The Utah convention issue: a new budget, annual conventions and redress

Vol. 147, No. 3, August 1, 2008. 16 pages. View this issue

The JACL national convention in Salt Lake City filled most of this 16-page issue. Lynda Lin reported on the 2009-10 biennial budget, with its membership and fundraising goals, and on the council’s vote to hold conventions every year starting in 2011. Caroline Aoyagi-Stom covered the thirtieth anniversary of the redress resolution and the Civil Liberties Act, while John Tateishi wrote that it was time for the Sansei to pass leadership to the Yonsei.

Also inside: the youth council’s North Korea human rights resolution, a keynote by astronaut Dan Tani, and the award winners, including Ernest Weiner. Columns by Floyd Mori, Jeff Yoshioka and Silvana Watanabe looked back on the week. Yumi Sakugawa wrote about Little Tokyo, and the last page announced events marking the Civil Liberties Act’s twentieth anniversary.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• JACL Sets New Course with Ambitious 2009-10 Biennial Budget, by Lynda Lin, page 1. The national council adopted a biennial budget requiring aggressive membership recovery and fundraising, including raising $50,000 annually to avoid cuts. The vice president of membership post remains vacant while Joshua Spry was appointed secretary/treasurer after no candidates ran for the position.
• JACL Makes a Historic Move to an Annual National Convention, by Lynda Lin, page 3. After failing twice before, the national council voted 57-24 with five split votes to amend the constitution and hold JACL conventions annually starting in 2011, following the 2010 Chicago biennial convention. Supporters cited benefits like more funding opportunities and youth engagement, while critics worried about the cost burden on smaller chapters.
• JACL Nat’l Youth Council Recognizes Group Fighting for North Korean Refugees, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 3. Adrian Hong, co-founder of Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), received the National Youth Student Council’s Vision Award for his work protecting North Korean refugees, despite having been imprisoned in China in 2006 for his activism. Hong’s statement, read by North Korean refugee Daniel Lee at the youth luncheon, praised the JACL youth for taking a courageous stand on the issue.
• Teruya Named JACLer of the Biennium, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 3. Emily Teruya of the Diablo Valley chapter was named JACLer of the Biennium for her contributions to membership growth and organizational projects. The Portland chapter won the George Inagaki Chapter Citizenship Award again, and playwright Tim Toyama received the Ruby Yoshino Schaar award for his play about Yuri Kochiyama.
• JACL National Council Votes to Approve Annual Conventions, by Lynda Lin, page 9. The national council passed CBA 02 to move to annual conventions starting in 2011, and separately passed CBA 04 by a 70-16 vote allowing the national board to determine the location of the national director’s office rather than requiring it be in San Francisco. The debate included concerns from smaller chapters about travel costs and a contentious discussion about the national director working from Washington, D.C.
• National Council Passes the Next Biennial Program for Action, by P.C. Staff, page 14. The national council passed the 2009-10 Program for Action, outlining JACL’s continued mission to promote civil rights, social justice, and leadership development, especially for youth. The document emphasizes advocacy, education, and preserving the historical legacy of Japanese Americans and Asian Pacific Americans.
• Sayonara Banquet Honors Civil Rights Leaders and Community Advocates, by P.C. Staff, page 15. President’s Awards were presented to Dr. Franklin Odo, Judge Raymond Uno, and Neil King for their contributions to Japanese American and Asian Pacific American communities. Dr. Hitoshi Tom Tamaki received the Ruby Pin award for chairing the Mike Masaoka Congressional Fellowship Program for 20 years, and new JACL fellows were announced including Leslie Tamura, Crystal Xu, and Elizabeth Nakano.
• JACL to Honor Champions of Redress at Gala Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 16. JACL will honor Norman Mineta, Grayce Uyehara, and John Tateishi at its second annual Gala dinner in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 25, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Sen. Daniel Inouye will serve as honorary chairman, with AT&T receiving the corporate award.
• JACL Selects New Mike Masaoka Fellow, by P.C. Staff, page 16. Leslie Tamura of Fresno was named the JACL’s new Mike M. Masaoka Congressional Fellow and will work in Rep. Doris Matsui’s Washington office this fall. The fellowship, established in 1988 to honor Masaoka’s public service legacy, has been administered by Dr. H. Tom Tamaki for 20 years, with the JACL D.C. office now taking over.

National

• Young JACLers Take a Stand for Human Rights in North Korea, by Lynda Lin, page 1. The National Youth/Student Council successfully passed Resolution 4 calling on JACL to support human rights protections and diplomatic engagement regarding North Korea, driven by youth like Annie Kim Noguchi and Brandon Mita. The resolution passed unanimously despite some concerns about JACL’s traditional focus on domestic issues, marking a significant youth-led achievement at the convention.
• National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. A roundup of national news includes a century-old fig tree in Little Tokyo being designated a Los Angeles historic landmark and a stalled Filipino veterans equity bill in the House needing constituent support. Other items cover a search for missing veteran families by the Pocatello-Blackfoot chapter, a successful youth camp by South Bay JACL, and recognition of a JA memorial by the Washington Post.
• AJC’s Ernest Weiner Honored with Edison Uno Civil Rights Award, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Ernest Weiner, executive director of the American Jewish Committee of Northern California, received the Edison Uno Civil Rights Award for his early support of the JACL redress campaign, including proposing the commission that studied WWII internment. Also honored were Japanese Americans of the Biennium Dr. Tetsuden Kashima and Judge Dale Ikeda for their contributions to education and public affairs respectively.
• Ambitious Membership Goals in 2009-2010 JACL Biennial Budget, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The new biennial budget requires substantial new membership recruitment and multiple fundraising initiatives to offset a current deficit of $58,949 and declining membership numbers. Several new Millennium Club members were recruited during the convention, while the vice president of membership position remains vacant with President Larry Oda considering candidates.

In-Depth

• Coming Full Circle: A Celebration of Redress, 30 Years Later, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. Thirty years after the JACL national council passed a resolution to pursue redress in Salt Lake City, members returned to commemorate the historic anniversary of the 1988 Civil Liberties Act. A redress plenary session featured John Tateishi, Richard Foltin, and Muzaffar Chishti discussing the campaign’s origins and its ongoing relevance for civil rights.
• A Familiar Homecoming for Astronaut Tani, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. Astronaut Dan Tani, the second Japanese American in space, keynoted the JACL Sayonara Banquet, sharing stories and video from his four-month space station mission. Tani reflected on his family’s internment history at Topaz and the significance of representing the JA community, while also disclosing his mother’s death in a car accident during his mission.
• Conventioneers Learn Kitemaking, Financial Planning, and API Youth Issues, by P.C. Staff, page 12. More than a dozen workshops at the Utah convention covered topics from Judo demonstrations and Japanese kitemaking to Medicare benefits and small business advice. Workshops also addressed significant API youth issues and financial literacy topics like budgeting, credit, and savings.
• Redress Plenary Explores Legacy and Lessons for Today, page 13. A redress plenary session featured John Tateishi, Richard Foltin of the American Jewish Committee, and Muzaffar Chishti discussing the origins of the redress campaign and drawing parallels to post-9/11 treatment of Muslim Americans. Panelists highlighted how the lessons of Japanese American internment helped prevent mass roundups of Muslims after 9/11, despite ongoing surveillance concerns.

Commentary

• Thanks to All for a Successful Salt Lake City Convention, by Floyd Mori, page 2. National Director Floyd Mori thanks convention organizers, volunteers, and attendees for a successful 40th biennial JACL convention in Salt Lake City. He highlights the new constitutional amendment allowing annual conventions starting in 2011 and previews the 2010 Chicago convention.
• Meeting Lofty Expectations, by Jeff Yoshioka, page 2. A first-time convention attendee reflects on his drive to Salt Lake City with San Jose JACL youth and his appreciation for the growing youth involvement in the organization. He notes the national council’s preference to let the board handle business operations while focusing on bigger governance issues.
• Celebrating a ‘Legacy of Leadership’, by Silvana Watanabe, page 2. Convention co-chair Silvana Watanabe thanks sponsors, committee members, and volunteers for making the Salt Lake City convention a success, celebrating 80 years of JACL bringing communities together. She also acknowledges co-chair Reid Tateoka, who could not attend due to serving an LDS mission in Japan.
• Unofficial Retrospective of JACL National Elections, by Stanley N. Kanzaki, page 2. A letter to the editor reviews the JACL national elections, noting that only eight candidates ran for eight national offices, with a close race in the youth/student council chair election. The author laments low membership participation in elections, calling for more members to seek national leadership positions.
• Littler Tokyo, by Yumi Sakugawa, page 8. The columnist reflects on the differences between Little Tokyo in Los Angeles and the actual Tokyo in Japan, arguing they are not simply big and small versions of the same place but fundamentally different in spirit. She expresses concern about whether future generations will continue to experience Little Tokyo’s cultural traditions like Nisei Week and Tofu Festivals.
• Time to Pass the Mantel, by John Tateishi, page 8. Former JACL national director John Tateishi reflects on the energized youth presence at the Salt Lake City convention, particularly their successful push for the North Korea human rights resolution. He argues it’s time for the Sansei generation to hand leadership over to the Yonsei, just as the Nisei did for the Sansei decades earlier.

Arts & Entertainment

• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 5. News briefs cover Kiyo Matsumoto’s Senate confirmation as a federal judge in New York, JACL’s upcoming Nisei Week Community Award, and various scholarship recipients from Puyallup Valley, South Bay, and Sequoia JACL chapters. Also featured is Naomi Sugie’s National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship for sociology research at Princeton.

Community

• San Francisco JACL Sponsors Panel Discussion on Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 16. The San Francisco JACL chapter is sponsoring an Aug. 10 panel discussion at the San Francisco Main Library featuring Norman Mineta, John Tateishi, Dale Minami, and Banafsheh Akhlaghi to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act. The program, titled ‘The Impact and Legacy of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988,’ will examine what the legacy has meant to the community and all Americans.

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