Remembering Sadao Munemori, and the Olympic torch protests

Vol. 146, No. 7, April 18, 2008. 16 pages. View this issue

A Glendale, Calif. overpass was the main subject of the front page. Caroline Aoyagi-Stom reported on a group hoping to name it for Medal of Honor recipient Sadao Munemori of the 100th Battalion, with memories from his niece Janet Nakakihawa and fellow veteran Stanley Izumigawa. Lynda Lin wrote about Mary Woodward’s book on her parents, the Bainbridge Island Review publishers who spoke against the World War II incarceration (often called internment). JACL National Director Floyd Mori wrote on the push for 50,000 members.

Other pages looked at the Olympic torch protests and their effect on Chinese Americans, the 39th Manzanar Pilgrimage set for April 26, and the Illinois resolution backing a Nisei veterans stamp. A Redress series profile of Dr. Mary Sakaguchi Oda, a letter on Tule Lake, and a Senate-passed Minidoka bill also ran. Lynda Lin interviewed John Cho on page 9.

What’s in this issue

National

• A Hometown Honor for Sadao Munemori?, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. A group of individuals and organizations hope to name a Glendale, Calif. overpass in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Sadao Munemori, a WWII 100th Battalion hero. Munemori’s niece Janet Nakakihawa and fellow veteran Stanley Izumigawa share memories of him as advocates push a petition for the Fairmont Overpass naming.
• Illinois Votes to Support Nisei WWII Vets Stamp, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Illinois House of Representatives adopted a resolution urging the U.S. Postal Service to issue a commemorative stamp honoring Nisei WWII veterans of the 100th/442nd and MIS. The grassroots campaign has now gained support from Illinois, California, Hawaii, and over 60 cities and counties nationwide.
• With the Calif. Supreme Court’s Decision, Marriage Equality May Become a Reality, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Same-sex couple Jill and Pauline Guillermo-Togawa await a California Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality, drawing parallels to the 1948 Perez v. Sharp ruling against anti-miscegenation laws. The article explores JACL’s historic 1994 support for same-sex marriage and the current state of APA LGBT advocacy within the organization.
• Dalai Lama Calls on China to Cease Suppression, Withdraw Troops, by Manuel Valdes, page 3. The Dalai Lama, speaking in Seattle, renewed calls for China to cease suppression in Tibet and withdraw troops, denying claims that he seeks Tibetan independence. He addressed recent protests against Chinese rule and disruptions to the Olympic torch relay, while China accused Tibetan monks of planting a bomb.
• For Many Chinese Americans, Olympic Torch Protests are Becoming Noticeably Anti-Chinese, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 3. Pro-Tibetan protests along the Olympic torch relay route, including in San Francisco, have led some Chinese Americans to feel targeted by anti-Chinese sentiment. Commentators like Phil Yu and Helen Zia argue that isolating China through boycotts could backfire, while community leaders describe mixed feelings of ethnic pride and frustration among Chinese Americans.
• APA Students at U. Penn Win Battle to Save their Asian American Studies, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. University of Pennsylvania students, faculty, and community leaders celebrated a victory after the university agreed to restore funding to its Asian American Studies program following student protests. The program had faced a proposed budget cut after already suffering a 25 percent reduction the previous year.
• APA Group Blasts CNN Commentator for Racist Remark, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. The Legal Immigrant Association is demanding an apology from CNN and commentator Jack Cafferty after he called Chinese people ‘goons and thugs’ during Olympic torch coverage. An online petition against Cafferty’s remarks collected over 23,000 signatures amid rising tensions between Chinese American groups and Tibetan activists.
• National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. This roundup covers NCAPA’s push for comprehensive immigration reform, continued controversy over a ‘Chinese Laundry’ restaurant ad, a new ACLU effort to collect racial profiling complaints in Minnesota, Preserve America designations for San Francisco and Los Angeles Japantowns, and a conviction in a vicious attack on a Chinese food deliveryman in Queens, NY.
• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 5. This roundup profiles several notable APAs including Terry Hara, LAPD’s highest-ranking APA officer; a new stamp honoring JACL life member James Michener; YouTube founder Steve Chen and skater Kristi Yamaguchi being honored at the Asian Excellence Awards; and Pulitzer winners Jose Antonio Vargas and Michael Ramirez. It also covers Patsy Bonincontri’s appointment to Bellevue City Council and James Ho’s expected appointment as Texas solicitor general.
• Anti-communist Protests Divide SoCal’s Little Saigon, by Associated Press, page 5. Hundreds of protesters have picketed the Vietnamese-language newspaper Nguoi Viet in Little Saigon for over two months after it published a photo of a foot-washing basin decorated with the South Vietnamese flag. The controversy reflects deeper generational and political rifts within the Vietnamese American community over relations with Vietnam’s communist government.
• U.S. Seeks No Bail for Man Accused in Virginia Tech-style Plot, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 5. Federal prosecutors want Calin Chi Wong, a South Florida man arrested with an arsenal of weapons, held without bail after he allegedly made online threats referencing the Virginia Tech massacre. Wong’s brother claimed the weapons were being stockpiled as an investment in case gun bans were imposed by a future Democratic president.
• Vets Stamp Campaign Gains Illinois Support, page 10. This continuation details testimony from Bill Yoshino before the Illinois House and notes support from California, Hawaii, and over 60 cities for a Nisei WWII veterans commemorative stamp. The U.S. Postal Service’s Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee has yet to approve the proposal but has formed a subcommittee to review its policy against honoring individual military units.
• JACL Applauds Passage of Minidoka Bill, page 12. The U.S. Senate passed a bill expanding the Minidoka Internment National Monument to include the Nidoto Nai Yoni memorial site on Bainbridge Island, with JACL National Director Floyd Mori praising the decision. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives and then to President Bush for approval.

In-Depth

• Remembering Her Parents’ Fight to Do What was Right, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Mary Woodward is writing a book about her parents Walt and Milly Woodward, publishers of the Bainbridge Island Review who took an editorial stance against Japanese American internment during WWII. The book, needing additional funding, tells the story of the island’s JA community and the Woodwards’ bravery in supporting them.
• A New Day, by Craig Ishii, page 3. This article in the ‘Redress, 20 Years Later’ series profiles Dr. Mary Sakaguchi Oda, who testified before the CWRIC in 1980 about her family’s suffering during Japanese American internment. Her testimony, along with others, helped lead to the 1988 Civil Liberties Act’s formal apology and reparations.
• Woodward Book Continued: Behind the Newsprint, by Lynda Lin, page 11. This continuation of the Woodward story details how Mary Woodward spent three years researching archives to write about her parents’ defense of Bainbridge Island’s Japanese American community during WWII. It includes testimonies from camp correspondents Paul Ohtaki and Tony Koura, and discusses ongoing efforts to build the Nidoto Nai Yoni memorial.

JACL

• Membership Goal: 50,000?, by Floyd Mori, page 1. JACL National Director Floyd Mori discusses the organization’s ongoing struggle to boost membership, referencing a 1959 campaign by then-president Shig Wakamatsu to reach 50,000 members. Mori argues that despite past failures, JACL must continue reaching out to build membership for the benefit of future generations.
• JACL Seeks Applicants for Ford Fellowship Position, page 6. JACL is seeking an emerging community leader for a one-year Ford Fellowship position at its Midwest office in Chicago, working on anti-hate education programs and youth leadership initiatives. Past fellows Brandon Mita and Elaine Low described the fellowship as a valuable career crossroads and opportunity to engage with APA community issues.
• ‘Nihonmachi: The Place to Be’ to be Performed at JACL National Convention, by Kathy Aoki, page 7. The Grateful Crane Ensemble will perform ‘Nihonmachi: The Place to Be,’ a musical about a Sansei manju-maker closing his family business, at the JACL national convention in Salt Lake City on July 18. The show, written by Soji Kashiwagi, explores Japantown history from the Great Depression through the Redress Movement.
• JACL Chapters Encouraged to Apply for Legacy Grants, by Reiko Callner, page 7. JACL chapters are invited to apply for Legacy Grant Funds, established in 1990, to be awarded at the 40th Biennial National JACL Convention in Salt Lake City. Nearly $23,000 is available for distribution, with each grant capped at $3,000, and applications are due June 12.
• First Ever Presidential Town Hall Meeting Will Address APA Issues, page 7. APIAVote is organizing the first National Presidential Town Hall Meeting focused on APA issues, to be held May 17 at UC Irvine, expecting over 2,000 community leaders and voters. The event will mark the first time presidential candidates from both parties address the APA community on a national level.

Sports

• Darvish Mania, page 1. Half Japanese, half Iranian 21-year-old pitcher Yu Darvish is creating a buzz in both Japan and the U.S. as a phenom pitcher. The brief teaser points to a fuller story on page 10.
• Japan’s Ace: Yu Darvish Makes His Mark On and Off the Field, by Associated Press, page 10. Yu Darvish, the 21-year-old son of an Iranian father and Japanese mother, has become one of Japan’s top pitchers for the Nippon Ham Fighters, drawing comparisons to Daisuke Matsuzaka’s MLB posting. Darvish remains focused on Japan and the Beijing Olympics while also running a charity providing drinking water to developing countries.

Commentary

• 66 Years After E.O. 9066, Where Do We Stand?, by Takasumi Kojima, page 2. A letter writer reflects on growing up in the Tule Lake concentration camp and stresses the importance of preserving the true history of E.O. 9066 as Nisei survivors pass away. He calls on the next generation of Nikkei leaders to define new civil rights values based on accurate understanding of the internment experience.
• The Trans-Pacific Endos, by David K. Yamaguchi, page 2. A letter writer shares research about the Endo family of Miho, Japan, whose historical records helped scientists date a 1700 tsunami that struck the Pacific Northwest. He notes the family’s descendants who emigrated to the U.S., including Salt Lake City, connecting to an earlier P.C. article on three generations of Endos.
• Appreciating P.C.’s Coverage of Inland Northwest, page 2. A letter writer from the Inland Northwest thanks the Pacific Citizen for covering the beating of Korean American student Kyle Descher in Pullman, WA. The writer describes a pattern of racist incidents in the region and expresses gratitude for outside media attention given the area’s history of anti-Asian violence.
• A News Source for the Future, by Gil Asakawa, page 2. P.C. Editorial Board Chair Gil Asakawa describes the challenges of running the Pacific Citizen with a skeletal staff of three full-time and one part-time employee, with no dedicated reporter since one left years ago. He explains the push to add an online reporter position to the 2010 budget to help manage the growing pacificcitizen.org website.
• Where Past National JACL Conventions Have Been, by Harry Honda, page 8. Harry Honda recounts the history of national JACL conventions dating back to 1948, including debates over travel expense equalization, the tragic murder of a Jr. JACL member at the 1970 Chicago convention, and landmark moments like the 1988 Redress bill signing. He suggests chapters consider amending proxy rules given the financial burden of biennial conventions.
• Connecting the Generations of JACL, by Peter Shigeki Frandsen, page 8. A Gen NeXt JACL member argues that the organization needs a clear diagnosis of why its membership is declining despite record youth political engagement nationally. He proposes creating a JACL social networking platform to connect younger members with mentors and professional networks across generations.

Community

• JANM’s Annual Dinner, ‘Fulfilling the Promise of America’ Set for April 19, page 6. The Japanese American National Museum’s Annual Gala Dinner will honor Sen. Daniel Inouye, Norman Mineta, Dale Minami, John Tateishi, and other key figures in the Redress movement, marking the 20th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. George Takei and Professor Mitch Maki will co-emcee the event featuring historic footage of President Reagan signing the act.
• 39th Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage Set for April 26, page 6. The Manzanar Committee’s 39th annual pilgrimage, themed ‘Continuing The Legacy,’ will be held April 26 at the Manzanar National Historic Site, featuring speakers Dr. Arthur Hansen, Bruce Kaji, and Mickie Okamoto. The event marks the 20th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act and includes the Manzanar At Dusk program with a screening of a documentary about camp musicians.

Arts & Entertainment

• Going to ‘Gitmo’ With John Cho, by Lynda Lin, page 9. John Cho discusses his rising star status and the burden of representing Asian Americans in Hollywood ahead of the release of ‘Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.’ He reflects on his career path from bit parts to leading roles and his approach to balancing comedy with concerns about racial stereotypes.

Obituaries

• Hank Nakada, 442nd Bronze Star Hero, Dies at 85, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 15. Henry ‘Hank’ Nakada, a WWII 442nd Regimental Combat Team veteran who received a Bronze Star, died in Alaska at age 85 from pneumonia. He served as a scout in Italy and France and later became a commercial fisherman in Homer, Alaska; a movie about his and other veterans’ experiences is currently in production.
• Kenji ‘Kair’ Fujii, page 15. Kenji Fujii, an innovative carnation grower from Hayward, California who lived to age 89, helped build the family flower business after WWII internment in Topaz, Utah and later became president of the American Carnation Society. He was deeply involved in founding the Eden Township JACL chapter and the Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church, and cared for his wife Allyce until her death from cancer in 1986.
• Virginia Fumiko Tomita, page 15. Virginia Fumiko Tomita, who died in Oakland one day after her 90th birthday, was raised in Seattle and endured WWII incarceration at Minidoka before settling in Chicago with her husband. She was an active JACL member and world traveler who later moved to Oakland after being widowed.

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