Vol. 145, No. 2, July 20, 2007. 12 pages. View this issue
A health care battle and a push on hate crimes shared the front page. Lynda Lin told the story of Maria Teresa Watanabe, whose HMO denied requests to see a neurologist until a trip to Tokyo revealed a brain tumor, and followed up with the insurer’s response on page 6. Satendar Singh, a 26-year-old Fijian immigrant, died after an attack near Sacramento, and his death spurred calls to extend federal hate crimes protections to the LGBT community. On page 4, an Army judge ruled that 1st Lt. Ehren Watada could be tried again for refusing to go to Iraq.
Also inside: Caroline Aoyagi-Stom reported on hearing dates for a feedlot proposed near the Minidoka Internment National Monument, and on a Pittsburgh high school’s Facebook controversy. Floyd Mori wrote about civil rights, and Mari Oye wrote to the President about torture. Stockton’s Little Manila, Tadd Fujikawa turning pro, and Ichiro’s contract extension also appeared.
What’s in this issue
In-Depth
- A Waking Nightmare: Maria Watanabe Wages War Against Her HMO, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Maria Teresa Watanabe suffered years of undiagnosed symptoms after her HMO repeatedly denied requests to see a neurologist, until a trip to Tokyo revealed she had a brain tumor. She has since sued Blue Shield of California, and her case was featured in Michael Moore’s documentary ‘Sicko.’
Community
- Remember Little Manila? Preservation Group Fights to Save Stockton’s Filipino American History, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Stockton’s Little Manila, once the largest Filipino American community in the nation, is down to three dilapidated buildings threatened by development. The Little Manila Foundation is raising $4 million to buy and restore the Hotel Mariposa as a museum and cultural center.
National
- Feedlot Near Minidoka: Hearing Dates Set as Former Internees Must Travel to Testify, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. Jerome County Commissioners set Aug. 14-15 hearing dates for a controversial 13,188-heifer feedlot proposed near the Minidoka Internment National Monument. Elderly former internees will need to physically attend the hearings in Idaho to voice concerns, as written testimony is limited to residents within a one-mile radius.
- Pittsburgh H.S. Students Create ‘Anti-Asians Anonymous’ Facebook Group, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. Students at Fox Chapel Area High School in Pittsburgh created a Facebook group called ‘Anti-Asians Anonymous’ featuring racist content, prompting protests from Asian American groups until it was shut down. The controversy highlighted the difficulty schools face disciplining students for online activity conducted outside of school.
- A Man’s Death Galvanizes Community Leaders to Push for Expansion of Federal Hate Crimes Law, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. Satendar Singh, a 26-year-old Fijian immigrant, died after being attacked by a group using racist and homophobic slurs while picnicking near Sacramento. His death has spurred support for federal hate crime legislation extending protections to the LGBT community.
- U.S. Health Food Company to Add ‘China-Free’ Label, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. Utah-based Food for Health International plans to add ‘China-Free’ labels to its nutritional supplements in response to news about contaminated Chinese products. Asian American commentators warn the move could fuel a resurgence of anti-Chinese and anti-Asian sentiment reminiscent of the Vincent Chin case.
- Japanese Protest U.S. Resolution Over WWII Sex Slaves, by Associated Press, page 3. A group of Japanese lawmakers and conservatives demanded the U.S. Congress retract a resolution calling on Japan to apologize for using ‘comfort women’ during WWII, claiming the resolution is based on inaccurate history. Historians say hundreds of thousands of women were forced into Japanese military brothels during the war.
- Judge: Army Can Try Watada Again for Refusing to Go to Iraq, by Associated Press, page 4. An Army judge ruled that retrying 1st Lt. Ehren Watada for refusing deployment to Iraq would not violate double jeopardy protections, after his first trial ended in mistrial. Watada’s lawyers immediately filed an appeal of the ruling to the Army Court of Criminal Appeals.
- Fox Chapel Facebook Controversy: Students Respond to Anti-Asian Group Backlash, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 6. Following backlash over the ‘Anti-Asians Anonymous’ Facebook group, creator Billy Hagberg and administrator Winston McCarty apologized while Hagberg also criticized the methods used against him. Fox Chapel Area High School’s superintendent expressed disappointment while activist groups like Fallout Central say continued vigilance is needed against similar hate groups online.
- Maria Watanabe’s HMO Battle Continues Amid Broader Health Care Debate, by Lynda Lin, page 6. Blue Shield spokesperson David Seldin explained that medical decisions are made by independent practice associations, not the insurer directly, and that Maria Watanabe could have appealed denied care. A 2006 jury found Blue Shield breached its contract, awarding limited damages, as advocates call for broader health care system reform.
Commentary
- The Never-ending Fight for Civil Rights, by Floyd Mori, page 2. JACL National Director Floyd Mori discusses broadening the definition of civil rights to include healthcare access, due process protections eroded by the Patriot Act, and ongoing advocacy for Japanese Latin American redress and immigration reform. He highlights JACL’s work on legislation to expand Minidoka National Monument and preserve internment camp history.
- Letters to the Editor, page 2. A letter compares Ehren Watada’s stance against deployment to Iraq with the WWII draft resisters, noting that unlike the resisters who faced no initial public support, Watada’s case has drawn more immediate backing. The writer urges readers to support Watada’s cause through activism websites.
- Refusing to Let History Repeat, by Associated Press, page 5. Film student Kevin Walker is traveling the West Coast interviewing Japanese American internment survivors for a documentary, driven by concern that history could repeat itself with other targeted groups. His interviews reveal both fond memories and painful details of camp life at places like Tule Lake and Minidoka.
- Mr. President, Please End Torture, by Mari Oye, page 5. Presidential Scholar Mari Oye recounts presenting President Bush with a letter urging an end to torture and illegal detentions, citing her family’s WWII internment history as motivation for her activism. She reflects on the administration’s use of signing statements to limit anti-torture legislation and the contradiction between Bush’s words and policies.
- My Summer Reading: ‘MIS Nisei Linguists’ (Part One), by Harry Honda, page 8. Harry Honda reviews James C. McNaughton’s book on Nisei linguists in the Military Intelligence Service during WWII, detailing the Army’s initial mistrust of Japanese Americans and the founding of the intelligence school at the Presidio of San Francisco. The column covers early MIS deployments to Alaska and the brutal battles at Attu and Kiska.
- Hygiene Horrors in Germany, by Cheryl Watamura Martinez, page 8. Cheryl Watamura Martinez humorously contrasts Germany’s advanced bathroom technology with its surprisingly lax food handling practices, such as unrefrigerated eggs and bakery workers handling food with bare hands. She wonders whether her Japanese American upbringing has made her overly sensitive to hygiene standards.
JACL
- APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. This roundup covers JACL’s first Norman Y. Mineta Fellow Meilee Wong, scholarship winners from several JACL chapters including San Fernando Valley, Watsonville-Santa Cruz, and San Gabriel Valley, and honors including a National Heritage Fellowship for haiku poet Violet de Cristoforo. It also notes the LEAP 25th Anniversary Awards Dinner honorees including Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas.
Sports
- Hawaii Teen Tadd Fujikawa Decides to Turn Pro, by Associated Press, page 7. 16-year-old golfer Tadd Fujikawa, who became the youngest player in over 50 years to make a PGA Tour cut, announced he is turning professional ahead of the Reno-Tahoe Open. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow Hawaiian golfer Michelle Wie while forging his own path in professional golf.
- Yankees’ Chinese Players are Meant to be Start of Something Bigger, by Associated Press, page 7. Pitcher Liu Kai and catcher Zhang Zhenwang became the first mainland Chinese players signed by a U.S. Major League Baseball club, joining the Yankees organization. Major League Baseball hopes their signing will help grow baseball’s popularity in China, a country where the sport currently trails soccer and basketball.
- Ichiro Signs Five-Year Extension, by Associated Press, page 7. Seattle Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki signed a $90 million, five-year contract extension days after being named unanimous MVP of the All-Star Game. The deal ensures the seven-time All-Star will remain with Seattle through age 39, with hopes he will retire as a Mariner.
Arts & Entertainment
- Eight is Great! The Gosselins and Their Reality TV Family, by Lynda Lin, page 9. Kate and Jon Gosselin, parents of twins plus sextuplets conceived through fertility treatment, share their chaotic daily life on the Discovery Health Channel show ‘Jon and Kate Plus 8.’ The couple discusses how cameras have affected their marriage and parenting, and how they handle public criticism of their family.
Obituaries
- Nishiyama, Broadcaster for Apollo 11 Moon Landing, Passes Away, page 11. A longtime JACL member born in Salt Lake City in 1911, Nishiyama passed away July 2 at his home after a career that included work as an advisor to Allied forces’ headquarters and the U.S. embassy in Japan, and later as an executive at Sony Corp. He was famous for his broadcast translation of Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 moon landing phrase.
- James Michio Watanabe, Retired Pathologist and Longtime JACL Leader, page 11. James Michio Watanabe, born Feb. 7, 1924, was prevented from graduating high school due to internment and later served in the U.S. Army from Minidoka Relocation Camp. He went on to a 29-year career as a pathologist at Sacred Heart Medical Center and held numerous leadership positions in the Spokane JACL chapter, including chapter president and Pacific Northwest District governor.
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