Vol. 141, No. 3, August 5, 2005. 12 pages. View this issue
A six-year-old cello and piano prodigy, Marc Yu, led the front page of this 12-page issue, with a profile by Lynda Lin of a child who plays Bach and Mozart and was set to appear on ‘The Jay Leno Show.’ Also on page 1, JACL Executive Director John Tateishi remembered Clifford Uyeda, who became JACL national president to champion redress, and Caroline Aoyagi wrote about Nutritionist Steven Kwon’s soybean work in Afghanistan and the youth discussion at the Midwest and Eastern Bi-District Conference.
Elsewhere, Aoyagi reported on Judge Sandra Otaka’s talk about political participation, and S. Floyd Mori was named JACL’s director of public policy in Washington, D.C. JACL wrote to a U.S. Attorney about the Lodi terrorism investigation. Amy E. Ikeda looked at the growth of taiko, and sports pages covered Devin Setoguchi’s first-round NHL pick and the Women’s British Open. Film reviews and obituaries fill pages 9 and 11.
What’s in this issue
Arts & Entertainment
- Musical Prodigy Hits All the Right Notes, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Six-year-old cello and piano prodigy Marc Yu captivates audiences with performances of Bach, Mozart, and Vivaldi, and is scheduled to appear on ‘The Jay Leno Show.’ His single mother Chloe sacrifices time and money to support his intense practice schedule and education while trying to keep him grounded as a normal child.
- Bad, Bad Black Sheep, by Lynda Lin, page 9. The film ‘Ethan Mao’ tells the story of a gay Asian American teenager who becomes a street hustler after being rejected by his family, later taking them hostage in a chaotic climax. The review criticizes the film’s underdeveloped characters despite director Quentin Lee’s stylish visual approach.
- Love and Loss in ‘2046’, by Lynda Lin, page 9. Wong Kar Wai’s follow-up to ‘In the Mood for Love’ follows columnist Chow Mo Wan through a series of romantic entanglements shadowed by his lingering heartbreak from his past love. The film spans multiple countries, languages, and time periods, exploring themes of memory and lost love with visual sophistication.
Commentary
- Afghanistan’s Soybean Solution, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. Nutritionist Steven Kwon uses his own money and vacation time to bring soybean production to Afghanistan through his nonprofit NEI to combat malnutrition among women and children. Despite tensions between the U.S. and the Muslim world, Kwon has found Afghans receptive to his efforts and is working to expand soybean farming across multiple provinces.
- Clifford Uyeda — The Unsung Hero of Redress, by John Tateishi, page 1. JACL Executive Director John Tateishi recounts the legacy of Clifford Uyeda, a fearless and principled leader who became JACL national president to champion the redress movement. Tateishi describes their partnership in taking the redress campaign to the media and Congress, culminating in President Carter signing the commission bill.
- JACL Membership: Remember the Weeds, by Edwin Endow, page 2. National VP of Membership Edwin Endow uses a metaphor of weeds overtaking an untended garden to illustrate the ongoing need for vigilance against injustice, prejudice, and ignorance. He urges JACL members to recruit new members, especially younger family members, to sustain the organization’s mission.
- HR 2616, by Larry Schectman, page 2. A letter to the editor clarifies that Rep. Wu’s legislation supporting AAPI students is HR 2616, currently before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. The writer encourages readers to contact their Congressmen referencing the bill number in support of the legislation.
- Going to a Vietnamese Café, and then Some, by Yumi Sakugawa, page 8. The columnist reflects on attending a Vietnamese open mic night in Westminster, California, as an outsider, and finds inspiration in witnessing another Asian community’s deep connection to their culture and history. She muses on the importance of stepping outside one’s own ethnic community to build understanding and unity with others.
- The ‘Harajuku Girls’ Craze, by Amy E. Ikeda, page 8. The writer criticizes singer Gwen Stefani for objectifying Japanese culture through her use of silent ‘Harajuku Girls’ as props, arguing this perpetuates harmful stereotypes of Asian women as submissive and exotic. She contends Stefani’s superficial engagement with Japanese fashion distorts and exploits the culture for commercial gain.
JACL
- A Delicate Balance, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. As JACL’s Nisei membership declines, youth leaders at the Midwest and Eastern Bi-District Conference discussed the need for younger members to gain a stronger voice in the organization. Speakers emphasized generational power dynamics and the need for youth to actively claim leadership roles within JACL.
- Creating a Pathway to Political Participation, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 3. Judge Sandra Otaka, the first Asian American elected to the Cook County Circuit Court, shared her journey from waitress to judge and urged the Asian American community to become more politically active at the JACL Bi-District Conference. She described how her community organizing efforts helped elect the first Asian American judge in Illinois and eventually led to her own historic judgeship.
- JACL Announces Selection of S. Floyd Mori As Washington Rep., by P.C. Staff, page 4. Former JACL national president S. Floyd Mori has been named JACL’s director of public policy in Washington, D.C., bringing decades of political experience including service on the Pleasanton City Council and California Assembly. He officially began his new duties in August after relocating to D.C. with his wife Irene.
- ACLU’s Ramona Ripston to Speak at Tri-District Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Ramona Ripston, longtime executive director of the ACLU of Southern California, will be the opening speaker at JACL’s biennial Tri-District Conference in September. The conference theme, ‘Effecting Change,’ aligns with Ripston’s decades of civil liberties advocacy work.
National
- APA Community Denounces Hiring of ‘Tsunami Song’ Creator to SF Radio Station, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Radio producer Rick Delgado, fired from previous jobs for racially insensitive stunts including a tsunami parody song with anti-Asian slurs, has been hired by WILD 94.9 in San Francisco, sparking outrage from APA groups. JACL and the Asian Law Caucus have protested the hire and demanded accountability from the station’s management.
- JACL Urges Caution in Lodi Terrorist Investigations, by P.C. Staff, page 8. JACL sent a letter to U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott expressing concern that the FBI’s terrorism investigation in Lodi, California resembles a ‘witch hunt’ reminiscent of the wartime treatment of Japanese Americans. Executive Director John Tateishi emphasized the need to protect due process and constitutional rights for the Arab and Muslim communities under scrutiny.
Community
- NCI Program Helps JA Youth Get Involved in the Community, by Yumi Sakugawa, page 3. The Nikkei Community Internship program pairs college students with nonprofit organizations in Little Tokyo and San Francisco’s Japantown to encourage youth involvement in the Japanese American community. Now in its fourth year, the program aims to develop future community leadership and has produced alumni who continue engaging in JA organizations.
In-Depth
- Taiko Continues Phenomenal Growth in North America, by Amy E. Ikeda, page 4. Taiko drumming has grown from a niche Japanese American cultural practice to a mainstream phenomenon with over 200 performing groups across North America and Hawaii, attracting people of diverse backgrounds. While some in the JA taiko community worry about the art form’s commercialization and stereotyping, others embrace its inclusive growth.
Sports
- Sharks Surprise Setoguchi with First-Round Pick, by Greg Beacham, AP Sports Writer, page 7. The San Jose Sharks traded up in the NHL draft to select forward Devin Setoguchi, whose paternal grandparents immigrated from Japan to Canada, with the eighth overall pick. Setoguchi, who grew up on a farm in Alberta, will likely play another season in juniors before turning pro.
- Jang Holds Off Gustafson, Sorenstam to Win Women’s British Open, by P.C. Staff and the Associated Press, page 7. South Korea’s Jeong Jang won her first major title at the Women’s British Open, finishing four strokes ahead of runner-up Sophie Gustafson at Royal Birkdale. The win dashed Annika Sorenstam’s hopes for a Grand Slam season, while 15-year-old amateur Michelle Wie tied for third in her final tournament before returning to high school.
- Penn ‘The Prodigy’ Defeats 2 Gracies, by P.C. Staff and the Associated Press, page 7. B.J. ‘The Prodigy’ Penn defeated Renzo Gracie by unanimous decision at the K-1 World Grand Prix in Hawaii, having beaten Gracie’s cousin Rodrigo nine months earlier. Penn, a former student of the legendary Gracie family, showed versatility fighting both standing and on the ground.
Obituaries
- ‘Picture Bride’ Director Dies in Drowning Accident, by Associated Press, page 11. Independent filmmaker Kayo Hatta, director of the Sundance award-winning ‘Picture Bride,’ died in a drowning accident at age 47 in the Encinitas, California area. She had recently completed a new film, ‘Fishbowl,’ based on the writings of Hawaiian author Lois-Ann Yamanaka, scheduled to air on PBS.
- Loved Ones Remember London Bombing Victim, by P.C. Staff & Associated Press, page 11. Friends and family across the globe continue to celebrate the life of Mike Matsushita, a 37-year-old American tour guide killed in the July 7 London terror bombings. His family established the Indochina Children’s Fund in his name to benefit children’s charities in Vietnam and Cambodia that he cared about during his travels.
- Respected Landscape Architect Dies after Heart Attack, by Associated Press, page 11. Robert K. Murase, a nationally renowned landscape architect who designed gardens and courtyards including the Japanese American National Museum courtyard, died at age 66 from heart attack complications. A third-generation Japanese American interned at Topaz during WWII, Murase was mentored by sculptor Isamu Noguchi and became known for his signature use of stone.
- Eleanor Gerard Sekerak, page 11. Eleanor Gerard Sekerak, who taught for the War Relocation Authority at Topaz, Utah during World War II, died July 4 at age 88. She later spent three decades as a Social Studies teacher-counselor at Hayward High School and was active in numerous historical and community organizations.
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