Midterm races, the ‘Kung Fool’ costume and the Pledge of Allegiance vote

Vol. 135, No. 9, November 1, 2002. 12 pages. View this issue

Politics and protest ran through the November 1, 2002 issue. Martha Nakagawa reported on Stan Matsunaka’s tight race for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District seat and on Kerry Hada, twice turned down for a judicial post by Gov. Bill Owens. The front page also showed California’s APIA Democrats rallying behind Davis. Asian American groups, including JACL and OCA, complained about a ‘Kung Fool’ Halloween costume, and JACL and the Buddhist Churches of America pressed Macy’s over boxer shorts bearing a Buddha image.

On the commentary page, David Radstani and Gary Mayeda wrote about the JACL national board’s vote on the 9th Circuit’s Pledge of Allegiance ruling. Bill Marutani and David Kawamoto contributed columns. Inside are the 2002 JACL National Scholarship graduate division essays, public meetings on the Minidoka National Monument, the 2003 JACL/OCA D.C. Leadership Conference, and sports pages on Timmy Chang, Logan Tom and Kazuhiro Sasaki. The 12 pages also carry obituaries.

What’s in this issue

National

  • Matsunaka Makes Push for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District Seat, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. Colorado Democrat Stan Matsunaka is in a tight race against Republican Marilyn Musgrave for the state’s 4th congressional district seat, a contest that could make him the first APA elected to Congress from outside the West Coast or Hawaii. Despite trailing in some polls and being outspent, Matsunaka has secured newspaper endorsements and touts his bipartisan record as the race heads into its final days.
  • Hada Again Turned Down for Judicial Post, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. Colorado attorney and JACL member Kerry Hada was twice rejected by Republican Gov. Bill Owens for a judicial appointment despite making the final cut both times, reportedly due to being seen as ‘left of center.’ Colorado legal organizations, including bar associations, criticized the decision as politically motivated and warned it could discourage qualified candidates from seeking judicial posts.
  • Costume Maker Apologizes After AA Groups Complain ‘Kung Fool’ Outfit Racist, Macy’s Yet to Respond to Protests Over Buddha Image on Boxers, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 1. Disguise Inc. stopped shipping its ‘Kung Fool’ Halloween costume after Asian American groups, including JACL and OCA, complained it perpetuated racist stereotypes with buckteeth and slanted eyes. Separately, Macy’s has not responded to complaints from JACL and Buddhist Churches of America over boxer shorts depicting a Buddha image with the phrase ‘Rub me for luck.’
  • National Newsbytes, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 3. This roundup covers several national stories: Hmong chosen over Somali as a third language for Minnesota’s Hiawatha Light Rail ticket machines, two Vietnamese Americans named to a shrimp industry coalition board, and Texas candidate Martha Wong could become the first Asian American elected to that state’s legislature. Additional items cover backlash against bilingual ballots in Washington state, GOP candidate Bill Simon addressing Asian American supporters in California, mainland political interest in Hawaii’s governor’s race, and Patsy Mink’s widower entering the special election to complete her term.
  • Matsunaka Campaign Faces Uphill Battle Amid Negative Ads, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Stan Matsunaka’s campaign attributed a poll showing him trailing by 17 points to the timing of Musgrave’s peak negative ad campaign, while Musgrave faced criticism for accepting donations from a group linked to white supremacist and militia organizations. The Greeley Tribune and six other newspapers covering the district endorsed Matsunaka for his bipartisan record.
  • Buddhist Groups and JACL Press Macy’s Over Offensive Boxer Shorts, by P.C. Staff, page 12. JACL Vice President Ken Inouye and the Buddhist Churches of America sent letters to Macy’s demanding the removal of boxer shorts depicting Buddha with the phrase ‘Rub me for luck,’ calling the product highly offensive. Neither organization had received a response from Macy’s, and advocates drew parallels to the earlier Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt controversy.

Commentary

  • Chapter Asks Nat’l Board to Reconsider ‘Under God’ Vote, by David Radstani, President, Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL, page 2. The Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL chapter president expresses shock and anger over the national board’s failure to unanimously support the 9th Circuit Court ruling on ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance. The letter threatens actions including seeking resignations of board members and chapter secession if the national board does not reconsider its position.
  • Re: Pledge of Allegiance Vote, by Gary Mayeda, Former JACL National VP, page 2. Former JACL National Vice President Gary Mayeda argues that JACL has a long history of taking positions on judicial matters, citing Loving v. Virginia and Min Yasui’s coram nobis case as precedent. He urges the national board to reconsider its vote against supporting the 9th Circuit’s ruling on the Pledge of Allegiance.
  • Re: PSW Awards Dinner, by J. Umata, Riverside JACL, page 2. A Riverside JACL member criticizes a previous Pacific Citizen article about low turnout at the PSWD Awards Dinner, arguing it sensationalized a non-issue and ignored the honorees’ contributions. The writer calls for the paper to focus on substantive community issues rather than manufacturing controversy.
  • Re: ‘Time to Quit Whining’, page 2. The writer recalls a 1998 column by Bill Hosokawa and George Yoshinaga criticizing camp reunion attendees for ‘whining,’ and expresses surprise that Hosokawa was later honored as a guest speaker at a Heart Mountain reunion. The letter questions the apparent hypocrisy of Hosokawa accepting the award after previously criticizing such gatherings.
  • Memorizing, Pidgin and Toy-san, by Bill Marutani, page 8. In this personal column, Bill Marutani reflects on his lifelong habit of rote memorization, from cabinet positions to Japanese kanji characters and days of the week learned at Ft. Snelling. He closes with a discussion of the etymology of ‘pidgin English,’ tracing it to early 19th century Chinese traders’ pronunciation of ‘business.’

Community

  • Public Meetings Scheduled on Minidoka National Monument, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The National Park Service will hold nine public open houses and workshops in November across Idaho, Oregon and Washington to gather input on developing the Minidoka Internment National Monument. Superintendent Neil King emphasized the site’s relevance today, drawing parallels between post-9/11 fears and the suspicion faced by Japanese Americans during WWII.
  • Your Monkey In, Our Charges Out, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This brief roundup highlights community members’ achievements: Tim Dang of East West Players received a Durfee Foundation Sabbatical Award, Delbert C. Gee was appointed judge of Alameda County Superior Court, and Sumi Haru was honored at the BUDDY awards luncheon. Also noted are Dr. Heo-Peh Lee’s appointment to a federal labor committee and Dr. Eugene Sekiguchi’s election as ADA president.
  • CCLPEP Announces Information Meetings for Interested Grant Applicants, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The California Civil Liberties Public Education Program will hold its final round of informational meetings in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento for those seeking fiscal year 2002-2003 grant funding before the program sunsets in 2004. Interested parties can contact Lisa Turgeon-Staggs to schedule individual meetings given budget restrictions on locations.

JACL

  • 2003 JACL/OCA D.C. Leadership Conference Dates Set, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL Washington D.C. office announced applications are open for the 2003 JACL/OCA D.C. Leadership Conference scheduled for March 7-11, a program co-sponsored with the Organization of Chinese Americans since 1994. The four-day conference brings together 30 emerging leaders for briefings with federal officials, with district councils selecting delegates and tuition covered by sponsoring chapters.
  • 2003 JACL National Scholarship Program Applications Now Available Online, by P.C. Staff, page 5. JACL announced applications are open for its 2003 National Scholarship and Awards Program, now in its 56th year, offering more than 30 scholarships totaling over $60,000. JACL membership is required, with deadlines of March 1 for entering freshmen and April 1 for all other applicants.
  • 2002 JACL National Scholarship Winners: Graduate Division Essays, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The article profiles multiple 2002 JACL National Scholarship graduate division winners, including Lisa Sodetani, Noela Yamamoto, Lesley Siler, Hironobu Kobayashi, Britt Yamamoto, Michael Masatsugu, Vail Matsumoto, and law/undergraduate recipients, featuring excerpts from their winning essays on youth involvement in JACL. Each essay proposes different ideas for engaging younger generations through mentorship, cultural programs, and community partnerships.
  • National Resolutions, by David Kawamoto, V.P. General Operations, page 8. This column details the status of resolutions passed at the 2002 National JACL Convention, covering issues including Boy Scouts of America policy, religious freedom, a National Memorial designation for Bainbridge Island, offensive mascot names, racial privacy initiatives, and hate crimes legislation. The author emphasizes that resolutions require grassroots follow-up action from local chapters to be effective.

Sports

  • Chang Sets Hawaii Records in Tulsa Win, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang threw for 403 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-14 win over Tulsa, breaking the school’s career records for passing and total offense. Chang’s performance helped extend Tulsa’s losing streak to 17 games while improving Hawaii to 5-2 on the season.
  • Tom Tallies 25 Kills in Win Over Oregon State, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Stanford’s Logan Tom recorded a match-high 25 kills and 18 digs as the sixth-ranked Cardinal defeated Oregon State 3-2. The win improved Stanford to 19-3 overall and 9-2 in the Pac-10 as the team prepared to face UCLA and USC.
  • Mariners’ Sasaki to Undergo Surgery, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Seattle Mariners closer Kazuhiro Sasaki will undergo his third elbow surgery to remove a floating bone chip, to be performed by Dr. Katsuhisa Yamada in Japan. Sasaki finished the season with a 4-5 record, 2.52 ERA and 37 saves despite the injury, and remains the Mariners’ all-time saves leader.
  • Dodgers’ Ishii Anticipates Second Season, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii said he is looking forward to improving in his second major league season after finishing his rookie year 14-10 with a 4.27 ERA. Ishii had a strong first half but struggled after being struck in the forehead by a line drive in September.
  • Mets Cut Komiyama, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The New York Mets waived pitcher Satoru Komiyama, declining a $1 million option after he posted a 0-3 record with a 5.61 ERA in 25 games with the major league club. Komiyama had performed better in 17 games with Triple-A Norfolk, going 3-1 with a 1.42 ERA.

Arts & Entertainment

  • ABC Offers Grant to Minority Filmmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Visual Communications is accepting submissions for the 3rd Annual ABC New Talent Scholarship Grant Program, which supports aspiring writers, directors and filmmakers from diverse backgrounds with a $20,000 award and mentorship. The deadline to apply is Nov. 16, with selected participants taking part in a workshop in Los Angeles.
  • Hawaii Film Festival Begins Nov. 1, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Hawaii International Film Festival will screen over 100 feature films, shorts and documentaries Nov. 1-10 in Honolulu and Nov. 8-10 on other Hawaiian islands. Featured films include Justin Lin’s ‘Better Luck Tomorrow’ and Greg Pak’s ‘Robot Stories,’ among other works by Asian and Asian American filmmakers.

Obituaries

  • Harry Kitano, UCLA Professor and Social Scientist, Passes at 76, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Harry H. Kitano, a renowned UCLA professor and expert on race relations and the Japanese American experience, died of a stroke on Oct. 19 at age 76. Kitano authored pioneering works including ‘Japanese Americans: The Evolution of a Subculture’ and co-wrote a book on redress, and was interned at Topaz during WWII before pursuing his academic career.
  • Actress and Community Leader Beulah Quo Dies at Age 79, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Pioneering actress Beulah Kwoh, known professionally as Beulah Quo and a founder of East West Players, died Oct. 23 in La Mesa, Calif., of heart failure. She was the first Asian American woman to win a Hollywood area Emmy and was deeply involved in numerous community organizations throughout her life.
  • Dr. Ben T. Uyeno, Helped Found Seattle’s First Hospice, Dead at 83, by Associated Press, page 11. Dr. Ben T. Uyeno, who helped establish Seattle’s first hospice and founded the Keiro Nursing Home, died Oct. 7 after a long battle with intestinal cancer at age 83. Uyeno avoided WWII internment through a university transfer, later served in the Army during the Korean War, and was a pioneer in kidney dialysis treatment in the area.

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