Ehren Watada’s case, the Moe Gang and voting rights

Vol. 143, No. 8, October 20, 2006. 12 pages. View this issue

The case of 1st Lt. Ehren Watada ran through this 12-page issue. He faced a possible court martial in January for refusing deployment to Iraq, and Caroline Aoyagi-Stom reported on his father Bob Watada’s account of the decision. Four letters on page 2 from Florence Dobashi, Wally Ozaki, Miya Tanaka Reif and Kow Shintani showed how differently readers saw it. The cover story by Lynda Lin followed the Moe Gang, teenage friends from pre-World War II Boyle Heights who were scattered by the war. Voting rights drew attention too: Asian Pacific American groups prepared to monitor poll sites in November.

Also inside: Caroline Aoyagi-Stom on lesser-known Japantowns in California, a Topaz heritage area and landmark designation, and UCLA’s new academic chair on the incarceration (often called internment). Leon Panetta spoke at the Angel Island dinner, and the 3rd National JACL Golf Tournament was held in San Francisco.

What’s in this issue

In-Depth

• A Friendship Like No Other, by Lynda Lin, page 1. A group of multiethnic teenage boys known as the Moe Gang grew up together in pre-World War II Boyle Heights, but the war and internment scattered them into vastly different lives as soldiers, internees, and war heroes. Decades later, surviving members reflect on how their once-close friendship fractured, including the mysterious falling out between Guy Gabaldon and the Nakano brothers before Gabaldon’s death in 2006.
• Beyond ‘The Big Three’ Japantowns, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. The ‘Preserving California’s Japantowns’ project is documenting 43 lesser-known historic Japantowns across California beyond San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Jose, including San Diego, Monterey, and Watsonville. Organizers and longtime residents are working to preserve the memories and physical history of these communities before they are lost.

National

• Judge Says ACLU Lawsuit Challenging Patriot Act Can Proceed, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 1. A federal judge ruled that an ACLU lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the USA Patriot Act, filed on behalf of Muslim charities and advocacy groups, may proceed after nearly three years. JACL had signed onto the amicus brief shortly after the suit was filed in 2003.
• Groups Mobilize to Protect Schools’ Voluntary Desegregation Policies, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Asian Pacific American groups filed amicus briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting voluntary racial integration policies in Seattle and Kentucky school districts facing legal challenges. Advocates argue that eliminating such policies would disproportionately harm underserved Asian American students, countering the model minority myth used against affirmative action arguments.
• Watada Could Face Court Martial in January, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. 1st Lt. Ehren Watada faces a possible court martial in January for refusing deployment to Iraq, a decision he made believing the war is illegal and immoral. His father Bob Watada recounted the emotional moment Ehren shared his decision, which continues to divide opinion within the Nikkei community.
• Bush Approves Two Utah Heritage Areas, Topaz, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. President Bush signed legislation creating Utah’s first two heritage areas, including the Great Basin Heritage Route which encompasses the Topaz internment camp site. The heritage areas aim to preserve cultural, historical, and natural resources for future generations.
• UCLA Welcomes First Academic Chair on World War II Internment Camps, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. UCLA celebrated the arrival of Lane Ryo Hirabayashi as the nation’s first scholar to hold an academic chair dedicated to studying Japanese American internment, funded by a $500,000 donation from George and Sakaye Aratani. The chair requires teaching at least one course on internment-related issues and organizing public education programs.
• Radio Ad in Michigan Likens Anti-Affirmative Action Measure to Sept. 11, Katrina, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. Opponents of a Michigan ballot proposal banning affirmative action programs are running radio ads comparing the measure’s potential impact to the Sept. 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina. The proposed amendment would ban race and gender preferences in university admissions and government hiring.
• Hmong Veterans Push for Memorial, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. Minnesota’s Hmong community is working to build a memorial honoring Hmong veterans who fought in Laos during the Vietnam War, having secured $150,000 from the state legislature toward the $450,000 project. The group is now turning to private fundraising after being denied a city grant.
• Topaz Accepted for Historical Landmark Designation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Landmarks Committee of the National Park Service unanimously approved the Topaz internment camp site in Utah for designation as a national historic landmark. Topaz once held 8,130 Japanese Americans during WWII and was the site where an elderly internee was shot and killed by an Army guard.
• APA Groups Announce Election Protection, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. Asian Pacific American groups including AALDEF are deploying over 500 attorneys and volunteers to monitor 150 poll sites in eight states for voter discrimination during the November elections. The effort focuses on language assistance compliance, functioning voting machines, and non-discriminatory ID requirements.
• Eugene JA Art Memorial Breaks Ground, by P.C. Staff, page 8. After more than three years of planning, the Eugene Japanese American Art Memorial committee broke ground on a monument commemorating the WWII mass evacuation of Japanese Americans. The memorial, funded by a challenge grant and community donations, will feature panels and a bronze sculpture, with dedication planned for the 65th anniversary of Executive Order 9066.
• Watadas Tour Country to Raise Awareness for Ehren’s Cause, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Bob Watada and his wife Rosa Sakanishi are touring the country to raise awareness and support for Ehren Watada, who faces a possible court martial and up to eight years in prison for refusing deployment to Iraq. The couple emphasized that Ehren acted out of conscience and respect for the Constitution, while acknowledging criticism from some JA veterans groups.

Commentary

• Don Quixote, by Florence Dobashi, page 2. A letter writer compares Ehren Watada to Don Quixote, arguing he made a mistake joining the Army without fully considering the Iraq war controversy and that his refusal to deploy constituted conduct unbecoming an officer. The writer states personal disapproval of the Iraq war is a separate issue from Watada’s alleged violation of his military oath.
• Accept Our Differences, by Wally Ozaki, page 2. A letter writer questions why one Japanese American’s actions and beliefs are seen as reflecting all JA views, urging tolerance for differing opinions like Ehren Watada’s difficult personal decision. The writer emphasizes that Watada’s stance does not erase the heroic legacy of JA veterans.
• Watada and Getting Out the Vote, by Miya Tanaka Reif, page 2. A letter writer questions whether the Watada case is really about defining military personnel rights or is being used as a vehicle for anti-war sentiment. The writer suggests JACL members redirect their energy toward getting out the vote in the November elections instead.
• Vietnam Vet Stands With Ehren Watada, by Kow Shintani, page 2. A Vietnam-era veteran who served reluctantly recounts his own disillusionment with that war and expresses support for Ehren Watada’s stance against the Iraq war. The writer criticizes WWII veterans who have spoken out against Watada, urging them to show compassion given Watada’s thoughtful, non-combat-related decision.
• Arizona On My Mind: $1,000,000 Prize for Voting, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. This column examines various states’ voting methods and reforms, including Arizona’s controversial million-dollar voter registration incentive and Oregon’s mail-only voting system. The piece also recounts a moving convention speech by Tim Toyama about passing down Japanese American stories to the next generation.

JACL

• New APA Curriculum Guide is Slated for Release, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. JACL will release ‘The Journey from Gold Mountain: The Asian American Experience,’ a 92-page curriculum guide on APA history, for national distribution to schools especially in the South and Midwest. The guide, developed over two and a half years, includes lessons on diversity and a directory of prominent APAs, with plans for grassroots and political campaigns to get it adopted.

Community

• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. This roundup covers various APA appointments and honors, including Norman Mineta joining the Mansfield Foundation board, Robert Kwan named a bankruptcy judge, and Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel receiving a National Book Award nomination. It also notes a religious group’s plan to honor Ehren Watada and new leadership appointments at Nikkei Concerns and the Japantown Task Force.
• L.A. Bus Tour Focuses on History of Japanese Pioneers, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A two-day bus tour organized by retired Nisei ministers and JEMS will visit Imperial Valley towns where Japanese families lived and farmed before WWII, including a stop at the Imperial Valley Pioneers’ Museum. The tour aims to preserve the history of Japanese pioneers in the desert region.
• Panetta Keynotes Angel Island Foundation’s Annual Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Leon Panetta keynoted the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation’s annual dinner, speaking about the ‘paradox of democracy’ faced by immigrants who passed through Angel Island’s confining facilities. He compared Angel Island and Manzanar as symbols of both opportunity and discrimination in American history.
• Winners Swing for Justice, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Nearly 100 golfers participated in the 3rd National JACL Golf Tournament at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco, raising funds for JACL’s education, community service, anti-hate, and civil rights programs. Winners of the Mike M. Masaoka Flight were among those recognized at the event.

Sports

• A Year Older, a Year Wiser, Wie Still a Work in Progress, by Doug Ferguson, page 7. One year into her professional golf career, Michelle Wie has yet to win a tournament despite coming close in three majors and earning significant prize money in limited starts. Her struggles playing against men and a heat exhaustion withdrawal have added scrutiny to her rookie pro season as she turned 17.
• Oakland Manager Macha to MLB Tour of Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Oakland Athletics manager Ken Macha will return to Japan in November to manage a team of MLB all-stars including Bronson Arroyo, Lyle Overbay, and Mike Myers on an exhibition tour. The select team, which also includes David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Ryan Howard, will play five games against Japanese baseball players.
• Matsuzaka Gets Clearance to Pursue Major League Career, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Star pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka was given permission by the Seibu Lions to pursue a major league career after finishing the 2006 season with 17 wins and a 2.13 ERA. Seibu is expected to use the posting system, similar to how Ichiro Suzuki signed with the Seattle Mariners.

Arts & Entertainment

• Wong Fu Productions Debuts First Feature Length Film, by P.C. Staff, page 9. The creators of the viral short film ‘Yellow Fever,’ known as Wong Fu Productions, discuss their new feature-length romantic comedy ‘A Moment with You’ and the mixed reactions their earlier work received. The trio, recent UC San Diego graduates, are also launching a new production company called Sketchbook Media.

Obituaries

• In Memoriam – 2006, by P.C. Staff, page 11. This compilation lists Japanese American community members who passed away in 2006, including WWII and MIS veterans, with survivor information for each individual. Entries include Kimi Akiyoshi, Jim Kawaminami, John Yutaka Sumida, and others from communities across California and beyond.
• Dorothy Yayeko Sumida Death Notice, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Dorothy Yayeko Sumida, 86, a longtime Santa Clara resident and co-proprietor of John Sumida, Goldsmiths, passed away Aug. 25 in San Jose. She is survived by her children Karen, Janet, Lisa, and Sean, with a celebration of life held Nov. 18 at Wesley United Methodist Church.
• Miyeko Yumikura Death Notice, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Miyeko Yumikura, born in Sacramento in 1922, passed away suddenly on Sept. 24 at age 84, survived by her husband of 60 years Hank Yumikura and daughter Lynn Matsuda. A memorial service was held at the Buddhist Church of Sacramento on Oct. 2 for family and friends.

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