Honouliuli pilgrimage and the Redress campaign, 2008

Vol. 146, No. 5, March 21, 2008. 16 pages. View this issue

Hawaii’s World War II incarceration (often called internment) led the news in March 2008. Lynda Lin reported on the first pilgrimage to Honouliuli, where Karen Murashige walked in the footsteps of her father, Shozo Takahashi, who was held there in 1943. A page 12 feature looked at efforts to preserve the camp site. Craig Ishii traced the 1978 JACL convention and Floyd Shimomura’s part in launching the Redress campaign. Colorado also honored former Gov. Ralph Carr, who opposed the detention of Japanese Americans.

Elsewhere, Floyd Mori made the case for annual JACL conventions, and Leo H. Hosoda wrote that the 100th/442nd made Redress possible. The issue also covered the Little Tokyo rally planned for April 5, the Poston irrigation canals, honorary degrees for Nisei students, and the JACL national convention in Salt Lake City. Sports, a fortune cookie documentary and Harry Honda’s column fill the later pages.

What’s in this issue

In-Depth

• Hawaii’s Forgotten Internment Camps Remembered at First Honouliuli Pilgrimage, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Shozo Takahashi was one of about 1,400 Japanese Americans in Hawaii interned during WWII at camps like Honouliuli, a lesser-known chapter of internment history. His daughter Karen Murashige attended the first-ever pilgrimage to Honouliuli in March 2008 to honor his experience and that of other survivors.
• Honouliuli: Hawaii’s Forgotten Internment Camp Comes to Light, page 12. Historians and community members are working to preserve the history and physical site of Honouliuli, Hawaii’s largest WWII internment camp, which held up to 320 detainees at its peak. Recent archaeological excavations uncovered building remnants, and advocates are pushing for the site to be added to the National Register of Historic Places.

National

• Governor Who Opposed Detention of JAs During World War II Honored, by Associated Press, page 1. Colorado’s Legislature approved a resolution naming U.S. 285 the ‘Ralph Carr Memorial Highway’ in honor of former Gov. Ralph Carr, who opposed Japanese American internment during WWII. Carr’s unpopular 1942 stance against internment cost him his political career, and he died in 1950 without official recognition for his beliefs.
• After Criticism Waned, a Controversial Philadelphia Steak Shop Expands, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Four years after APA groups campaigned to change the racist name of ‘Chink’s Steaks’ in Philadelphia, the shop is expanding to a new, more prominent location near the Phillies’ stadium. APA groups are considering a new campaign against the business owner, Joseph Groh, who never responded to the original name-change efforts.
• A Full-on CRAASH at Hunter College, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. Student group CRAASH (Coalition for the Revitalization of Asian American Studies at Hunter) formed in 2007 to fight for funding and permanent department status for Hunter College’s Asian American Studies Program. The group has gathered petition signatures and pushed for institutional support after learning the minor had been frozen due to alleged lack of interest and funding.
• Maryland Lawmakers Snarled in English-only Debate, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. Maryland lawmakers introduced SB 506 to create a task force encouraging ‘heritage language’ skills, while opponents led by Delegate Pat McDonough push for an English-only ballot initiative. Similar English-only measures have passed in Tennessee and Wisconsin, drawing criticism from APA leaders including JACL’s Floyd Mori who calls such laws tools of discrimination.
• APA Bloggers Slam Rhode Island Fusion Restaurant’s Ad as ‘Fetishization’, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. A Providence restaurant ad featuring a nearly nude female torso with Chinese characters drew harsh criticism from APA bloggers for objectifying women and relying on exotic Asian stereotypes. Owner John Elkhay agreed to pull the ad, though activists like Jenn Fang continue pushing for a formal apology and accountability.
• Two More Universities to Give Honorary Diplomas to Former JA Students Forced into WWII Camps, page 4. The University of Washington and University of Oregon will award honorary degrees to Nisei students forced to leave school during WWII internment. UW will honor students on May 18, while UO will honor 19 former students at an April 6 ceremony, including one posthumous award.
• San Jose Vietnamese American Activists Win Tentative Battle to Name Their Own District, page 4. After months of protests including a hunger strike by Ly Tong, San Jose city leaders agreed to allow a ‘Welcome to Little Saigon’ sign instead of the city’s preferred ‘Saigon Business District’ name. The controversy had sparked weekly rallies and criticism of council member Madison Nguyen for allegedly turning her back on the Vietnamese American community.
• National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. This roundup covers a historical marker honoring the Mayumi family near former ‘Jap Road’ in Texas, the renovation of a Nisei veterans memorial hall in Seattle, and a University of Hawaii policy update to allow gay couples in family housing. It also reports on a labor investigation into a Mississippi shipyard’s treatment of Indian workers, an affirmative action ballot measure in Colorado, and a study finding higher mortality rates among Asian and Black injury patients.
• In the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 5. This roundup covers Kiyo Matsumoto’s nomination as federal district court judge, Isamu Lopez’s finalist status for the Above and Beyond Citizen Honors award, and Chicago writer Dwight Okita’s finalist position in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel contest. It also notes Shivani Sud’s $100,000 Intel science scholarship and Rick Shiomi’s Sally Ordway Irvine arts award.
• Media Action Group Blasts Former SNL Comedian, Radio Host for Use of Racial Slur, page 6. MANAA criticized comedian Norm MacDonald for using the slur ‘gooks’ on ‘The Adam Carolla Show,’ prompting an on-air apology from host Adam Carolla a week later. This marks the second time Carolla has faced criticism from the APA community for racial insensitivity, following a 2006 skit mocking the Asian Excellence Awards.
• Lush Farms Traced Back to WWII Internment Camps, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 7. Japanese Americans interned at Arizona’s Poston Relocation Center during WWII built irrigation canals and transformed barren desert into farmland still used today. Former internees like Leon Uyeda find some comfort in knowing their labor left a lasting positive legacy in the Parker Valley.

JACL

• A Miraculous Moral Campaign, by Craig Ishii, page 1. At the 1978 JACL Convention, the organization directed a legislative campaign seeking an apology and $25,000 in reparations for interned Japanese Americans. Floyd Shimomura, a recent law school graduate, was elected vice president of public affairs at that pivotal convention and later became JACL’s youngest national president.
• Youth Activities and Programs Planned for JACL National Convention, page 7. JACL’s 40th Biennial National Convention in Salt Lake City will feature numerous youth activities including workshops, an Olympic Park visit, and an Alpine Slide excursion. The convention, themed ‘Legacy of Leadership,’ runs July 16-20 and includes networking events like a job fair and youth luncheon.
• A Miraculous Moral Campaign (continued), by Craig Ishii, page 11. Floyd Shimomura recounts his pivotal role in launching JACL’s Redress campaign after being inspired by Michi Weglyn’s book ‘Years of Infamy.’ As the youngest national JACL president ever elected post-WWII, he helped craft the legal and legislative strategy for monetary reparations to Japanese Americans.

Commentary

• Strategies to Help JACL’s Declining Membership, by New York JACL, page 2. A letter writer responds to a previous Pacific Citizen article about JACL’s declining membership, calling for the new vice president of membership to engage directly with all 113 chapters. The writer suggests taking attendance at conventions, communicating with chapter membership chairs, and securing more membership benefits like medical insurance.
• Re: Purdue’s AA Studies Program, by Purdue Graduate Student, P.C. Midwest Ed. Bd. Member, page 2. A Purdue graduate student thanks the Pacific Citizen for its feature article on Purdue’s new Asian American Studies program. The writer notes receiving positive feedback from colleagues and faculty who saw the well-written piece.
• The 442nd/100th Made Redress Possible, by Leo H. Hosoda, page 2. A WWII and Korean War veteran writes to remind readers that Redress was made possible by the sacrifices of the 100th/442nd RCT soldiers, who volunteered from concentration camps despite having their civil rights stripped. He argues these veterans, now in their 80s and 90s, deserve special recognition that has often been overlooked in favor of honoring the ‘No-No Boys.’
• Vietnam Was an Illegal War, by Eji Suyama, page 2. A reader responds to Milo Yoshino’s essay on the legality of the Iraq War, arguing that the Vietnam War was similarly illegal and based on government misinformation, including the Gulf of Tonkin incident. The writer expresses support for Lt. Ehren Watada, comparing his isolated moral stance to that of Japanese American soldiers in the 442nd/100th during internment.
• Making a Case for Annual Conventions, by Floyd Mori, page 2. JACL National Director Floyd Mori argues for switching JACL’s biennial convention to an annual event, citing benefits for corporate funding, continuity, and youth engagement. The proposal has been debated for six years and was defeated twice before, but will be presented again at the 2008 Salt Lake City convention.
• Are We at Another Crossroad: A Different Name, by Harry Honda, page 8. Longtime columnist Harry Honda reflects on JACL’s 80-year history and questions whether the organization still needs its current identity and name as it approaches its anniversary. He recounts various JACL chapters’ civil rights victories and challenges over the decades, from fighting discriminatory road names to confronting media racism.

Community

• Love of Skiing Brings Together the Young and Old, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 5. The Nisei Ski Club, founded in 1968 out of San Francisco JACL activities, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with about 200 members ranging widely in age. Longtime members recall the club’s history of camaraderie, matchmaking, and its ongoing efforts to attract younger skiers to keep the tradition alive.
• APA Women Victims of South Seattle ‘Groping’ Attacks, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 6. Seattle police are searching for a suspect responsible for over 22 groping attacks on Asian Pacific American women near bus stops over the past three years. Officials fear the attacker is becoming more violent after recent incidents involving attempted abductions of women and teenage girls.
• UCLA Establishes Endowment to Study APA Domestic Violence, page 6. UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center received a $100,000 gift to create the Martha Ogata Endowment Fund, supporting research on domestic violence in Asian Pacific American communities. The fund was established by Ogata’s sons, Drs. Fil and Tobin Barrozo, in honor of their mother’s life and volunteer work.
• JA Vets, Tuskegee Airman Share History, page 6. Japanese American veterans and a former Tuskegee Airman gathered in Morgan Hill, California for a historic meeting between members of segregated WWII Army units. At the event, 442nd RCT veteran Lawson Sakai presented Tuskegee Capt. Leon ‘Woodie’ Spears with a donation to his youth mentoring organization.
• ‘J Town VOICED!’, a Little Tokyo Community Rally, to Take Place April 5, page 6. J Town Voice is organizing a rally to push for meaningful dialogue with new owners of the Kyoto Grand Hotel and Japanese Village Plaza in Little Tokyo. The group’s petition to preserve Little Tokyo has gathered over 5,500 signatures and will be delivered to the developers following the rally.
• JAKWV Announces Possible Last Return Trip to Korea, page 8. The Japanese American Korean War Veterans organization is planning a September trip back to Korea, potentially the last organized group trip as veterans age. The six-day tour includes visits to the DMZ, Freedom Bridge, and the JAKWV War Memorial honoring 251 Japanese Americans killed in the Korean War.

Arts & Entertainment

• East West Players’ to Honor Carrie Ann Inaba, Velina Hasu Houston, page 8. East West Players will honor ‘Dancing with the Stars’ judge Carrie Ann Inaba and playwright Velina Hasu Houston at its 42nd anniversary Visionary Awards Dinner. The Three Filipino Tenors will serve as masters of ceremony for the April 28 event.
• Fortune Cookie Chinese? Probably Not, by Lynda Lin, page 9. Filmmaker Derek Shimoda’s documentary ‘The Killing of a Chinese Cookie’ investigates the contested origins of the fortune cookie, tracing claims to Japanese American families in Los Angeles and San Francisco rather than China. The film features interviews with various families and historians debating the cookie’s true Japanese American origins.

Sports

• Matsuzaka to Start in Japan Against Oakland A’s, page 10. Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka will travel to Japan for the season opener after his wife gave birth to their second child just in time. Matsuzaka is set to start against Oakland on March 25 in Tokyo, marking MLB’s third season opener held in Japan.
• If Hideo Nomo Makes a Comeback, It Will Be as a Reliever, page 10. The Kansas City Royals informed 39-year-old Hideo Nomo that his comeback attempt will be as a reliever rather than a starter after a rough spring outing. Nomo, the winningest Japanese pitcher in MLB history, had not pitched in the majors since 2005 due to elbow surgery.
• Baseball Wraps Up First China Trip, page 10. Major League Baseball completed its first exhibition trip to China, with the Dodgers and Padres playing two games in Beijing. Dodgers chairman Frank McCourt expressed interest in returning to China for future games, calling the trip just the beginning of MLB’s expansion efforts there.

Obituaries

• Medal of Honor Recipient Shizuya Hayashi Dies at 90, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 15. Shizuya Hayashi, a WWII 100th Battalion veteran who received the Medal of Honor for valor in Italy, passed away March 12 at age 90. His award was upgraded from the Distinguished Service Cross in 2000 when President Clinton recognized 22 Asian Pacific American WWII veterans with the nation’s highest military honor.
• Masayoshi ‘Mas’ Harada, page 15. Masayoshi ‘Mas’ Harada, co-founder of Qualitone Hearing Aids and holder of numerous hearing aid technology patents, passed away March 2 in Woodstock, Illinois at age 92. He was a UC Berkeley graduate who later became involved in private investment activities after selling his company to Seeburg Industries.
• Edward M. Kanemori, page 15. Edward Kanemori, a WWII MIS veteran and Korean War Air Force veteran, passed away March 13 at age 84 after a short illness. He worked for United Airlines for 31 years before retiring in 1988 and settled in Santa Clara with his wife Amy for 49 years.

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