Vol. 134, No. 1, January 18, 2002. 16 pages. View this issue
A planned JACL apology to the World War II draft resisters drew the sharpest debate in the January 18, 2002 issue. Sus Satow wrote that 16 Nisei veterans organizations, representing about 4,000 members, objected, and Les W.H. Hosoda questioned the plan in a letter. A report from Sacramento described JACL leaders meeting with Nisei veterans, and a symposium in Wyoming, sponsored by the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, drew more than 100 people. Alongside it, JACL National President Floyd Mori wrote about hope after a hard year, and Martha Nakagawa looked back at Sept. 11 and its effect on Japanese and Asian Americans.
Elsewhere are a Seattle police profiling lawsuit, Norman Mineta and Elaine Chao in the Bush cabinet, and a note on Executive Order 9066-era history at Minidoka. Ryan Chin’s column asks readers to help a young girl find a bone marrow donor. Only 3 of the 16 pages carry holiday greetings.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- A Bright Future, by Floyd Mori, page 3. JACL National President Floyd Mori reflects on the difficult past year and calls for members to draw on times of hardship to find hope and strength for the future. He also highlights signs of organizational renewal, including rising membership and the work of the Blue Ribbon Committee ahead of the national convention in Las Vegas.
- Continuing Our Mission, page 3. The JACL Executive Director reviews 2001, a year defined by the Sept. 11 attacks and financial struggles for the organization, and discusses the Blue Ribbon Committee’s work to reshape JACL for the future. The piece also recounts JACL’s civil rights stances during the year, including opposition to John Ashcroft’s confirmation and advocacy against post-9/11 civil liberties abuses.
- Help Nicole, by Ryan Chin, page 9. The author highlights the case of a young Hapa girl named Nicole who has chronic myeloid leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant, illustrating the severe shortage of registered Asian Pacific American and multiracial donors. He urges JACL chapters to organize bone marrow registry drives and provides resources for readers to register as donors.
- Japanese American of the Year, page 9. The columnist names Norman Mineta as Japanese American Man of the Year for his prominence following Sept. 11 and his outspokenness about WWII internment, and Yoko Ono as Woman of the Year following a major retrospective of her artistic career. Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park is named Young JA of the Year for the band’s breakout success in 2001.
- 16 Nisei Veterans Organizations Object to JACL Apology to WWII Resisters of Conscience, by Sus Satow, page 10. Sixteen Nisei veterans organizations representing about 4,000 members formally protest JACL’s planned apology and honoring ceremony for WWII draft resisters. The veterans argue the action disrespects the sacrifices of the 100th/442nd RCT soldiers who fought and died in service, though they acknowledge the resisters’ right to have made their choice.
- Will JACL Apologize?, by Les W.H. Hosoda, page 10. A letter writer questions why JACL is apologizing to WWII draft resisters rather than honoring the veterans of the 100th/442nd who made what he calls a positive contribution to Japanese Americans’ standing. He argues that the resisters’ actions contributed nothing to advancing civil rights compared to the battlefield sacrifices of Nisei soldiers.
- The Right Thing, page 10. A brief letter comments on JACL’s plan to apologize to WWII resisters, suggesting the organization is doing the right thing but questioning the timing of the announcement. The writer references the Holiday Issue’s coverage of the debate between veterans and resister supporters.
National
- JACL Gravely Concerned With Subversion of FOIA, page 3. JACL expresses grave concern over Attorney General John Ashcroft’s directive that could allow government agencies to withhold documents from public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The article warns this policy shift threatens transparency and public accountability, especially in the context of anti-terrorism measures.
- Asian American Students Accuse Seattle Police of Racial Profiling, page 5. Seventeen APA high school students were detained by Seattle police after a Major League Baseball All-Star game, prompting accusations of racial profiling and a civil lawsuit against the department. JACL Executive Director John Tateishi called it one of the worst cases of racial profiling against Asian Americans in recent memory, and the lawsuit was eventually settled.
- President Bush Names Norman Mineta and Elaine Chao Secretaries of Transportation and Labor, page 5. Norman Mineta became the first Democrat in the Bush cabinet and the first Asian Pacific American ever named to a president’s cabinet, having previously served as commerce secretary under Clinton. Elaine Chao made history as the first Asian Pacific American woman and first Chinese American to serve in a presidential cabinet, being named Secretary of Labor.
- Nisei Medal of Honor Recipients Recognized, page 6. World War II and Korean War Medal of Honor recipients Yukio Okutsu, Hiroshi Miyamura, and George T. Sakato were honored at the 61st Annual Nisei Week Festival in Los Angeles. The event kicked off a commemorative Medal of Honor exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum.
- Kiosks Dedicated at Hirabayashi Camp Site in Tucson, page 6. The U.S. Forest Service held a ceremony to dedicate new educational kiosks at the Gordon Hirabayashi Camp Site in Tucson, Arizona, explaining the history of Nisei resisters held at the former Catalina Federal Honor Camp. The article also notes Roger Nasevaema, a Hopi who resisted the WWII draft on religious grounds and was imprisoned for nine years, drawing a parallel to Hirabayashi’s own legal challenges.
In-Depth
- Sept. 11: The Day That Changed the World, by Martha Nakagawa, page 4. A retrospective on how Sept. 11 affected Japanese and Asian Americans, including the loss of David Seima Aoyama, a passenger on the hijacked Flight 11, and the community’s response to rising hate crimes against Arab and Muslim Americans. The piece features multiple vigils and rallies held across the country in the aftermath of the attacks.
- Resisters Symposium Held in Wyoming, page 6. More than 100 people attended an educational symposium in Wyoming focused on the WWII Nisei draft resistance movement, sponsored by the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation. Several resisters from Heart Mountain, Tule Lake, Topaz, and Amache camps participated in the event.
- Children With Hansen’s Disease Were Also ‘Evacuated’, page 9. The article recounts the experience of children with Hansen’s disease at Kalaupapa during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and how the introduction of sulfa drugs in 1946 transformed treatment and outcomes for patients. It also describes the National Park Service’s later efforts to preserve the community’s history and stories.
JACL
- Apology Question Stirs Debate in Sacramento, page 6. JACL leaders met with Nisei veterans in Sacramento to discuss the organization’s controversial resolution to apologize to WWII draft resisters, an action many veterans strongly opposed. Nisei veteran Yoshimi Hiraoka addressed the audience while JACL President Floyd Mori spoke with the organization’s oldest living member, Fred Hirasuna.
- Seattle Bi-district and National JACL Youth Conference, page 7. The JACL Pacific Northwest and Intermountain bi-district conference and the National Youth/Student Conference were held together in Seattle, featuring a panel on WWII patriotism and protest with veteran Fred Shiosaki and resister Mits Koshiyama. The event also recognized Maya Hata Lemon for her work preserving the Minidoka camp site as a national historic site.
- Awards, Dedications, Signings, page 8. A roundup of community milestones in 2001, including the ribbon-cutting for the National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism in Washington, D.C. with Congressman Robert Matsui, Secretary Norman Mineta, and Sen. Daniel Inouye; the naming of a Maryland elementary school after Spark Matsunaga; a Pacific Coast Highway dedication to Vietnam veterans in Torrance; and ongoing rallies for the Little Tokyo Recreation Center.
- Reno Tri-district Hosts PSW, NCWNP and CCDC, page 12. The Reno tri-district conference in April brought together the Pacific Southwest, Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific, and Central California districts for leadership training and social events. Attendees included JACL National Membership Director Lucy Kishiue and NCWNP Governor Alan Teruya’s family.
- Cincinnati Tri-district Hosts EDC, MDC and MPDC, page 12. Cincinnati hosted a joint conference of the Eastern, Midwestern, and Mountain Plains districts from June 28 to July 1, featuring teacher training workshops on Japanese American history. Historians Roger Daniels and Sein Yamauchi participated as panel speakers at the event.
Obituaries
- Newsman Philip Jordan, aka ‘Joe Dahn,’ Passes Away, page 10. Philip Andrew Jordan Jr., known by his pen name Joe Dahn, died Dec. 21 at age 71 after a long career as a journalist and war correspondent in Vietnam and Japan. His columns on Asian affairs appeared for years in the Kashu Mainichi and Hokubei Mainichi newspapers.
- Chicago Spiritual Leader Rev. Seiichi Michael Yasutake Passes, page 10. The Rev. Seiichi Michael Yasutake, an Episcopal priest and lifelong civil rights activist who was incarcerated at Minidoka during WWII, died of a stroke at age 81. He worked for decades on behalf of Muslim Americans, Puerto Rican political prisoners, and other human rights causes, including founding the Interfaith Prisoners of Conscience Project.
- In Memoriam — 2001, page 11. An extensive year-end listing commemorates numerous Japanese Americans who died in 2001, including veterans, community leaders, artists, and JACL members, with details on their backgrounds and contributions. Notable entries include animator Chris Kishio Ishii, Senator Mike Mansfield, and Quaker humanitarian Floyd Schmoe.
Sports
- Hey, Batter Batter, page 13. University of Nebraska starting pitcher Shane Komine led his team to their first College World Series appearance, though they lost to Tulane University 6-5. The two-time All-American from Honolulu was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals but chose to return to Nebraska for his senior season.
Arts & Entertainment
- Oh, No, She Didn’t!, page 13. Media Action Network for Asian Americans President Guy Aoki confronted comedian Sarah Silverman on ABC’s ‘Politically Incorrect’ over a joke using an ethnic slur. Aoki discussed the harmful impact of such slurs on Asian American communities.
- The Envelope Please, page 13. At the 2nd Annual Ammy Awards, filmmaker Chris Tashima and Miss America 2001 Angela Baraquio presented awards recognizing achievements in Asian American entertainment, including Ang Lee’s ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.’ Lee had earlier won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for the same movie.
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