Paper cranes, redress heroes and the Nihonmachi Street Fair

Vol. 147, No. 6, September 19, 2008. 24 pages. View this issue

Two 14-year-olds from Minnesota, Michelle Reed and Carly Gutzmann, opened the issue with a plan to fold and collect 120,313 paper cranes, one for each person imprisoned during the World War II incarceration (often called internment). The Pacific Southwest District honored 14 members as redress heroes, and the National JACL Gala in Washington, D.C. was set for Sept. 25 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Todd Kushigemachi reported on the Nihonmachi Street Fair in San Francisco’s Japantown, where a petition drive gathered 2,800 signatures.

Other pages follow immigration and civil rights. Sonoma County JACL members backed a sanctuary ordinance, and Rep. Mike Honda criticized a proposed tent city for undocumented immigrants. Lynda Lin wrote about George Takei and Brad Altman’s wedding. Floyd Mori’s column looked back on a busy summer, and the LPGA dropped its English requirement after protests. A special pullout section covers National JACL scholarship winners.

What’s in this issue

National

• Two Teens Embark on Paper Crane Peace Memorial Project, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. Minnesota teens Michelle Reed and Carly Gutzmann, both 14, are folding and collecting 120,313 paper cranes to represent each internee imprisoned during WWII. Their project grew out of a National History Day documentary on the Topaz internment camp’s art school and has attracted support from former internees nationwide.
• At Long Last, George Takei and Brad Altman Become Spouses for Life, by Lynda Lin, page 1. George Takei and Brad Altman married on September 14 after a 21-year relationship, with George drawing parallels between his wartime internment experience and the ongoing fight for gay rights. The couple’s union remains legally vulnerable due to the looming Proposition 8 ballot measure in California.
• LPGA Backs Down on Controversial English Requirement Policy, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. Facing backlash from lawmakers and Asian American organizations including JACL, the LPGA Tour rescinded its plan to suspend players who could not speak English proficiently. APA groups say they will continue to push until fines tied to the policy are also eliminated.
• Chinese American Community Protests Proposed Casino in Philly’s Chinatown, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. Philadelphia’s Chinatown residents are protesting a proposed Foxwoods casino relocation near their neighborhood, recalling a similar successful fight against sports stadiums a decade earlier. City officials support the plan while community groups argue it threatens the historic area and Chinatown’s businesses.
• Nihonmachi Street Fair is Here to Stay, by Todd Kushigemachi, page 4. San Francisco’s Nihonmachi Street Fair faced criticism from property owners near Japantown who called it a nuisance with low-quality vendors, sparking a community petition drive that gathered 2,800 signatures in support. Community leaders say the controversy reflects broader concerns about the loss of Japantown’s ethnic character to non-Nikkei property owners.
• National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. A roundup of national news briefs covers a UC Davis study finding biracial Asian Americans face higher rates of mental disorder diagnoses, a $54 million dry-cleaning lawsuit heading to appeals court, a lawsuit challenging an anti-affirmative-action ballot initiative in Nebraska, and the extradition order for Kazuyoshi Miura in a decades-old murder case.
• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 5. This roundup highlights Sen. Daniel Inouye receiving a Medal of Honor flag, Floyd Mori receiving a leadership award from AT&T, a California highway renamed for Norman Mineta, a Chicago doctor honored for community service, and a Filipino American teen activist running for California State Assembly.
• Older Vietnamese Report More Mental Health Problems, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A UC Irvine study found that older Vietnamese Americans, many of whom came as political refugees, report significantly more mental health problems than non-Hispanic whites but are less likely to discuss these issues with doctors. Researchers emphasize the need for improved community mental health services and better training for primary-care physicians.
• Congressman Honda Blasts Utah Candidate’s ‘Tent City’, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 5. Rep. Mike Honda, who spent part of his childhood in an internment camp, criticized Utah congressional candidate Jason Chaffetz’s proposal to detain undocumented immigrants in tent camps ringed by barbed wire. Chaffetz denied any ethnic targeting and demanded an apology from Honda.
• Yellowface Puppet on YouTube Sparks Outcry, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 5. JACL and Asian American bloggers criticized CBS Mobile’s ‘Farnfucious Say’ YouTube segments featuring a yellowface puppet mocking Confucius with a stereotypical Asian accent. JACL Midwest Director Bill Yoshino demanded the videos be removed, but CBS Mobile had not responded by press time.
• AA Civil Rights Groups Oppose Prop. 11 Redistricting Initiative, page 6. Five Asian American civil rights organizations announced joint opposition to California’s Proposition 11, arguing the redistricting initiative lacks racial diversity requirements and could harm minority communities. Groups including APALC and the Asian Law Alliance say the measure’s criteria make it harder to keep minority communities together in districts.
• AAPI Serving Institutions Program Becomes Law, page 7. The Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AAPISI) program became law as part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, aiming to expand college support services for AAPI and low-income students through 2013. NCAPA and JACL Director Floyd Mori praised the law for addressing needs often overlooked due to the

JACL

• PSW District Honors Its Own ‘Redress Heroes’, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District honored 14 JACL members for their contributions to the historic redress campaign at its annual dinner. Honorees like Marleen and Harry Kawahara recalled the emotional grassroots efforts that led to the 1988 passage of redress legislation.
• Final Plans Being Made for JACL Gala, page 6. The National JACL Gala in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 25 will focus on the 20th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, honoring Norman Mineta, John Tateishi, Grayce Uyehara, the American Jewish Committee and AT&T. Sen. Daniel Inouye serves as honorary chairman with Rep. Mike Honda as master of ceremonies.

Community

• Drawing Parallels Between Nikkei and Immigrant Experiences, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Sonoma County JACL members, drawing on their own history of discrimination, passed a resolution supporting a sanctuary ordinance to protect immigrants from racial profiling by local law enforcement. The move follows an ACLU lawsuit against the county sheriff’s department for allegedly targeting Latino residents.
• UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies Library Organizes Major APA Photograph Collection, page 6. UC Berkeley’s Ethnic Studies Library finished archiving over 200,000 photos by Kem Lee documenting San Francisco’s Chinatown from the 1940s-1980s using a $180,000 grant. A second collection of 240,000 images by Henry Woon documenting APA life in the Bay Area still needs about $200,000 in funding for preservation.
• Sac’to JACL to Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Redress, page 7. The Sacramento JACL will honor A.G. Kawamura, Kinya Noguchi, and Genevieve Shiroma at an Oct. 16 event commemorating the 20th anniversary of redress. Several new chapter board members will also be installed at the event.
• San Francisco JACL Seeks Volunteers to Help Clean Nat’l AIDS Memorial Grove, page 7. The JACL San Francisco Chapter is sponsoring its annual workday at the National AIDS Memorial Grove on Sept. 20, seeking volunteers to help with weeding, planting and maintenance. Refreshments and lunch will be provided, and volunteers of all ages are welcome.

Commentary

• Busy End of Summer, by Floyd Mori, page 2. National JACL Director Floyd Mori recaps a busy summer including Nisei Week awards for JACL and NCRR, opposition to the LPGA’s English proficiency rule, and participation in DNC and RNC events. He also highlights the PSW Gala Dinner and the upcoming National JACL Gala in Washington, D.C.

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