Norman Mineta sworn in as Secretary of Commerce, and the 2000 convention

Vol. 131, No. 7, August 4, 2000. 8 pages. View this issue

Norman Y. Mineta was sworn in as the 33rd Secretary of Commerce by Vice President Al Gore on July 25, after the Senate confirmed him by unanimous consent. The issue also reported that the JACL was accepting bids for convention sites for 2004, and that Governor Gray Davis signed AB 1914, extending the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program for two more years. Harry Honda’s column shared notes from the Monterey convention, and S. Phil Ishio wrote about the Presidential Unit Citation that Gen. Eric Shinseki awarded to the Military Intelligence Service.

Other pages followed the family of Peter Nguyen as they pressed for a reinvestigation of his death, and reported on a stabbing case in Ocean Shores involving racial tension. Brian Niiya wrote about the Holiday Bowl and a possible gym in Little Tokyo, and an exhibit on Portland’s lost Japantown was announced. Scholarship news came from the Marin and San Jose chapters, and a call went out to endow a Gordon Hirabayashi professorship at the University of Washington.

What’s in this issue

National

  • Norman Y. Mineta Sworn In as 33rd Secretary of Commerce, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Norman Y. Mineta was sworn into office as the 33rd U.S. Secretary of Commerce by Vice President Al Gore on July 25 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Confirmed by the Senate with unanimous consent, Mineta becomes the first Asian American to serve in a president’s Cabinet.’},{
  • Asian Americans Hold Their Own National Republican Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nearly 100 Asian American Republicans met in Philadelphia for a National Asian American Republican Convention before the official GOP convention began. Delegates pushed proposals including benefits for Filipino and Southeast Asian veterans, maintaining troops in South Korea, bail for Dr. Wen Ho Lee, and immigration reform.
  • Family Questions Ruling of Suicide in Death of University of Washington Student, by Lyndsey Shinoda, page 1. Peter Dung Nguyen, a University of Washington student, was found dead hanging in his fraternity house basement, and the medical examiner quickly ruled it a suicide despite the family’s doubts. The Nguyen family points to inconsistencies in the report, including his weight, and believes police did not conduct a thorough investigation, prompting a reinvestigation.
  • Gov. Davis Extends CCLPEP Another Two Years, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Governor Gray Davis signed AB 1914, extending the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program (CCLPEP) for two more years after it had been scheduled to sunset in 2001. Assemblyman Nakano compromised on the bill’s terms to ensure it passed both the assembly and senate via the consent calendar.
  • Ocean Shores Stabbing Case Involves Racial Tension Allegations, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Witnesses said Kinison shouted racial slurs and waved a Confederate flag before being stabbed by Minh Hong at a Texaco station, with Hong’s attorney claiming self-defense. The article also details a related July 1 incident where a group of visiting Filipino Americans were harassed near a mall in Ocean Shores by Kinison’s friends.
  • Davis Names Retired Judge Harry Low to Run Scandal-Struck State Insurance Unit, by Associated Press, page 3. Governor Gray Davis nominated retired Judge Harry W. Low as California’s new insurance commissioner following the resignation of Chuck Quackenbush amid scandal. Low, who would become the highest-ranking Asian American in state government if confirmed, said he had no intention of running for the position in 2002 or accepting industry campaign contributions.
  • Chino Hills Post Office Dedicated to Slain Mail Carrier Joseph Ileto, by Associated Press, page 3. A Southern California post office was dedicated to Joseph Ileto, a Filipino American mail carrier killed by a white supremacist in a shooting spree that also wounded five people at a Jewish community center. About 100 people attended the dedication ceremony renaming the Chino Hills Post Office.
  • Chue Yang Becomes City’s First Hmong American and Asian Police Officer, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Chue Yang became the first Hmong American and first Asian officer for the Morganton, N.C. police department. The brief notes community reactions to seeing an Asian officer, particularly at night.’},{
  • Judge Rules on S.F. Chronicle Sale to Hearst, by P.C. Staff, page 4. U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling ended the antitrust trial over the sale of the San Francisco Chronicle, clearing the way for Hearst to hand off the Examiner to AsianWeek publisher Ted Fang. The article notes testimony that the Examiner’s publisher offered favorable editorial coverage to Mayor Willie Brown in exchange for support of the deal.
  • Nguyen Family Continues Fight for Investigation Into Son’s Death, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The continuation of the Peter Nguyen story details further evidence questioned by the family and friend Derek Inaba, including the timing of his death relative to plans he had made. Medical examiners have acknowledged the case was handled unfairly, and city officials are now recognizing the family’s pleas for a reinvestigation.

JACL

  • JACL Convention Bids for 2004 Now Being Accepted, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL is now accepting bids for convention sites for the 38th biennium to be held in 2004, with any district eligible to host. The 2000 convention was held in Monterey, and the 2002 convention is planned for Las Vegas, with Larry Oda available to discuss convention logistics.

Community

  • 1999-2000 CCLPEP Grant Recipients, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The article lists the recipients of CCLPEP grants for 1999-2000, funding various projects documenting Japanese American history and internment experiences. Projects range from films and curriculum guides to art exhibits and oral history collections.
  • Marin JACL Awards Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Asian Scholarship and Education Foundation (ASEF) awarded 12 scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 to Marin JACL area students. The article highlights recipients including Kyle Tatsumoto and Aja Gabel.
  • San Jose Awards Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 5. San Jose JACL awarded its largest amount of scholarships in chapter history, with a committee selecting numerous recipients for various named scholarships. Recipients included Trisha Lee Okubo, John H. Hamasaki, and Lisa Mariko Yamamoto among many others.
  • Second Annual Nikkei Career Day, Aug. 19, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Second Annual Nikkei Career Day will be held August 19 at California State University, Fresno, to help Japanese American youths and parents plan for the future. The event includes sessions for students and parents, plus a planetarium show and campus tour.

Commentary

  • Mayor Appoints Yoshino to Chicago Human Relations Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Yoshino was appointed to continue participation, counsel and advocacy on the Chicago Commission on Human Relations, which enforces the city’s human rights ordinance and monitors hate crimes. With this appointment, Yoshino also becomes chairman of the commission’s Advisory Council on Asian American Affairs.
  • ‘Cuff Notes’ and ‘Penny Thoughts’ From the Y2K Convention, by Harry Honda, page 6. Harry Honda shares personal reflections and anecdotes from the JACL national convention in Monterey, including meeting Capt. Gordon Nakagawa, a former POW, and details about the tribute dinner featuring Gen. Eric Shinseki and Norman Mineta. He also recounts convention golf results, notable attendees, and a correction to inaccurate reporting by the Monterey County Herald about a 1970 convention incident.
  • Troubled in Paradise: Two Buildings, by Brian Niiya, page 6. Brian Niiya discusses two sports-related buildings in the news for Los Angeles Japanese Americans: the shuttered Holiday Bowl bowling center facing landmark status debates, and the long-discussed proposal for a gymnasium in Little Tokyo. He argues a gym could help draw young adults and families back into engagement with the JA community.
  • Letters: Veteran Angry Over VFW Resolution, page 7. A World War II veteran and member of the American Legion and VFW writes expressing dubious feelings about a resolution that would have made Japanese American veterans ineligible to join the VFW. He notes there are 13 VFW JA posts in California whose members are good citizens who fulfill their duties.
  • Letters: Re: Eji Suyama’s Letter, by Damon Senaha, page 7. Lt. Commander Damon Senaha responds to Eji Suyama’s letter about remembering internment, drawing parallels between WWII-era racial profiling of Japanese Americans and post-Oklahoma City bombing profiling of Middle Eastern Americans by the FBI. He notes the bomber was ultimately a white American male, questioning whether racial profiling delayed the investigation.
  • Presidential Unit Citation for MIS, by S. Phil Ishio, page 7. Gen. Eric Shinseki awarded the Presidential Unit Citation to the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) at the JACL convention tribute dinner, an unprecedented honor requiring special congressional legislation since the MIS is not normally a combat unit eligible for the award. The article details application procedures and required forms for MIS veterans seeking to claim the award.

Arts & Entertainment

  • Film Launches More Pokemania!, page 4. The review covers ‘Pokemon the Movie 2000,’ including the short ‘Pikachu’s Rescue Adventure’ and the feature ‘The Power of One,’ describing the plot involving Ash, Pikachu, and the legendary guardian birds. The reviewer notes new Pokemon characters introduced and finds the film entertaining for both kids and adults despite its simplistic moral.

In-Depth

  • Public Support Welcomed in Endowing Hirabayashi Professorship at University of Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The article recounts Gordon Hirabayashi’s history as a conscientious objector and his legal challenge to the WWII curfew and internment orders, a case that took 40 years to overturn based on documents uncovered in 1981. It calls for donations to endow the Gordon Hirabayashi Professorship for the Advancement of Citizenship at the University of Washington.
  • Exhibit to Reveal Portland’s Lost Japantown, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Portland resident Cannon Kitayama is recreating his childhood Japantown community memories for a new exhibit, ‘Nihonmachi: Portland’s Japantown Remembered,’ at the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center. The exhibit uses testimonials, photos and artifacts to profile the thriving prewar Japantown that was shut down after Pearl Harbor when the FBI arrested Japanese business owners.

Obituaries

  • Obituaries, by P.C. Staff, page 7. This section lists numerous obituaries of Japanese American community members who died in June and July 2000, including details on survivors and hometowns. Individuals listed include Riyo Fujii, Sachiko Hatada, Frances Hazemoto, Tsuruko Higa, and many others.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.

More from Issue archive