Nisei baseball turns 50, and the Smithsonian revises its exhibit

Vol. 135, No. 5, September 6, 2002. 12 pages. View this issue

The California Nisei AA Baseball Tournament marked its 50th anniversary, and Tracy Uba’s front-page story followed founders and longtime players from wartime camp teams to the postwar community leagues, along with worries about its future as community involvement dwindles. Martha Nakagawa reported that the Smithsonian is revising its ‘A More Perfect Union’ exhibit after a critique, with JACL urging that any changes reflect true history. JACL also protested Attorney General Ashcroft’s plan to detain non-citizens, citing the World War II incarceration (often called internment) of Japanese Americans.

About 500 people gathered in Delta, Utah, to dedicate a redesigned Topaz monument on the 60th anniversary of the camp’s opening. Bill Marutani’s column examined the Hirabayashi and Korematsu rulings, and letters took up the slur ‘Jap’ on eBay. JACL urged President Bush to reappoint Paul Igasaki to the EEOC, and Erin Watari was named the 2002-2003 Masaoka Congressional Fellow. Sports pages cover Yao Ming, Hideo Nomo and Se Ri Pak.

What’s in this issue

Sports

• Founders, Players Look Forward, Back on 50th Anniversary of California Nisei AA Baseball Tournament, by Tracy Uba, page 1. The article marks the 50th anniversary of the California Nisei AA Baseball Tournament, tracing its history from wartime camp teams to postwar community leagues. Longtime players and organizers reflect on the tournament’s legacy and concerns about its future as community involvement dwindles.’
• United States Gets First Glimpse of No. 1 Draft Pick, by P.C. Staff, page 7. American basketball players got their first look at 7-foot-5 Yao Ming as the U.S. team defeated China 84-54, with Yao impressing despite a mixed performance. NBA players including Michael Finley praised Yao’s skill and potential ahead of his rookie season with the Houston Rockets.
• Red Sox Claim Outfielder Agbayani, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Boston Red Sox claimed outfielder Benny Agbayani off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. The Honolulu native and former Hawaii Pacific University standout has a career .273 batting average and was a key contributor to the 2000 Mets’ pennant run.
• Yamasaki to Rejoin Stanford Volleyball Team, by P.C. Staff, page 7. WNBA player Lindsey Yamasaki will return to Stanford University to rejoin the top-ranked volleyball team as a walk-on after her rookie basketball season with the Miami Sol. She previously helped Stanford reach the 1999 NCAA championship game and plans to finish her urban studies degree.
• Nomo is ‘Ace’ of Dodgers’ Pitching Staff, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hideo Nomo has emerged as a top performer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning 11 of his last 12 decisions despite downplaying his role as team ace. Manager Jim Tracy praised Nomo’s consistency as fellow starter Kevin Brown has struggled with injuries.
• Pak Wins Betsy King Classic, Despite Illness, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Se Ri Pak won the Betsy King Classic despite battling illness, highlighted by a dramatic eagle attempt on the 18th hole. The victory marks her third win of the season as she pursues additional tournament titles down the stretch.

National

• Smithsonian Makes Changes to ‘A More Perfect Union’ Exhibit After Pair Submits Critique, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is revising its ‘A More Perfect Union’ exhibit, including lowering the number of medals attributed to Nisei WWII soldiers, after a critique from a Utah congressman and two Utahns. JACL sent a letter urging that any changes reflect true history, while researchers dispute claims made in the critique regarding the ‘Magic’ cables and Japanese American loyalty.
• JACL Protests Ashcroft Plan for Detention Camps, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL sent a letter opposing Attorney General Ashcroft’s plan granting unilateral authority to detain non-citizens, citing parallels to the WWII internment of Japanese Americans. The organization warned of the dangers such power poses to constitutional rights.
• California Assemblyman Nakano’s APIA Advisory Commission Bill Headed for Governor’s Desk, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Assembly Bill 116, authored by Assemblyman George Nakano, passed the California Senate and would establish the state’s first Asian Pacific Islander American Advisory Commission. The bill now awaits Governor Gray Davis’s signature to address the needs of California’s growing APIA community.
• Michigan Affirmative Action Case Heads to Supreme Court, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A white woman denied admission to the University of Michigan Law School appealed her affirmative action case to the Supreme Court, claiming racial discrimination. The case echoes the 1978 Bakke decision and has stirred renewed debate over the use of race in university admissions.
• Smithsonian Exhibit Changes Draw Scrutiny Over Magic Cables Debate, page 6. This continuation piece details the contentious debate over the Smithsonian’s revisions to medal counts and claims about the Magic intercepts’ role in justifying Japanese American internment. Researchers Aiko and Jack Herzig dispute claims made by critics like Lee Allen, arguing that Magic cables were not a credible basis for internment decisions.

Commentary

• eBay Still Using ‘Jap’, by Richard Hou, page 2. A reader reports that eBay listings using the slur ‘Jap’ have increased significantly despite a year of complaints, and notes similar slurs targeting other minority groups persist on the site. The letter calls on eBay to implement better safeguards and for JACL to continue pressing the issue with eBay executives.
• Census 2000: ‘Alone’ vs. ‘Combination’, page 2. A reader raises concerns about how Census 2000 data on multiracial identification is being reported, noting confusion between ‘alone’ and ‘combination’ categories. The letter points out that this affects interpretation of Hapa population figures in prior Pacific Citizen articles.
• Pledge of Allegiance, by Schectman, Chicago JACL, page 2. A reader praises Mas Hashimoto’s commentary on the Pledge of Allegiance controversy, agreeing that the issue of ‘under God’ affects Buddhist Americans and other minority religions. The letter argues that government neutrality on religion best protects all citizens’ rights.
• Re: East Wind, by Daud, Ann Arbor, Mich., page 2. A reader requests that columnist Bill Marutani devote a column to the Endo case, noting it has received less attention than Korematsu, Hirabayashi, and Yasui. The letter suggests the case has renewed relevance given current treatment of people of Middle Eastern background.
• First JA Woman NFL Trainer, by Goku S. Nakaue, page 2. A reader corrects a previous Pacific Citizen article about Ariko Iso being the NFL’s first female and Japanese American trainer, noting that Jeff Tanaka has served as a permanent JA trainer for the San Francisco 49ers for years. The letter requests a feature story on Tanaka.
• Passport to Friendship, page 2. A reader recounts visiting the ‘Passport to Friendship’ doll exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum and admiring the lifelike Japanese and American dolls. However, she expresses dismay at newspaper clippings using the word ‘Japs’ displayed alongside the exhibit, questioning why they were included.
• The Trilogy: Kiss of Death, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Bill Marutani continues his column series analyzing the Supreme Court’s WWII-era rulings, focusing on Hirabayashi and Korematsu and how the Court’s reasoning on curfew restrictions was later used to justify the broader exclusion order. He criticizes the Court’s logic as a troubling exercise in judicial rationalization of racial profiling, likening it to judging rape by focusing on an earlier uninvited kiss.

JACL

• JACL Urges President to Reappoint Igasaki to EEOC Post, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL urged President Bush to reappoint Paul Igasaki to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, citing his qualifications and the lack of Asian Pacific American representation on federal civil rights commissions. JACL leaders expressed concern over delays in his renomination despite bipartisan support.
• Former Secretary of Army Louis Caldera to Keynote 2002 JACL PSW Awards Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Louis Caldera, former U.S. Army secretary and CSU vice chancellor, will keynote the JACL Pacific Southwest District awards dinner in Torrance. The event will also honor community leaders Joe Allman, Tritia Toyota, Wilbur Sato, and the Holiday Cheer program.
• JACL Announces 2002-2003 Masaoka Congressional Fellow, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The JACL named Erin Watari of Troutdale, Ore., as the 2002-2003 recipient of the Mike M. Masaoka Congressional Fellowship, which she will serve in Rep. Mike Honda’s Washington office. Watari, a Southern Oregon University graduate, has a record of student government leadership and civic engagement.

Community

• State Presents Heritage Grant for Castroville Schoolhouse Restoration, by P.C. Staff, page 3. California awarded a Heritage Grant to help restore the Japanese School building in Castroville, built by Japanese Americans in the 1930s to teach children traditional culture. Officials praised the project’s historical significance and community support for the renovation.
• APAs in the News, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A roundup of notable Asian Pacific Americans includes cinematographer Michael Chin receiving the Steve Tatsukawa Memorial Award, Regina Chu becoming a Minnesota district judge, and Dr. Alvin Onaka being honored by the AAPA. Other briefs note Vietnamese and Laotian demographics in Bayou La Batre and a Windward Oahu woman’s hope regarding recovered Korean War remains.
• Hundreds Attend Topaz Monument Dedication, by P.C. Staff, page 5. About 500 people gathered in Delta, Utah, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Topaz internment camp’s opening and dedicate a newly redesigned memorial marker. The event included former internees, JACL leaders, and WWII veterans, with speakers reflecting on the camp’s painful and resilient history.
• JACL Chapter News, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Several JACL chapters reported scholarship awards and community events, including Diablo Valley JACL’s scholarship luncheon, Houston JACL’s Okumura scholarship recipient, and Mile-Hi JACL’s participation in community festivals. Phoenix and San Francisco JACL chapters also held senior events and volunteer days.

Arts & Entertainment

• Famed Hawaii Swimmer/Surfer Honored With Commemorative Stamp, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A new 37-cent postage stamp honoring Olympic swimmer and surfing pioneer Duke Kahanamoku was dedicated in Honolulu on the 112th anniversary of his birth. The stamp caps a nearly 20-year effort by family and friends and makes him the first Native Hawaiian on a U.S. stamp since 1937.
• S.F. AA Film Festival Seeks Submissions, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival is seeking submissions for its 2003 edition, which draws large audiences and guest participation over its 10-day run. Interested filmmakers can contact NAATA for submission details.
• The Literary Life: Book Roundup, by P.C. Staff, page 12. This roundup covers several new and reissued books relevant to the Japanese American community, including a reissue of C.Y. Lee’s ‘The Flower Drum Song,’ David Sheff’s ‘China Dawn,’ Evelyn Nakano Glenn’s ‘Unequal Freedom,’ and Bob Santos’s memoir ‘Hum Bows, Not Hot Dogs.’ Also featured are the controversial ‘Lim Report’ on JACL’s WWII-era history and children’s book ‘In America’s Shadows’ depicting a child’s experience of Japanese American internment.

In-Depth

• U.S.-Japan Relations Panel Explores Role of Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 9. A panel discussion featuring Japanese parliament member Taro Kono and journalists explored the evolving role of Japanese Americans in strengthening U.S.-Japan relations. Speakers urged Sansei and Yonsei to engage more with Japan, emphasizing the growing importance of this connection amid Japan’s economic and social challenges.

Obituaries

• Obituaries, by P.C. Staff, page 11. This week’s obituary listings include detailed tributes to community members such as Yoshio Kubo, a 442nd/100th RCT WWII veteran, and George Yamane, who helped organize a program honoring Medal of Honor recipients. Other notable entries include Kiyochika Kumekawa, a Topaz internee and WWII Army Air Corps veteran who organized exchanges comparing U.S. and Canadian internment experiences.

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