Vol. 141, No. 5, September 2, 2005. 12 pages. View this issue
Four American Muslims, Mashood Khawar, Nazeef Ebrahim, Nure Elatari and Aladdin Elaasar, wrote about how the Sept. 11 attacks changed their lives, and about being left out of remembrance events. In a commentary, JACL Executive Director John Tateishi recounted the strategy behind the redress campaign. Lynda Lin profiled journalist David Neiwert, whose book on the World War II incarceration (often called internment) draws parallels to the treatment of Muslim and Arab Americans after Sept. 11. Amy E. Ikeda reported on Eddy Zheng, who married days before his deportation hearing.
Elsewhere in these 12 pages: a reconstructed guard tower to be dedicated at Manzanar, a new interpretive walk at Heart Mountain, and honorary diplomas for 58 former internees in Los Angeles. A Pacific Northwest baby boomer reunion in Portland, a Margaret Cho interview and Little League and badminton wins round out the issue.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- Redress: The Strategy, by John Tateishi, page 1. JACL Executive Director John Tateishi recounts the strategy behind the Japanese American redress campaign, describing how it focused on constitutional principles rather than victimhood and mobilized JACL chapters nationwide to build grassroots political support. He credits Nisei storytellers and staffer Bill Yoshino’s idea of seeking city council resolutions as key tactics that built momentum toward the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians Act.
- Calling All JA Korean War Vets, by Susan Uyemura (Shoho), page 2. A letter writer and Sansei daughter of a Korean War veteran appeals to Japanese American Korean War veterans to share their wartime stories for a planned book documenting their contributions. She notes no historical account of the Korean War has been published exclusively from JA voices and offers to record stories by phone or tape.
- Re: Robert Murase, by Aeury Sakamoto, page 2. A letter from the president of Oregon Nikkei Endowment notes that a reprinted AP obituary of landscape architect Robert Murase failed to mention his creation of the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Portland. The letter details Murase’s inspiration for the memorial and requests donations in his honor be sent to the Oregon Nikkei Endowment.
- Reading Material, page 2. A reader from San Diego writes about rediscovering two books on his shelf, ‘America’s Concentration Camps’ by Allan Bosworth and ‘Nisei: The Quiet Americans’ by Bill Hosokawa, after being prompted by a young relative’s questions about his WWII camp experience. He encourages others to read these informative books instead of watching television.
- My Sweet Vacation from Being an Oppressed Asian American Woman, by Yumi Sakugawa, page 8. In this personal column, the writer reflects on visiting family in Okinawa and experiencing a temporary reprieve from racial self-consciousness as an Asian American woman living in the U.S. She grapples with questions about identity, assimilation, and whether the burdens of being a racial minority are worth the cultural ties she holds onto.
National
- Voices of an Unheard Community, by Mashood Khawar, Nazeef Ebrahim, Nure Elatari, Aladdin Elaasar, page 1. Four American Muslims share personal reflections on how the September 11 attacks changed their lives, describing discrimination, identity struggles, and efforts to educate others about Islam. They express frustration that Muslim American voices are rarely sought out in Sept. 11 remembrance events despite their community also suffering losses and backlash.
- Zheng Fights Deportation with Love, by Amy E. Ikeda, page 1. Eddy Zheng, who has spent nearly 20 years in prison for a crime committed at 16, married U.S. citizen Shelly Smith days before his deportation hearing in hopes of strengthening his case to remain in the U.S. Supporters describe his transformation in prison, including earning a college degree and advocating for Asian American studies, as reasons he deserves to avoid deportation to China.
- Former Internees Get Diplomas 50 Years Late, by Laura Wides, page 3. Fifty-eight Japanese Americans who were interned during World War II received honorary high school diplomas at a Los Angeles Trade Technical College ceremony, decades after being forced to leave school. The diploma project, resulting from legislation by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, has awarded diplomas to more than 400 former internees since last year, some posthumously.
- Heart Mountain Interpretive Walk Gives Glimpse into Internment Life, by Dan Lewerenz, page 3. A new interpretive walking trail at the former Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming offers visitors information about daily life for the 10,700 Japanese American internees held there during WWII. The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation plans to build a $7 million interpretive learning center on the site, aiming to open by 2007.
- Manzanar Guard Tower Dedication Set for Sept. 17, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The National Park Service and Friends of Manzanar will dedicate a reconstructed guard tower at the Manzanar War Relocation Center on Sept. 17, featuring a reading by poet Lawson Fusao Inada and a bookbinding demonstration. The tower is one of eight originally built in 1942 to overlook the internment camp.
- Voices of an Unheard Community (continued), by Mashood Khawar, Nazeef Ebrahim, Nure Elatari, Aladdin Elaasar, page 12. Continuing personal essays from Muslim Americans Nazeef Ebrahim, Nure Elatari, and Aladdin Elaasar describe experiences of discrimination, job loss, and efforts to educate the public about Islam following Sept. 11. Each writer emphasizes the importance of countering stereotypes and participating in interfaith and commemorative activities.
Community
- Baby Boomers Party On, by Lynda Lin, page 1. At the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain Bi-District Conference, roughly 100 Asian Pacific American baby boomers who grew up in 1950s Portland’s Chinatown reunited for the first-ever Pacific Northwest Asian Baby Boomer Reunion. Organizers Robbie Tsuboi, Anne Wong Cohen and Frances Lee Perkins created the event to reconnect old friends and raise funds for Jr. JACL, raising $2,800.
- NY Lantern Ceremony to Honor Victims of Sept. 11, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The New York Buddhist Church will host its fourth annual floating lantern ceremony on the Hudson River on Sept. 11 to commemorate victims of the terrorist attacks. The tradition, led by Rev. T.K. Nakagaki, draws on the ancient Japanese custom of floating lanterns to honor the dead, similar to remembrance ceremonies held in Hiroshima.
- San Diego JACL Seeks Local JA Veterans to Honor, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The San Diego JACL is searching for local Japanese American veterans to honor at its Nov. 5 luncheon, requesting information such as name, branch of service and dates served. The first-ever event at the Doubletree Hotel will include a slide-show presentation and recognition of each veteran, living or deceased.
- Dinner, Casino Night Planned as Part of Tri-District Weekend, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Pacific Southwest District’s 9th Annual Awards Dinner will honor three women including former LAPD Commissioner Rose Ochi under the theme ‘Effecting Change,’ followed by a Casino Night fundraiser with Vegas-style games. Proceeds will support district youth and leadership development programs.
In-Depth
- A Strong Sense of Justice, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Seattle-based journalist David Neiwert turned his newspaper interviews with Japanese American internees into the book ‘Strawberry Days: How Internment Destroyed a Japanese American Community.’ Neiwert traces decades of anti-Asian sentiment leading to internment and draws parallels to post-Sept. 11 treatment of Muslim and Arab Americans.
Sports
- Memea’s Homer Completes Comeback, Lifts Hawaii to Title, by Genaro C. Armas, page 6. Michael Memea hit a walk-off home run in the seventh inning to give West Oahu of Ewa Beach, Hawaii a 7-6 win over Curacao in the Little League World Series championship, marking Hawaii’s first-ever title. The team rallied from a three-run deficit in the sixth inning to force extra innings before Memea’s dramatic finish.
- Japanese Goalie Signs Deal with Kings, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Japanese goaltender Yutaka Fukufuji signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings and will attend rookie camp, potentially becoming the first Japanese player in the NHL. Fukufuji, who began playing hockey at nine, says his biggest challenge will be mastering English rather than the pressure of being a pioneer.
- Gunawan, Bach Win United States’ First World Badminton Title, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Tony Gunawan and Howard Bach won the United States’ first world badminton title, rallying in the final game for a victory over Indonesia’s top-seeded pair at the World Badminton Championships. Gunawan credited the crowd’s support for giving the American duo extra motivation during the match.
Arts & Entertainment
- Margaret Cho: The Lady is an Assassin, by Lynda Lin, page 9. Comedian Margaret Cho discusses her politically charged new show ‘Assassin,’ which tackles the Bush administration, the Iraq war, and gay marriage, along with her upcoming film ‘Bam Bam and Celeste’ and book. Cho reflects on being seen as a spokesperson for her race, performing in conservative states, and her mother’s recent health scare.
Obituaries
- Educator, Community Leader Dies of Liver Cancer, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Longtime educator and community leader George Kiriyama died at 74 in his Torrance home of liver cancer, having served on the LA Unified School Board and helped restore arts programs in local schools. Interned at Manzanar and Tule Lake during WWII, he later became a founder of the Japanese American Historical Society of Southern California.
- Jack Herzig, ‘Unsung Hero’, Dies at 83, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 11. Jack Herzig, a WWII veteran and lawyer who with his wife Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig uncovered documents proving the government’s internment claims were unjustified, died at 83 from colon cancer. Their research helped exonerate Fred Korematsu and secure redress for Japanese Americans interned during World War II.
- Professor of Japanese Studies Dies at 84, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 11. UC Berkeley professor emeritus Donald Howard Shively, a pioneer of post-war Japanese studies and authority on kabuki drama, died Aug. 13 at 84 from complications of Shy-Drager syndrome. Born in Kyoto, he served as a Japanese language officer in the Marine Corps during WWII and later received Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun.
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