Lt. Ehren Watada charged: JACL and Honolulu chapter respond

Vol. 143, No. 2, July 21, 2006. 12 pages. View this issue

Army charges against First Lt. Ehren Watada, who refused deployment to Iraq, led this 12-page issue. Caroline Aoyagi-Stom reported that national JACL took no position on his refusal but raised concern over two of the three charges, while the Honolulu chapter voted to support him in full. John Tateishi explained the national stance on page 3, and readers wrote in on both sides of the case on page 2.

Other front-page stories covered the pull of Japanese pop culture on young Japanese Americans, a Connecticut school committee’s recommendation on the book Baseball Saved Us, and the House vote to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. Inside are a pilgrimage to the Minidoka site, a new Little Tokyo historical society, a film shot on a replica of Topaz, and a Q&A with Jeff Adachi about The Slanted Screen.

What’s in this issue

National

• Army Charges Lt. Watada; National JACL Expresses Concern Over Two Charges, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. First Lt. Ehren Watada has been officially charged by the U.S. Army with missing troop movement, conduct unbecoming an officer, and contempt toward officials after refusing deployment to Iraq. National JACL declined to take a position on his refusal but expressed concern that two of the charges may represent undue punishment, while Tateishi noted the sensitivity of the issue within the JA community.
• Honolulu JACL Comes Out in Full Support of Watada, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. The Honolulu JACL chapter voted to support Lt. Ehren Watada’s refusal to deploy to Iraq, calling it a principled act of patriotism and citing lessons learned from WWII internment. National JACL’s Tateishi said the chapter’s position is reasonably close to the national organization’s stance.
• JACL Calls Toledo Radio Host’s Racially Harassing Remarks an Outrage, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 1. Asian Pacific American groups including JACL are demanding action from Toledo radio station Tower 98.3 after DJ ‘Lucas’ made racially insensitive prank calls to Asian restaurants. Groups are contacting advertisers and filing complaints with the FCC while threatening a boycott unless the DJ is fired and a public apology is issued.
• Fighting for the Right to Rock the Vote, by Lynda Lin, page 1. As the House passed HR 9 to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act, APA voters and civil rights groups describe ongoing language and discrimination barriers at polling places. The bill now moves to the Senate as advocates push to extend expiring provisions including language assistance requirements.
• Committee Recommends Children’s Book About Internment Be Taken Off Curriculum, Moved to Library, by Lynda Lin, page 1. A New Milford, Connecticut school board subcommittee recommended removing Ken Mochizuki’s ‘Baseball Saved Us’ from the second grade reading program due to its use of an ethnic slur, moving it instead to school libraries for older students. Author Mochizuki defended the book’s use of the word to convey the pain of racism, and the issue has sparked debate about age-appropriateness and censorship.
• Watada Case Sparks Debate Over JACL’s Role and Alignment with Honolulu Chapter, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 3. John Tateishi explains that national JACL’s concerns about Watada’s charges are distinct from the WWII Resisters of Conscience controversy, and that Watada is not a conscientious objector since he only opposes the Iraq war specifically. Tateishi says national JACL is not out of alignment with the Honolulu chapter’s supportive stance, though he predicts history will judge Watada kindly despite the decision’s current unpopularity.
• Curriculum Debate Continues Over ‘Baseball Saved Us’ in New Milford Schools, by Lynda Lin, page 3. The debate over Ken Mochizuki’s book intensified after a parent objected to the racial slur being read aloud to second graders, prompting a committee recommendation to move the book to libraries for older students. The book has also been adapted into a stage musical performed for two seasons by Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre without complaints about its content.
• Voting Rights Act Reauthorization Clears House, Moves to Senate, by Lynda Lin, page 3. The House voted 390-33 to pass HR 9, reauthorizing key provisions of the Voting Rights Act including language assistance requirements set to expire in 2007. AALDEF and other civil rights groups cite widespread voter disenfranchisement among APA communities, with the JACL passing an emergency resolution at its national convention urging the Senate to support the extension.
• WWII Aircraft Carrier to Feature 100th/442nd/MIS Display, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The USS Hornet in Alameda, California will host an Aug. 5 grand opening of a display honoring the 100th/442nd/MIS units. The Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL is organizing a chartered bus trip for members to attend the event.
• Rock No Longer Bears Racist Name, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A coastline outcropping in Highland Beach, Florida formerly called ‘Jap Rock’ has been officially renamed Yamato Rock, honoring the Japanese settlers who once fished and picnicked there. The change followed a state requirement to identify and rename places bearing ethnic or religious slurs.
• Military Translators to Be Honored with Memorial Stone, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Seven Japanese American WWII veterans of the Military Intelligence Service will dedicate a memorial stone at Honolulu’s National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific on July 22. The stone will be the 67th installed along the cemetery’s Memorial Walkway honoring the more than 7,000 JAs who served as MIS interpreters and translators.
• Yu Gets Nod From Primetime Emmy, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. Jessica Yu’s documentary ‘In the Realms of the Unreal,’ about reclusive artist Henry Darger, has been nominated for a primetime Emmy. Yu previously won a 1997 Academy Award for her documentary short about writer Mark O’Brien.
• Senate Confirms Ikuta as Judge of Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. Sandra Segal Ikuta was confirmed by the Senate on an 81-0 vote to fill a seat on the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacant since 2000. Ikuta previously served as deputy director and general counsel of the California Resources Agency and was a partner at O’Melveny & Myers.
• Seabrook JACLer Receives Encore Award, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. John Fuyuume, project director of the Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center, was honored with the South Jersey Cultural Alliance’s Encore Award 2006 for his contributions to cultural programming. He is also affiliated with the Bay Atlantic Symphony and Cumberland County Tourism Advisory Council.
• Tanamachi Receives Foreign Minister Award, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. Sandra Tanamachi, winner of the Edison Uno Civil Rights Award, has also received the Japanese Foreign Minister Award for her efforts leading the fight to rename Texas roads and lanes with the word ‘Jap.’ She was previously honored by the Japanese American Veterans Association with their first Courage, Honor, Patriotism Award.
• Movie Filmed in West Desert Shows How Baseball Helped Unify a Community, by Associated Press, page 6. ‘The American Pastime,’ an independent film shot on a replica of the Topaz internment camp in Utah, tells the story of two families, one white and one Japanese, whose destinies collide through baseball in the 1940s. Producer Barry Rosenbush was inspired after learning about historic baseball games between internee teams and local high schools.

In-Depth

• A J-Pop Culture Identity, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. Young Japanese Americans are increasingly drawn to Japanese popular culture like anime, J-pop music, and dramas as a way to explore their ancestral roots. Though most don’t speak Japanese or have visited Japan, they say the media offers a connection to an identity that previous generations downplayed after WWII internment.
• Former WWII JA Detainees Make Pilgrimage to U.S. Camp, by Christopher Smith, Associated Press, page 4. About 100 former detainees and their families made a pilgrimage to the former Minidoka Relocation Center in Idaho, now a national monument, to discuss National Park Service plans for an educational exhibit. The Park Service’s new plan recommends removing the word ‘internment’ from the monument’s title and converting a warehouse into a visitor center.
• A J-Pop Culture Identity (continued), by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 12. The article continues exploring how Yonsei and Gosei Japanese Americans use anime, J-pop music and dramas to reconnect with their ancestral heritage despite not speaking Japanese or having visited Japan. Interviewees including Kristin Iwata and Cindy Nakano discuss how the media, while not fully representative of contemporary Japan, sparks curiosity about their cultural roots.

Commentary

• Readers Speak Out on Watada Case, by Various Letter Writers, page 2. Multiple readers wrote in with strong and varied opinions on Lt. Ehren Watada’s refusal to deploy to Iraq, with several praising his courage and patriotism while at least one WWII veteran disagreed, arguing military orders must be obeyed. The letters reflect a deep divide within the JA community over the officer’s actions.
• P.C. Receives Generous Donation, by Valerie Yasukochi, page 2. Valerie Yasukochi of Berkeley JACL wrote to thank the Pacific Citizen staff and announced a donation in memory of George and Bess Yasukochi to help purchase computer hardware and software. The Pacific Citizen editor thanked the Yasukochi family and Jim Duff for their $2,500 donation.
• Remembering Barry Saiki, by Susan Rotas, page 2. A tribute letter recalls Barry Saiki’s charisma, wit, and love of origami during his years with the JACL Tokyo chapter and later the Stockton chapter. The writer describes him as an inspirational figure whose contributions extended beyond the Japanese American community to all humanity.
• Thank You From D.C., by Irene Mori, page 2. Irene Mori thanks convention organizers, outgoing national president Ken Inouye, and JACL staff for a successful National JACL Convention in Chandler, Arizona. She also expresses gratitude for the surprise awarding of Ruby Pins to herself and Floyd Mori.
• Bringing Healthcare Issues to the Forefront, by Floyd Mori, page 4. Floyd Mori discusses the need for JACL to become more involved in health issues affecting Asian Americans, highlighting a convention workshop on healthcare disparities sponsored by Pfizer. The column details diabetes risk factors and symptoms discussed by panelist Dr. Richard Arakaki and calls for JACL to partner with health organizations.
• You Never Walked So Much as at This Past Convention, by Harry Honda, page 8. Harry Honda reflects on the layout of the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort venue for the 39th Biennial JACL Convention in Arizona, comparing it to past conventions he’s covered since 1938. He recounts historical milestones from past biennial conventions including debates over Issei naturalization and the Walter-McCarran bill veto override.
• Godzilla: Destroying Tokyo and My Social Life, by Yumi Sakugawa, page 8. Yumi Sakugawa describes her research process for writing a play involving Godzilla, exploring the monster’s cultural significance as an allegory for nuclear warfare and postwar Japanese trauma. She reflects on how the American version of the original film heavily edited out political commentary about weapons of mass destruction.

Community

• Korean War Vets Announce Dedication of Miyamura Tribute Monument, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The city of Gallup, New Mexico will dedicate a monument honoring Hiroshi ‘Hershey’ Miyamura, the only Japanese American Korean War veteran to receive the Medal of Honor, on Aug. 19. The Japanese American Korean War Veterans organization raised $30,000 for the monument and plans to use excess funds for an additional memorial in Los Angeles honoring other JA war casualties.
• Watsonville-Santa Cruz Names Kee Kitayama Scholarship Winners, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL selected Joyce Yonemoto and Kelli Okuji as this year’s Kee Kitayama Memorial Scholarship recipients based on their academic achievements and essays about Executive Order 9066. Both young women will attend college in the fall, with Yonemoto heading to UC San Diego and Okuji to Harvard.
• Newly Formed Historical Society Focuses on Preservation of Little Tokyo, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Community leaders have formed the Little Tokyo Historical Society to collect stories, photographs and documents related to the history of Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo neighborhood. The group held its first planning meeting July 15 and is considering projects such as a history book and digital archive.

Sports

• Heat Exhaustion Forces Wie to Withdraw from Deere Classic, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Michelle Wie withdrew from the John Deere Classic due to heat exhaustion after the ninth hole during the second round, ending her bid to become the first woman in 61 years to make a PGA Tour cut. She was treated at the course and taken to a hospital, but is reported to be resting in good spirits.
• Liu Breaks 110-Meter Hurdles World Record, by P.C. Staff, page 7. China’s Liu Xiang set a new world record in the 110-meter hurdles at the Athletissima Grand Prix meeting in Geneva, breaking the mark he previously shared with Britain’s Colin Jackson. Liu celebrated with a shirtless victory lap after posting a time of 12.88 seconds.
• Sun Rises Again on Hawaii Winter Baseball, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 7. Hawaii Winter Baseball, which once nurtured talents like Ichiro Suzuki and Jason Giambi, is returning after folding in 1997, with a new four-team league based on Oahu opening Oct. 1. The league will feature minor-league players from MLB organizations alongside young professionals from Japan and South Korea.
• Indians Sign Taiwanese Pitcher, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Cleveland Indians signed 21-year-old Taiwanese pitcher Sung-Wei Tseng, who pitched for Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic, to a one-year minor-league contract. Tseng posted a 14-0 college record and was named Taiwan’s top amateur pitcher in 2006.
• USA Wins II World Cup of Softball, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 7. The USA Women’s National Softball team defeated Japan 5-2 to win the II World Cup of Softball, keeping the title in the U.S. for the first time. Pitcher Cat Osterman tossed a two-hitter while Jessica Mendoza and Stacey Nuveman contributed key hits and home runs.
• Sadaharu Oh to Have Surgery, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh will undergo surgery to remove a stomach tumor and does not know when he will return to his job managing the Softbank Hawks. Oh, who holds Japan’s career home run record, expressed disappointment at having to leave his team during the season.

Arts & Entertainment

• Q&A With Jeff Adachi on ‘The Slanted Screen’, by Lynda Lin, page 9. San Francisco public defender Jeff Adachi discusses his documentary ‘The Slanted Screen,’ which examines the history of Hollywood’s portrayal of Asian Pacific American male actors. Adachi hopes the film, which has gained acclaim on the festival circuit, will eventually air on PBS to reach a wide audience.

Obituaries

• In Memoriam – 2006, by P.C. Staff, page 11. This obituary compilation includes tributes with narrative detail, notably Barry Minoru Saiki, 86, a Stockton native and past chapter president who was interned at Rohwer and later worked in Japan for a public relations firm, remembered for his gift of origami. Other listed individuals include WWII and Korean War veterans and community members who passed away in spring 2006.
• Death Notice: Mack Yamaguchi, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Mack Yamaguchi, 86, of Pasadena, passed away June 14, survived by his wife Alice and five children along with eight grandchildren. A memorial service was held July 1 at the First Presbyterian Church of Altadena, with donations directed to the church or Pasadena Nikkei Seniors, Inc.
• Death Notice: Robert Masanori Horiuchi, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Robert Masanori Horiuchi, 90, passed away July 1, having worked for Colorado state government and as a financial consultant in Afghanistan and Kenya. He was active in the Denver Asian American community and held offices in the Mile-Hi JACL chapter, helping with redress efforts.

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