A college’s 1942 archive and the Bainbridge Island memorial debate

Vol. 141, No. 1, July 1, 2005. 12 pages. View this issue

Japanese American student life in 1942 led this issue. Caroline Aoyagi reported on Occidental College’s digital archive of its Japanese American Relocation Collection, with former student Ted Tajima recalling the school’s support as the World War II incarceration (often called internment) ended his studies. Lynda Lin covered two more stories: the Bainbridge Island memorial committee’s push for federal funding, tied to the first Japanese Americans removed under Executive Order 9066, and the eighth JACL national youth/student conference in Salt Lake City. John Tateishi opened the JACL mid-year fundraising campaign.

Elsewhere, Orange County, Texas residents chose new names to replace ‘Jap Lane,’ and the 49ers owner apologized for training videos with racial slurs. Heart Mountain’s new walking trail appeared in the newsbytes. A Japanese American veterans memorial was dedicated in San Diego, and Jake Shimabukuro was profiled as a ukulele virtuoso. Barbara Takei and Yumi Sakugawa wrote the commentary columns.

What’s in this issue

National

• Occidental College’s New Digital Archive Provides Glimpse Into 1942 College Life for JA Students, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. Occidental College has digitized its Japanese American Relocation Collection, documenting the experiences of JA students forced to leave school during WWII internment. Former student Ted Tajima recalls how President Remsen DuBois Bird supported students with letters of recommendation, and the archive preserves correspondence and records from that era.
• Residents of ‘Jap Lane’ Closer to Choosing New Road Names, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 1. Residents of ‘Jap Lane’ in Orange County, Texas have selected three new names to replace the controversial road name, partly to avoid potential lawsuits similar to one that forced a name change in neighboring Jefferson County. County commissioners were set to vote on the proposed names of Cajun Way, Japanese Lane, and Duncan Woods Lane on July 2.
• Jun Choi’s Primary Win Signals Emerging Diversity in Edison, by Rosa Cirianni, Associated Press, page 3. Jun Choi, a Korean American, won the Democratic primary for mayor of Edison, New Jersey, positioning him to become the city’s first mayor of Asian descent. Choi emphasizes broad-based appeal beyond ethnic identity, having overcome a radio host’s mocking of his name during the campaign.
• Civil Rights Groups Respond to Arrest of Hate Mail Perpetrator, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Stanley C. Jaroszenski was arrested and charged in a 117-count federal indictment for allegedly sending threatening letters and syringes to Asian, Muslim, and Jewish communities. Civil rights organizations including the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and Muslim Public Affairs Council praised the arrest as a breakthrough after years of hate mail targeting these communities.
• Camp Scrapbook Acquired by U. of Idaho, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. The University of Idaho Library acquired a hand-made scrapbook of 148 photographs documenting the Kooskia Internment Camp, where Japanese alien volunteers worked on road construction during WWII. The scrapbook, discovered among a deceased guard’s family memorabilia, has been digitized and added to the university’s Historical Photographs Collection.
• National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta inaugurated a new interpretive walking trail at the Heart Mountain internment site; the U.S. and Vietnam agreed to resume international adoptions with stricter guidelines; and a Big Island researcher linked forced cultural assimilation to unhealthy lifestyle habits among Native Hawaiians.
• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen staff, page 4. University student Eugene Kang, 21, is running for Ann Arbor City Council in Michigan; Master Sergeant Roy Matsumoto received an Honorary Green Beret for his WWII service with Merrill’s Marauders; and Laura Masunaga became the first woman appointed Superior Court judge in Siskiyou County, California.
• Maryland Nat’l Guard, Commission Honor APA Veterans, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Maryland National Guard and the Maryland Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs honored APA veterans at an event at Warfield Air National Guard Base, including a gubernatorial proclamation. WWII veteran Joseph Ichiuji and retired Col. Henry Wakabayashi spoke about their experiences and the progress toward equality.
• White House Initiative on AAPIs to End Health Care Disparities, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders joined the American Medical Association’s Commission to End Health Care Disparities, with Dr. Akshay Desai representing the Initiative. The move follows a 2003 report identifying AAPI subpopulations at disproportionate risk from cancer and cardiovascular disease.
• 49ers: Mea Culpa, by P.C. Staff, Associated Press contributed, page 4. San Francisco 49ers owner John York apologized to Chinese American leaders for offensive training videos containing racial slurs and pledged to overhaul the team’s diversity policies. York committed to working with city officials on new diversity awareness programs before the start of training camp.

JACL

• Young JACLers Find Identity at Youth Conference, by Lynda Lin, page 1. The eighth biennial JACL national youth/student conference in Salt Lake City drew nearly 180 attendees, the largest turnout in the event’s history, with discussions centered on identity as both Asian American and Japanese American. Keynote speakers Steve Nakajo and Gil Asakawa, along with WWII veteran Nelson Akagi and Vision Award recipient Mee Moua (represented by Rep. Mike Honda), emphasized responsibility and connecting generations.
• That Time of Year … Again, by John Tateishi, page 1. JACL Executive Director John Tateishi announces the start of the organization’s mid-year fundraising campaign, explaining that despite a second-quarter surplus of $176,000, declining membership revenues make the funds insufficient to sustain operations through the year. He asks members to contribute generously to help JACL meet its programs and obligations.

In-Depth

• ‘Let It Not Happen Again’: Bainbridge Island Memorial Fights for Federal Funding, by Lynda Lin, page 1. The Bainbridge Island WWII Nikkei Exclusion Memorial Committee, led by Clarence Moriwaki, is seeking federal funding and National Park Service involvement for a memorial commemorating the first JA residents evacuated under Executive Order 9066. Some residents, including WWII veteran Jack Klamm and Capt. James Olsen, oppose federal involvement, arguing the memorial presents a one-sided historical narrative.
• Occidental College Digital Archive Preserves JA Student History (continued), by Caroline Aoyagi, page 12. The Occidental College Japanese American Relocation Collection digital archive, launching this fall, contains over 400 items and 20,000 pages documenting JA students’ experiences during WWII internment. Former student Ted Tajima and project archivists Dale Stieber and Kathy Lo discuss the collection’s relevance to current events affecting Muslim and Arab American communities.

Obituaries

• Lily Okura, Pioneering Leader of JACL, Passes, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 1. Lily Okura, a pioneering JACL leader and one of the first female national board officers, passed away June 14 at her home in Bethesda, Maryland. She and her husband Patrick, who died earlier in the year, founded the Okura Mental Health Leadership Foundation and were deeply involved in JACL redress efforts and leadership development.
• Influential Philippine Church Leader Cardinal Jaime Sin Dies at 76, by Paul Alexander, Associated Press, page 11. Cardinal Jaime Sin, a prominent Filipino Catholic leader who played a key role in the ‘people power’ revolts that ousted two Philippine presidents, died June 21 after years of illness. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo praised him for uniting Filipinos during critical struggles against tyranny.
• Mary S. Suenaga, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Mary S. Suenaga, 89, a San Francisco-born Nisei resident of Camarillo, passed away June 23 and her funeral was held July 1 at Centenary United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. She is survived by her son, daughter, grandsons, brother, and other relatives.
• George S. Kobayashi, by P.C. Staff, page 11. George S. Kobayashi, a longtime professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and member of the St. Louis JACL, passed away April 19 in St. Louis. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, four children, five grandchildren, and extended family.

Community

• Spring Campaign: To Our Readers, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 2. The Pacific Citizen’s third annual Spring Campaign raised $10,285 from 83 donors, exceeding its goal, with funds directed toward launching an official P.C. website this fall. The editor thanks readers and donors for their continued support of the newspaper.
• JACL Holds 2nd Annual Golf Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The 2nd Annual JACL Golf Tournament was held June 20 at Rolling Hills Country Club with 97 golfers competing across three divisions. Winners included Teruo Watanabe, Keiko Hyuga, and Bill Coleman in their respective flights.
• City Honors George Nakano With Naming of New Theatre, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Former California State Assemblyman George Nakano was honored with the naming of the ‘George Nakano Theatre’ in Torrance on June 21. The city recognized his many contributions as both an assemblyman and city council member.
• Historic Memorial for JA Vets Dedicated in San Diego, by Joyce Nabeta Teague, page 5. A Japanese American Veterans Memorial was dedicated at San Diego’s Mount Hope Cemetery, believed to be the only U.S. memorial honoring all American veterans of Japanese descent. The two-year project was led by a committee of 12 and funded by donations from over 300 individuals and organizations.

Sports

• Kim Takes U.S. Women’s Open With Miracle Shot, by Eddie Pells, Associated Press, page 7. Birdie Kim, a 23-year-old golfer from South Korea, won the U.S. Women’s Open with a dramatic 30-yard bunker shot for birdie on the 18th hole. The victory overshadowed performances by Annika Sorenstam and teen phenoms Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie, earning Kim $560,000 and a five-year LPGA Tour exemption.

Commentary

• Shikata Ga Nai?, by Barbara Takei, page 8. The author recounts her husband’s grandfather’s wrongful WWII internment and draws parallels to the 2005 arrests of Umer Hayat and his son in Lodi, California on unsubstantiated terrorism allegations. She describes Florin JACL’s support for the Muslim community facing FBI surveillance and questions whether America has truly learned from its history of injustice.
• The Re-education of a J-School Dropout, by Yumi Sakugawa, page 8. The author reflects on her lifelong insecurity about speaking Japanese, rooted in childhood struggles at Japanese language school, and her decades-long avoidance of using the language outside her home. She describes her current efforts to become fluent, including minoring in Japanese and watching films without subtitles.
• Secret Asian Man: The Mexican Repatriation Program, by Tak Toyoshima, page 9. This comic strip highlights the little-known Mexican Repatriation Program of 1929-1935, during which the U.S. government deported 2 million Mexicans and Mexican Americans, including 1.2 million U.S.-born citizens. It notes that California has passed bills to formally apologize and consider reparations for those affected.

Arts & Entertainment

• Jake Shimabukuro: Ukulele Virtuoso, by Lynda Lin, page 9. Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro discusses his new album ‘Dragon,’ which topped the charts in Japan, and his experience touring with Jimmy Buffett. He reflects on breaking stereotypes about the ukulele and his goal of making audiences smile through music.

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.