Vol. 130, No. 15, April 14, 2000. 8 pages. View this issue
A monument in Pietrasanta, Italy, to be dedicated April 25, Italy’s Liberation Day, honored the Nisei soldiers of the 100th/442nd, including Medal of Honor recipient Sadao Munemori. Martha Nakagawa traced it back to a chance meeting in 1945 between Nisei soldier Paul Sakamoto and a 12-year-old Italian boy, Americo Bugliani. The front page also reported on national Asian Pacific American leaders meeting with Interim U.S. Attorney Norman Bay about the Wen Ho Lee case, and Tracy Uba profiled 18-year-old actor Gina Hiraizumi.
Inside, Roger Minami previewed the JACL National Convention in Monterey, and UPS and Union Bank of California made donations. Bill Hosokawa wrote about the Mike Masaoka dispute over the National Japanese American Memorial, and Bill Marutani wrote about the Issei. Community reports covered the Florin Time of Remembrance, a Twin Cities teachers’ workshop and a Korean War memorial planned for Korea. This eight-page issue also carried a high school curriculum on the World War II incarceration (often called internment).
What’s in this issue
National
- Italy to Dedicate Monument in Honor of Nisei Soldiers, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. A chance encounter in 1945 between Nisei soldier Paul Sakamoto and a 12-year-old Italian boy, Americo Bugliani, led decades later to the creation of a monument in Pietrasanta, Italy honoring Nisei soldiers of the 100th/442nd. The statue, dedicated April 25 on Italy’s Liberation Day, memorializes Medal of Honor recipient Sadao Munemori and the sacrifices of Japanese American soldiers who fought in Italy during World War II.
- National APA Leaders Meet With U.S. Attorney Norman Bay to Discuss Wen Ho Lee Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Several national Asian Pacific American leaders met with newly sworn-in Interim U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Norman Bay to discuss concerns over the Wen Ho Lee case, including detention conditions, racial profiling and selective prosecution. Bay could not respond to several inquiries due to the ongoing nature of the case but agreed to take community concerns under advisement.
- National Newsbytes, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 3. A roundup of national news briefs covering topics including substandard AIDS care for minorities, human trafficking of women forced into prostitution, hate crime legislation, a controversial film production, Hmong pop groups seeking mainstream audiences, and a tofu industry health study. The briefs summarize various studies, reports and developments affecting Asian Pacific American and other minority communities.
- CAPACD to Hold Inaugural Convention in D.C., by P.C. Staff, page 3. The National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development will hold its inaugural convention in Washington, D.C. from May 1-3 to officially announce its formation as the first national organization dedicated to APA housing and community development needs. The rapid growth of the APA population, combined with welfare reform and housing cutbacks, has made such development work increasingly critical.
- Committee Approves State Benefits for Filipino WWII Vets, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Assemblymember Gilbert Cedillo received unanimous committee approval for a bill extending State Supplemental Program benefits to Filipino World War II veterans, with support from nearly 100 veterans present. Committee members across party lines praised the bill and some asked to be added as co-authors.
- Korean War Memorial for Japanese Americans to Be Dedicated in Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Japanese American Korean War Veterans (JAKWV) announced plans to dedicate a memorial to the 247 Americans of Japanese Ancestry killed in the Korean War, to be located at Imjin-Gak memorial park near the DMZ in Korea and dedicated in May 2001. Korean officials and JAKWV leaders held a press conference announcing the project, which will help explain the JA contribution to Korea’s freedom to future generations.
Arts & Entertainment
- JA Teen Shows Star Quality, by Tracy Uba, page 1. Eighteen-year-old Gardena native Gina Hiraizumi is building an impressive career as an actor, dancer and singer, appearing in films and TV shows and pursuing mainstream success as an Asian American performer. She discusses the challenges of the industry, including limited roles for Asian Americans and instances of harassment, while remaining passionate about her career path.
- Nisei Week Japanese Festival to Celebrate its 60th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Nisei Week Japanese Festival, one of the longest-running and largest ethnic festivals in Southern California, celebrates its 60th anniversary with events including a grand parade, 5k run, cultural exhibits, street arts fair, carnival, taiko drumming and an Ondo dance. Organizers are working to carry the festival forward into the 21st century.
- interACT Presents ‘Letters to a Revolutionary’, by P.C. Staff, page 8. ‘Letters to a Student Revolutionary,’ the first American play to respond to the Tiananmen Square tragedy, opens at the Broadway Playhouse in Sacramento on May 5 and runs through May 28. Written by Elizabeth Wong and directed by Sonny Alforque, the play follows a decade-long correspondence between a Chinese American tourist and a Chinese student, culminating in the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising.
JACL
- Exploring the Rich History of Japanese Americans During the Upcoming JACL National Convention, by Roger Minami, page 4. An article previewing the JACL National Convention in Monterey explores the history of Japanese Americans returning to the Monterey Peninsula after World War II, highlighting a 1945 newspaper ad signed by over 400 local residents welcoming back JA families and acknowledging their military contributions. The piece also notes plans for General Eric Shinseki to speak at a Veterans Tribute Dinner during the convention.
- Enjoying a Good Glass of Wine at the Upcoming JACL National Convention, by Roger Minami, page 4. The Next Generation Club, affiliated with the West Valley JACL chapter, is organizing a wine tour of Monterey County wineries for JACL national convention attendees. Interested delegates, guests and friends are asked to contact organizers soon since many area wineries have difficulty accommodating large groups.
- UPS Donates $15,000 to National JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The UPS Foundation granted $15,000 to national JACL to support national JACL and youth programs, continuing a long relationship of corporate support. UPS officials expressed pride in supporting Asian American youth aspiring to leadership roles, part of the foundation’s broader philanthropic giving of over $36 million in 1998.
- Union Bank of California Donates $10,000 to Nikkei 2000 Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Union Bank of California contributed $10,000 to support the Nikkei 2000 Conference held April 27-30 in San Francisco, expected to draw 500 attendees addressing the vision of the Japanese American community in the 21st century. Conference co-chairs emphasized it would be an active working conference focused on community-building dialogue rather than passive presentations.
Community
- Florin’s 18th Annual Time of Remembrance, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The JACL Florin chapter held its 18th annual Time of Remembrance program on March 4, themed ‘Voices from the Past: Lessons for the Future,’ featuring a life-size camp barrack replica and readings of oral histories by writer Lawson Fusao Inada and Yonsei Patricia Wakida. The event also honored community members with awards and presented completed oral history books to several internment survivors.
- Twin Cities Chapter Participates in Social Studies Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Forty-seven teachers attended a workshop coordinated by the JACL Twin Cities chapter on teaching the Japanese American internment experience at the Minnesota Council of the Social Studies 2000 Spring Conference. Speakers Sally Sudo and Tom Ohno, both former internees and retired teachers, shared historical background, personal experiences and lesson plans.
- WSU Asian Pacific American Awareness Month Continues, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Washington State University continued its fourth annual Asian Pacific Awareness Month with a workshop on the Korean War and other cultural events including a Hawaiian luau, Filipino Culture Night, and a theatre performance. The month-long series of activities aims to celebrate heritage and culminates in a closing banquet.
- Sac’to JACL Honors Nao Takasugi, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Sacramento JACL honored former Assemblyman Nao Takasugi for his many years of public service in state and local government, with many legislators and community leaders in attendance. Takasugi was recently profiled in Tom Brokaw’s bestseller ‘The Greatest Generation.’
- San Jose to Host Nikkei Matsuri 2000, by P.C. Staff, page 6. San Jose will host the Nikkei Matsuri 2000 festival, including an April 22 afternoon celebration honoring local centenarians as ‘Our Living Treasures’ and a day-long festival on April 30 featuring Japanese foods, performances and hands-on cultural activities in Nihonmachi.
Commentary
- It’s Time to Move On, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Columnist Bill Hosokawa reflects on the resolved controversy over including Mike Masaoka’s name and words on the National Japanese American Memorial, comparing the dispute to a kabuki vendetta. He argues it is time to end the infighting and move forward to celebrate the memorial’s dedication, honoring all who suffered during the wartime internment.
- The Postmaster, by Bill Marutani, page 6. Bill Marutani’s column discusses the Issei generation’s experiences, noting how they were barred by law from U.S. citizenship and faced restricted access despite their contributions. The column reflects on historical injustices faced by early Japanese immigrants.
In-Depth
- CCLPEP Grant Recipient Develops High School Curriculum, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), a recipient of a 1999 California Civil Liberties Public Education Program grant, developed a high school curriculum unit on Japanese American internment before, during and after World War II. The seven-lesson unit covers historical context, internment years, resettlement, redress, and U.S.-Japan relations, aiming to fill a gap in standard history textbooks.
Obituaries
- Tsugeji ‘Alice’ Iijima Shigemi, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Tsugeji ‘Alice’ Iijima Shigemi, 85, born in Oakland, California, passed away peacefully on April 1 in Atlanta, Georgia. She is survived by extended family including siblings and numerous nieces, nephews and grand-relatives, with her final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery.
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