Considers Bills Calling for Removal of Decades-old Alien Land Laws, Last State to Take Up Issue, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. Florida legislators Rep. Phillip Brutus and Sen. Steven Geller are pushing bills to remove the state’s racist Alien Land Law from its constitution, following New Mexico’s failed attempt to do the same in 2002. Asian American community leaders are building coalitions with other minority groups to educate voters ahead of a planned 2004 ballot vote.
• Minnesota’s APA Community Rallies for Apology From Restaurant, by Tracy Uba, page 1. The Twin Cities JACL and other Minnesota APA activists protested racially offensive billboard ads for Chino Latino restaurant, leading to removal of the ads and a public apology from the parent company Parasole. Activists remain skeptical of the sincerity of the apology and have launched a national boycott and petition campaign.
• Bush Refuses to Take Stand on Racial Preferences, by Associated Press, page 3. President Bush declined to state whether racial preference could be a factor in college admissions, leaving the issue to the Supreme Court ahead of oral arguments on University of Michigan admissions policies. The case marks the court’s first major statement on the issue since the 1978 Bakke ruling.
• AA Groups Press Shaq for Sincere Apology Over Yao Remarks, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 3. Asian American groups including OCA and JACL continue demanding a sincere apology from Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal for mocking Yao Ming with a racist accent and gestures. O’Neal insists his comments were a joke, while over 8,000 people have signed a petition demanding accountability.
• Despite Fears, No Mass Arrests as Thousands Register With INS, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 3. The second phase of post-Sept. 11 special registration requiring men from mostly Arab and Muslim countries to register with immigration authorities saw far fewer arrests than the first phase in December. The INS extended grace periods and expanded the program to include men from additional countries amid criticism from civil rights advocates.
• Secretary Mineta Undergoes Back Surgery, by Associated Press, page 4. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, 71, underwent back surgery to relieve chronic pain and is not expected to leave the hospital until mid-February. He has faced a series of health issues since joining the cabinet, including a hip replacement and previous back surgery.
• Chinese American Political Figure and Husband Killed, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Josephine Lin, a Chinese American Republican fundraiser, and her husband Shan Lin were found suffocated in their New York apartment. The devout Christian couple had emigrated from Taiwan in the 1970s and Josephine had donated extensively to Republican causes.
• Court Papers Reveal Alleged Plot to Kill Gov. Locke, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. A Washington man, James D. Brailey Jr., arrested on weapons charges, was allegedly plotting to kill Gov. Gary Locke, motivated partly by Locke’s ethnicity, according to an FBI informant. Brailey was a member of the anti-government Jural Society, which had elected him governor in a mock 1998 election.
• Reps. Honda, Lofgren Intervene in Green Card Scam, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Reps. Mike Honda and Zoe Lofgren urged Attorney General John Ashcroft to intervene on behalf of 275 Bay Area Korean immigrants facing deportation after being victims of a green card bribery scheme involving immigration brokers and an INS official. Several have already been deported or left voluntarily while others await deportation hearings.
• Teenager Shot by Police Sentenced to Group Home, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Anna Guo, a 14-year-old foster girl shot by a Ventura police officer after brandishing a kitchen knife, was sentenced to a group home placement for up to five years. A judge denied her request to reunite with her father, who had previously lost custody after hitting her with a belt.

Commentary

• Under God, by Unata, page 2. A Riverside JACL chapter member defends the PSW district council’s decision not to pursue removing ‘under God’ from the pledge of allegiance, arguing the organization should focus resources on more pressing issues. The writer notes the JA community’s religious diversity and warns that pursuing this issue could divide the organization.
• Pledge of Allegiance, by Folland, page 2. A reader responds to a previous letter about the pledge of allegiance, criticizing religious intolerance toward Buddhist members of the Japanese American community. The writer argues ‘under God’ can be removed without harming the religious foundations of Judeo-Christian adherents.
• JACL Passed Over for Donation, page 2. A writer expresses disappointment that a local Japanese organization chose not to donate its buildings to JACL after disbanding, due to longstanding grudges among some members. The writer hopes the local chapter can work with the recipients toward a satisfactory resolution.
• Baka-ne, by Take Fuji, page 2. A lighthearted letter recounts a humorous anecdote about a toddler repeating the word ‘buccaneer’ after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl, which turned out to be a mispronunciation of her grandmother’s favorite phrase ‘baka-ne.’ The story reflects on reconnecting with an old friend from Manzanar camp years.
• Togasaki Family, page 2. A reader adds context to a previous article about the Togasaki family, noting that Kiyoshi (George) Togasaki served as president of Rotary International in 1972. The writer highlights this as an important honor for a Nisei leader that was omitted from the original article.
• Resistance Vs. Conscription, by William Wobori, page 2. The writer argues that wartime draft resisters in the camps should have been classified IV-F under the Selective Service Act of 1940 because they were in the custody of the War Relocation Authority, meaning the government violated the law rather than the resisters. He contends this legal technicality means there should be no conflict between the label of resister and conscript, since the government created the situation.
• East Wind: A Tribute to Cartoonist Pete Hironaka, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Columnist Bill Marutani reflects on missing Pete Hironaka’s cartoon commentaries in the Pacific Citizen and celebrates a recently republished cartoon tribute to Harry K. Honda’s 50 years of JACL service. Marutani reveals details about Hironaka’s nearly 46-year unbroken run of cartoons for the paper and hopes to entice him to resume contributing.

JACL

• PACL Corner: Chapter News Roundup, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Multiple JACL chapters including Florin, Monterey, PSW District, SELANOCO, Twin Cities, and Watsonville-Santa Cruz held installation dinners and events, honoring outgoing officers, installing new leadership, and recognizing community members like golf champion Mina Harigae and astronaut Daniel Tani. The PSW District also held a membership recruitment workshop and announced a chapter membership competition with convention registration prizes.
• Defining 75 Years, by Ryan Chin, V.P. Membership, page 8. JACL is seeking member-submitted photographs to compile a picture book documenting the organization’s 75-year history ahead of its anniversary celebration and national convention in Honolulu. The deadline for photo submissions is March 30, 2003, and all photos will be returned after scanning.
• Calif. State Assembly Accepting Applications for Fellowship, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Assemblyman George Nakano announced applications are open for the 2003-2004 Jesse Marvin Unruh Assembly Fellowship Program, an 11-month program giving college graduates hands-on legislative experience and a stipend. Applications must be postmarked by Feb. 26, with final selections made in May.
• JA Korean War Veterans Install New Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 9. The Japanese American Korean War Veterans organization held an installation dinner recognizing new officers for 2003-2004 and celebrating the marriage of vice president Victor Muraoka. The group also announced plans for a nine-day American Heritage Tour to Washington, D.C., in the fall.

Community

• AJA WWII Memorial Alliance to Introduce CD-ROM at 100th/442nd Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Americans of Japanese Ancestry World War II Memorial Alliance is nearing completion of an educational CD-ROM titled ‘Echoes of Silence,’ documenting the stories of the 811 KIAs honored on the AJA WWII memorial wall in Little Tokyo. An advanced working copy will be introduced at the 60th anniversary reunion of the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team in Hawaii in April.
• High Schools Search for Former JA Students, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Santa Clara County’s Office of Education and a Bakersfield High School history class are seeking Japanese American students and veterans who were unable to finish high school due to internment or military service during WWII or the Korean War, in order to award them belated diplomas. Bakersfield is specifically trying to locate five former students, including Jim Hara/Horiye and Marjorie Kato.
• Council Urges Congress to Rename Building to Honor Mink, by Associated Press, page 8. The Maui County Council voted unanimously to urge Congress to rename the Paia Post Office building after the late Congresswoman Patsy Mink, who died in September at age 74. Mink was born in Paia and served 24 years in the U.S. House after a career in Hawaii’s state legislature and Honolulu City Council.
• Gila River Reunion Set for June 6-7, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Registration is underway for the 2003 Gila River Reunion in Las Vegas, which will honor WWII veterans from the two Gila River relocation centers near Phoenix, including a ceremony with the Ira Hayes American Legion Post. Organizers say this may be the last such reunion given the six decades since the camp experience.

Sports

• Yamasaki a Finalist for Oregon Sports Award, by Compiled by Tracy Uba, page 9. The Oregon Sports Awards honored the state’s top athletes, with Stanford basketball player Lindsay Yamasaki named among the female finalists for the Bill Hayward Amateur Athlete of the Year award. The awards, sponsored by Nike and The Portland Tribune, revived a tradition discontinued in 1997.
• Ina’s Suspension Reduced to Two Years, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Figure skater Kyoko Ina’s four-year Olympic suspension was reduced to two years after USADA determined she failed to properly notify authorities of her transition to professional status rather than refusing a drug test. Ina says she is relieved to have the matter resolved and hopes other athletes learn from the situation.
• Mets Sign Shinjo to One-year Deal, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Tsuyoshi Shinjo will return to the New York Mets after agreeing to a one-year, $600,000 contract, following a season with the San Francisco Giants. The Mets praised his superb defensive versatility across all three outfield positions.

Arts & Entertainment

• New Play Seeking Actors of Various Hues, by Compiled by Tracy Uba, page 9. The Asian American Theater Company and partners are holding auditions for workshop readings of ‘The Cure,’ a tragicomedy about the AIDS service industry in Hollywood from 1993-1995. Auditions seek actors of various ethnic backgrounds for four specific roles.
• ABC and Director’s Guild Offering Fellowship to Minority Directors, by P.C. Staff, page 9. ABC and the Directors Guild of America announced a new rotation of the ABC/DGA Television Directing Fellowship Program seeking minority and women directors for three paid fellowship positions. Applications were accepted between Feb. 3-28 for the program beginning in September.
• NAATA Announces Media Fund Deadlines for Public TV Projects, by P.C. Staff, page 9. The National Asian American Telecommunications Association announced two 2003 application deadlines, Feb. 28 and Aug. 29, for its Media Fund supporting public television projects in final post-production. Awards typically range from $20,000 to $50,000.

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