Hapa identity, affirmative action and a SARS scare

Vol. 136, No. 7, April 18, 2003. 12 pages. View this issue

Multiracial Japanese Americans led the news. Martha Nakagawa reported on playwright Velina Hasu Houston’s talk at USC and on 2000 Census data showing the Nikkei community has become increasingly multiethnic. Tracy Uba covered the Michigan affirmative action cases as they went before the Supreme Court, with mixed reactions from Asian Pacific Americans. Caroline Aoyagi reported on Chinese Canadians and U.S. Chinatowns facing suspicion and lost business as SARS spread. JACL National President Floyd Mori wrote about visiting the rebuilt monument at the Topaz camp site.

Elsewhere in these 12 pages, Associated Press reports covered the 60th anniversary gathering of 442nd Regimental Combat Team veterans in Honolulu and Rep. Howard Coble stepping back from a Guilford College commencement. A fundraising column by Paul M. Uyehara launched the paper’s Spring Campaign. Tracy Uba’s sports pages followed Hideki Matsui’s early weeks with the Yankees and Michelle Kwan’s fifth world title.

What’s in this issue

National

• Census Shows Increase in Hapas; Playwright Houston Notes Growing Acceptance Among Asians, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. Playwright Velina Hasu Houston spoke at USC about the growing multiethnic identity within the Japanese American community, drawing on her own experience as a Hapa daughter of a Japanese immigrant mother and African American/Native American father. Her talk coincided with 2000 Census data from the Asian Pacific American Legal Center confirming the Nikkei community has become increasingly multiracial.
• APAs React to Michigan Affirmative Action Cases Going Before Supreme Court, by Tracy Uba, page 1. Asian Pacific Americans expressed mixed reactions as the University of Michigan’s affirmative action cases, Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger, went before the Supreme Court amid a large pro-affirmative action rally in Washington, D.C. Supporters like JACL and student groups defended race-conscious admissions while opponents like attorney Anthony Lee argued for individual treatment over racial classification, with a ruling expected by late June.
• Mori Memo: Visiting Our History, by Floyd Mori, page 1. JACL National President Floyd Mori recounts a visit to the Topaz internment camp site to see the newly rebuilt monument, replacing one destroyed by vandals, and reflects on the emotional significance of the location. He encourages JACL members to visit camp sites to understand and preserve this history so similar injustices are not repeated.
• Chinese Canadian Community Fears Rise in Anti-Asian Sentiment as SARS Scare Continues, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. As SARS spreads and Toronto’s Chinatown empties of customers, Chinese Canadians report harassment, hate mail, and racial profiling, with community leaders working to separate the disease from ethnic identity. Similar anti-Asian sentiment and business boycotts triggered by hoax emails have begun appearing in U.S. cities like Monterey Park, Calif., prompting JACL and community leaders to call for vigilance.
• Effort to Repeal Anti-Asian Provision Hits Roadblock, by Associated Press, page 3. Florida state Sen. Steven Geller’s effort to repeal a defunct 1926 constitutional provision banning Asian immigrants from owning property has stalled after other lawmakers added an amendment targeting illegal aliens’ land ownership. Geller may withdraw his bill if the added amendment, which could create legal confusion over existing landowners, is not removed.
• Coble Won’t Speak at Commencement at Request of Guilford Students, by Associated Press, page 3. U.S. Rep. Howard Coble withdrew from speaking at his alma mater Guilford College’s commencement after a third of the graduating class petitioned against his appearance following his remarks supporting Japanese American internment. Coble said he did not want to cause embarrassment, while the college confirmed it played no role in the decision.
• AA Groups Take Action Against The Tonight Show, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Korean American Coalition, NAPALC, and nine other organizations including JACL sent a letter to The Tonight Show’s corporate sponsors objecting to racially stereotypical humor about Asians eating dogs. NBC dismissed the concerns, prompting criticism from NAPALC president Karen Narasaki that such humor perpetuates hostility leading to hate crimes.
• Honda Seeks Honorary Citizenship for Civil War Soldiers of Asian Descent, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Mike Honda reintroduced legislation to grant posthumous honorary citizenship to more than 250 soldiers of Asian descent who fought in the Civil War but were denied citizenship due to exclusionary immigration laws. The bill highlights the story of Edward Day Cohota, who served decades in the Army yet was denied homestead rights because he was not a citizen.
• Arabs, Muslims, Sikhs Report Sporadic Hate Crimes as War Drags On, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Muslim, Arab and Sikh advocacy groups report a trickle of hate crimes since the start of the Iraq war, including arson attempts, property damage and verbal harassment across several U.S. cities. Advocates warn that increased American casualties could correlate with a rise in backlash incidents against Arab Americans and those perceived to be Muslim.
• Sports Gambling Sites May Have Funded Asian Gangs, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Police in Pelham, N.H., and several Massachusetts towns raided locations believed to be financing Asian gangs through illegal sports gambling operations. Investigators recovered betting slips, computer files and a handgun, and expect to file charges against several individuals.
• Federal Facility to Honor Inouye and Other WWII Vets, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. A Michigan federal building that once housed an Army hospital where Sen. Daniel Inouye recovered from WWII injuries was renamed the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center. The facility, now managed by the General Services Administration, also treated fellow WWII veterans Sen. Phil Hart and Sen. Robert Dole.
• Arson Suspected in Muslim American School Bus Fire, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. A school bus belonging to a Falls Church, Va., mosque was deliberately set on fire, prompting calls from Muslim American Society leaders for increased police patrols and anti-hate crime measures. Fairfax County officials pledged stepped-up patrols in response to the incident amid rising war-related tensions.
• Survey: Minorities Increasing in Newsrooms, but Still Below Goals, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. A survey by the American Society of Newspaper Editors found minority representation in U.S. newsrooms rose slightly to 12.5 percent in 2002, still far below the national population share and ASNE’s diversity goals. Minority journalist employment grew faster than overall newsroom employment despite an industry-wide job decline the previous year.
• Minorities Becoming Farming Face in California, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. U.S. Census of Agriculture data shows a growing number of Southeast Asian and other minority farmers operating in California, with Asian American farmers increasing to 3,408. Fresno County has hired a Hmong farm adviser to address language barriers and help minority growers succeed.
• Accused Double Agent is Chinese American, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Katrina Leung, code-named “Parlor Maid” by the FBI, was charged with obtaining classified national security documents while allegedly serving as a double agent for the Chinese government during a decades-long affair with her FBI handler. Both Leung and former agent James Smith face up to 10 years in prison.
• Famed 442nd Veterans Celebrate 60th Anniversary, by Associated Press, page 5. More than 800 members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, including Medal of Honor recipients, gathered in Honolulu to mark the 60th anniversary of the unit’s founding, honoring both their wartime valor and Sen. Daniel Inouye. Veterans reflected on fighting prejudice at home while defending the U.S. abroad, and recalled liberating the Dachau concentration camp.
• Michigan Affirmative Action Cases Continued, by Tracy Uba, page 6. The continuation of the Michigan affirmative action coverage details how JACL, OCA and other APA organizations filed briefs supporting the University of Michigan while the Asian American Legal Foundation supported the white plaintiffs challenging the policy. Students and experts debated whether race-based admissions points fairly served Asian Americans and other minorities amid competing visions of diversity and merit.
• Proud New York Family Watched as Marine Hung Flag on Saddam Statue, by Associated Press, page 6. Cpl. Edward Chin, a Chinese American Marine from Myanmar who grew up in Brooklyn, briefly covered the face of a toppling Saddam Hussein statue with an American flag before replacing it with an Iraqi flag at military officials’ request. His family expressed pride watching the historic moment broadcast worldwide.
• SARS Fears Continue (continued): Effects Spread to U.S. Businesses, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 9. The SARS scare’s economic and social effects extend to U.S. Chinatowns in Boston and New York, and a hoax email falsely linked SARS to businesses in Monterey Park, causing a dramatic drop in local Chinese restaurant patronage. JACL’s John Tateishi called on Asian Pacific communities to report scapegoating and work with media to educate the public, drawing parallels to the AIDS epidemic’s early stigmatization.

Commentary

• Show Me the Money: Spring Campaign, by Paul M. Uyehara, page 1. EDC PC Board Representative Paul Uyehara reflects on the Pacific Citizen as JACL’s vital connection to the community, comparing it to a comforting letter from home. He describes the paper’s fiscal crisis, its skeleton staff working under difficult conditions, and announces the Spring Campaign fundraising effort, challenging other JACL districts to match EDC’s $2,100 donation.
• The Future of JACL, by Chiza I, page 2. A letter writer from El Cerrito praises JACL leadership, especially Executive Director John Tateishi, for defending civil liberties amid comparisons to post-Pearl Harbor discrimination faced by Japanese Americans. The writer acknowledges JACL’s financial struggles amid recession and calls for new chapter programs to attract younger Sansei and Yonsei members.
• Mitsuye Endo, page 2. A letter to the editor responds to Bill Marutani’s column on Ex Parte Mitsuye Endo, noting discrepancies between two books regarding where Endo was initially incarcerated and questioning credit given to researcher Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga. The writer laments that Endo remains an underappreciated figure in Nikkei history despite her historic legal victory.

JACL

• APAs in the News: Awards, Appointments, Announcements, by P.C. Staff, page 4. California Gov. Gray Davis appointed Akemi Arakaki, Fritz Friedman, David Kim and Philip Ting to the Commission on Asian & Pacific Islander American Affairs. Dr. Sumi Mitsudo-Koide was inducted into the Westchester County Women’s Hall of Fame, and Tomio Moriguchi of Uwajimaya will receive the ADL’s Torch of Liberty Award.
• Go For Broke Educational Foundation Named a ‘Treasure of Los Angeles’ By Central City Association, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn will present the Go For Broke Educational Foundation with a “Treasures of Los Angeles” award at the Central City Association’s Ninth Annual Luncheon. The foundation runs programs preserving the history of Japanese American WWII soldiers and the internment through its monument, oral history program and educational resources.

Community

• JA Korean War Veterans Announce May 16 as Deadline for Washington, D.C., Tour, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Japanese American Korean War Veterans announced a May 16 reservation deadline for their “Heritage of America” tour commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Korean War’s end. The tour includes visits to war memorials, the Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism, and historic sites such as Gettysburg and Williamsburg.
• Nisei War Memorial to Be Dedicated May 26, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Nisei Post 8985 VFW will dedicate a new memorial plaque honoring Sacramento-area Japanese Americans who died serving in WWII and the Korean War. The dedication ceremony will be held Memorial Day at the Nisei War Memorial Community Center with participation by honorees’ family members.
• Merced County Courthouse Museum Opens JA Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A new exhibit titled “Japanese American Experience in Merced County” opened at the Merced County Courthouse Museum, showcasing photographs, artifacts and maps documenting JA life from the early 1900s to late 1950s. The opening reception featured taiko and karaoke performances along with a Nisei panel discussion.

Sports

• Matsui Slams Way Into Yankees’ Lore, by Tracy Uba, page 7. Hideki Matsui delivered a bases-loaded, game-winning “sayonara” hit in the ninth inning to help the Yankees match their best-ever 10-1 start to a season. Matsui, who signed a $21 million three-year deal, had already hit a grand slam in his Yankee Stadium debut and quickly became a fan favorite.
• Arbitrator Awards Morton to Redskins, by Tracy Uba, page 7. An arbitrator ruled that the New York Jets failed to match all terms of the Washington Redskins’ offer sheet for kick returner Chad Morton, allowing him to join Washington. Morton, who is Hapa, was one of the NFL’s top kick returners last season and sought a larger role at running back.
• Kwan Eases Way to Fifth World Title, by Tracy Uba, page 7. Michelle Kwan swept every competition this season, capturing her fifth World Figure Skating Championship title and tying Dick Button and Carol Heiss for most American world titles. Kwan says she plans to continue competing through the 2006 Olympics while fellow American Sarah Hughes had a disappointing, injury-plagued season finishing sixth.
• Stockton JA Wins High School Spirit of Sport Award, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Michael Fujinaka of St. Mary’s High School in Stockton was named a winter recipient of the CIF Spirit of Sport Award for his wrestling achievements and leadership as student body vice president. Fellow Japanese American finalists Jennifer Katsuyama and Lindsey Shiomi were also recognized for their athletic and community contributions.

Arts & Entertainment

• AA Theater Company Presents AIDS Drama ‘The Cure’, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Asian American Theater Company presents a workshop reading of “The Cure,” a play by Joel Barraquiel Tan and Ginu Kamani blending Indian spirituality with the AIDS crisis set in 1993 Hollywood. The participatory production aims to engage audiences directly in the history and politics of the AIDS epidemic.

In-Depth

• Census Shows Increase in Hapas (continued): Houston and APALC Data on Multiracial Nikkei, by Martha Nakagawa, page 8. Continuing coverage details how Velina Hasu Houston helped found the Amerasia League to advocate for Hapa identity and how 2000 Census data analyzed by APALC’s Kimiko Kelly and Dan Ichinose shows Japanese Americans have the highest multiracial rate among major Asian ethnic groups in Southern California. Houston discusses the historical difficulty of gaining acceptance for Hapas within both the Nikkei and other communities of color, noting recent progress.

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