Comedy, a racial slur and the JACL board’s tough summer meeting

Vol. 133, No. 5, September 7, 2001. 8 pages. View this issue

A joke using a racial slur against Chinese people drew the most attention in this eight-page issue. Tracy Uba reported on comedian Sarah Silverman’s remark on NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and on the Aug. 21 taping of ABC’s “Politically Incorrect,” where Guy Aoki of MANAA faced her. A second report on page 7 gathered audience and panelist reactions. The August JACL national board meeting also ran through the issue: a resolution urging the Boy Scouts to reconsider their ban on gay members and leaders, a projected deficit of $119,000, and a review of the endowment and Legacy Fund.

Elsewhere, the paper covered a fire at Poston, the vandalism of Port Blakely Cemetery on Bainbridge Island, and Chinese American groups pressing to rename racist place names. Chapter news included a Chicago street honoring the 100th-442nd-MIS, a Nisei reunion in Livingston and a Twin Cities cookbook. Harry Honda reviewed a centennial book on Japanese immigration to Peru.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Comedian Silverman Under Fire for ‘Chink’ on ‘Politically Incorrect’, by Tracy Uba, page 1. Comedian Sarah Silverman faced backlash from Asian American groups after using the racial slur ‘chink’ in a joke on NBC’s ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien,’ leading to a heated debate on ABC’s ‘Politically Incorrect.’ MANAA president Guy Aoki confronted Silverman on the show, arguing that such slurs give permission for others to use them, while Silverman defended her joke as pointing a finger at racism rather than promoting it.
• Mid-Year Campaign Enters Final Stretch, by John Tateishi, page 1. National Executive Director John Tateishi reports that JACL’s mid-year fundraising campaign through the Pacific Citizen has raised $65,251, nearing its ambitious $100,000 goal. He thanks Thousand Club and Life members for their generous contributions and chapter leaders for boosting membership renewals during the financial crisis.
• TV Network Promotes Stereotypes, by Daniel Ostrowich, page 2. A letter writer criticizes the USA Network’s ‘Banzai Movie Fridays’ for mocking Japanese people with stereotypical portrayals, comparing it to unacceptable racist programming targeting other minority groups. The writer, a 16-year-old half-JA student, questions the network’s disclaimer that it does not intend to insult or offend given the content’s clear stereotypes.
• Aoki Impressive on ‘Politically Incorrect’, by Phil Shigekuni, page 2. A letter writer praises MANAA president Guy Aoki’s performance on ‘Politically Incorrect’ addressing Sarah Silverman’s use of a racial slur, noting that about two dozen Asian Americans attended the taping to show support. The writer credits Aoki with effectively representing AA concerns on national television despite facing an audience likely sympathetic to Silverman.
• Auditioning, by Troubled in Paradise, page 6. A columnist reflects on five years since moving from Southern California to Hawaii, describing the adjustment to island life and how having a daughter changed his perspective on the move. He details the complex process of house hunting in Hawaii, comparing it to ‘auditioning different ways to live your life’ given the vast lifestyle differences between various neighborhoods and housing options.
• ‘Politically Incorrect’ Debate Continues Over Race and Comedy, by Tracy Uba, page 7. Following the heated ‘Politically Incorrect’ taping, various audience members and panelists shared differing views on Sarah Silverman’s racial joke, with some defending comedy’s right to offend while others emphasized the real-world impact of racial slurs. Guy Aoki reflected on the difficulty of discussing race issues on television, citing the challenge of white backlash and limited time for nuanced discussion.

JACL

• JACL Urges Boy Scouts to Reconsider Stance Against Homosexuality, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. At the national JACL board meeting in San Francisco, a resolution commending the Girl Scouts for their anti-discrimination stance passed easily, but a resolution urging the Boy Scouts to reconsider their ban on homosexual members and leaders sparked heated debate. Despite opposition from some board members who cited chapter sponsorships of Boy Scout activities, the resolution ultimately passed with only one dissenting vote.
• Increase in Membership, P.C. Fundraiser Help Decrease Projected Deficit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL’s national treasurer reported mixed financial news at the August board meeting, with membership revenue boosts and fundraiser proceeds helping offset a projected 2001 deficit now estimated at $119,000, down from earlier projections. Additional funding sources including grants from Lowe’s, Ford, and Farmer’s Insurance were reported, along with ongoing efforts to secure state hate crimes program funding.
• JACL Opposes Funding of Faith Groups, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL national board unanimously passed a resolution opposing federal funding of faith-based organizations in response to HR7, a Republican-sponsored bill. JACL leaders including Ryan Chin, Floyd Mori, and John Tateishi emphasized the importance of maintaining separation of church and state as a constitutional protection.
• JACL PSWD to Fete Community Leaders at Awards Dinner Sept. 22, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The JACL Pacific Southwest District will honor five community leaders at its 2001 awards dinner in Torrance, with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta as keynote speaker. Honorees include Sue Kunitomi Embrey, Fred Y. Hoshiyama, Kent Nagano, Robert Scheer, and the Olivers athletic club.
• National Board Reviews Endowment and Legacy Fund Amid Financial Crisis, by P.C. Staff, page 7. JACL’s national board discussed alternatives to taking out a loan to address the organization’s financial deficit, instead exploring the national endowment fund of $605,554 and the legacy fund of $5,726,100. Investment committee member Ted Tsukahara noted that the legacy fund’s distribution policy needs revisiting given unforeseen market declines since the fund was established.
• Boy Scouts Resolution Passes JACL National Board, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The JACL national board passed a resolution urging the Boy Scouts of America to reconsider its policy of discriminating against gay members and leaders, drawing parallels to the historical discrimination faced by Japanese Americans. The resolution passed with only IDC Governor Larry Grant voting against it, while board members like Matthew Nakata and Gary Mayeda argued the organization must take a civil rights stance despite potential internal division.

National

• Vandalism of Bainbridge Cemetery May Be a Hate Crime, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Authorities are investigating the vandalism of 69 grave markers at Port Blakely Cemetery on Bainbridge Island, many belonging to Japanese, Slovakian and Swedish immigrants, as a possible hate crime. The incident is part of a string of recent racist incidents in the area, including anti-Semitic vandalism and racist graffiti near a Filipino community hall, alarming local residents.
• JACL Supports Mineta Program Aiding Minorities and Women, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL signed an amicus brief supporting the Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program in the Adarand v. Mineta case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The program, championed by Secretary Norman Mineta, offers incentives to contractors working with businesses owned by women or people of color, and received support from the Bush administration despite the president’s general opposition to affirmative action.
• Chinese American Groups Oppose Racist Geographic Place Names, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Organization of Chinese Americans and the Chinese American Citizens Alliance passed resolutions urging the U.S. Board on Geographical Names to rename racist landmarks like ‘Chink’s Peak’ in Idaho and ‘Jap Road’ in Texas. A multicultural coalition including JACL wrote to the board urging the name change to ‘China Peak,’ following years of advocacy by JACL Pocatello chapter member Micki Kawakami.
• National Newsbytes, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 3. A roundup of national news briefs covers a CIA report showing the FBI fumbled early warnings in the Wen Ho Lee spy investigation, and other items including a hate crime case, Wisconsin’s growing immigrant population, and a Surgeon General report on minorities receiving less mental health care. The briefs also touch on NAACP efforts to improve minority representation in media and entertainment industries.
• Filipino Vets Receive Checks from Cedillo Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 4. California Assemblymember Gilbert Cedillo’s AB 1978 has resulted in the first round of checks being issued to Filipino American WWII veterans under the California Veterans Benefit program. The bill allows veterans who wish to return to the Philippines to receive supplemental benefits despite the 1946 Rescission Act that had previously barred them from military pensions.

Community

• Nakata to Head DNC Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Ted Nakata, former Deputy Political Director for the Gore/Lieberman campaign, has been appointed to a position with the Democratic National Committee under chairman Terry McAuliffe. Nakata will coordinate DNC efforts with state and local campaigns, building on experience from NASA and the Clinton/Gore ’96 campaign in Hawaii.
• aMedia President Yang Steps Down, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Jeff Yang, founder and publisher of aMagazine: Inside Asian America, resigned as president of aMedia, Inc. following its merger with Click2Asia. Yang plans to work with nonprofit AURA and complete his upcoming book, while Karen Wang has been named aMedia’s acting president.
• Chicago to Unveil ‘100th-442nd-MIS Way’ Street, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A new street sign honoring the 100th-442nd-MIS units will be unveiled in Chicago’s Northside on Oct. 10, accompanied by a showing of the documentary ‘Uncommon Courage’ about the Nisei MIS role in the Pacific War. The dedication will be attended by local officials, veterans organizations, and community leaders near the Japanese American Service Committee building.
• Livingston Holds Nisei Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Over 150 Nisei from Hawaii, Boston, Denver and elsewhere gathered in Livingston, California for a reunion in the old Yamato Colony hometown. Attendees enjoyed sushi bento and visited the Livingston Museum highlighting early Issei settlement of the area since 1906.
• Merced Awards Scholarships to Southeast Asian Students, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Merced County Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund awarded $37,000 in scholarships to 34 Southeast Asian high school graduates in May, with four additional alternates later receiving a remaining $2,000 in funding. Recipients included students such as Kang Thao, Lee, Kou Vang and Phoua Xiong.
• Bay Area Chapters Cooperate in PBS Pledge Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Multiple Bay Area JACL chapters including San Francisco, Contra Costa, Berkeley, Diablo Valley and San Mateo participated in a first-ever multi-chapter PBS pledge drive at KQED studios, raising over $158,000. Fifty-six JACL participants took part, with another cooperative pledge drive planned for March 2002.
• Twin Cities Cookbook and Videotape Receive Honors, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Twin Cities JACL’s 50th anniversary recipe book ‘Bodging the Generations’ was featured in Southern Living’s ‘America’s Best Recipes’ collection among 176 cookbooks nationwide. Additionally, a two-volume cooking instruction videotape produced by Twin Cities JACL was selected for permanent archival at the Minnesota Historical Society.

In-Depth

• Fire Destroys Poston Camp I School Auditorium, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A fire destroyed the Poston Camp I elementary school auditorium/gymnasium, one of the last remaining large-scale adobe brick structures built by interned Japanese Americans during WWII. Despite the loss, preservation efforts led by former internee Ruth Okimoto and the Colorado River Indian Tribes will continue, seeking donations of artifacts and oral histories for a planned barrack-museum.
• The Premier Prize From Peru: A 3 Kilogram Tome, by Harry Honda, page 6. Harry Honda reviews a massive commemorative book documenting the centennial of Japanese immigration to Peru (1899-1999), gifted to him by a longtime friend at a recent PANA convention. The book chronicles the history of Peruvian Nikkei communities, personal accounts from pioneers including the first Nisei lawyer in Peru, and generational perspectives from Issei through Yonsei on identity and the future of the community.

Obituaries

• Obituaries, by P.C. Staff, page 7. This issue’s obituary listings include tributes to numerous Japanese American community members who passed away in mid-2001, including Kosome Harako, Toshiye Hata, Takashi Higuchi, and others with details of survivors and community involvement. Notable entries include Ray Tsurui, a Nisei veteran, and Roy Uyehata, an MIS veteran.

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