Vol. 142, No. 3, February 17, 2006. 12 pages. View this issue
A $132,288 surplus for 2005 came with a warning: Lynda Lin reported that the JACL national board saw membership falling, key staff posts unfilled and a possible dues increase ahead. Caroline Aoyagi told the story of an Azusa Street alley in Little Tokyo that remains stalled after a decade of roadblocks, and Lynda Lin also covered Houston’s Asian American Festival, whose grant was rescinded. The Associated Press reported that Amache, the Colorado camp that held over 7,000 Japanese Americans during World War II, will become a national historic landmark.
Other pages cover new redress efforts for Japanese Latin Americans, a bill by Sen. Daniel Inouye and Rep. Xavier Becerra, and plans for the JACL convention in Phoenix. Winter Olympics coverage follows Michelle Kwan’s withdrawal and Apolo Anton Ohno’s stumble. Lin also interviewed filmmaker Steven Okazaki about his Oscar-nominated documentary. A Day of Remembrance listing runs on page 10.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Houston’s AA Festival Fights for Visibility Amidst Controversial Cancellation Decision, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Houston’s Miller Outdoor Theatre rescinded a grant for the 26-year-old Houston Asian American Festival, citing a new commitment to professional performances over ‘recital type’ community acts. Festival officials, including JACL Houston’s Daniel Watanabe and Executive Director Glenda Joe, are fighting to keep the festival alive, alleging ethnic bias in the theatre’s decision.
- Portland Chapter Honors Past Presidents, page 5. The JACL Portland chapter celebrated the New Year by honoring 22 past presidents whose leadership spanned 59 years of the chapter’s 78-year history. The event recognized presidents dating back to George Azumano in 1947 through outgoing president Rich Iwasaki in 2004-05.
- All Veterans Reunion Rescheduled for 2007, page 6. The All Veterans Reunion, originally planned for Veterans Day weekend 2006, has been rescheduled for Feb. 16-18, 2007, and will now be co-sponsored by multiple veterans organizations including Nisei VFW Posts and Japanese American Korean War Veterans. The event will include a memorial service and a special tribute to three Japanese Americans recently killed in the Iraq War.
- Detroit JACL Honors City Council President, page 8. Detroit JACL members celebrated with Detroit City Council President Maryann Mahaffey at a Peace and Justice Award Banquet honoring her longtime work in civil liberties and human rights. Mahaffey first joined the Seattle JACL in 1946 before later becoming involved with the Detroit chapter.
- Kimochi, Inc. Hopes to Identify Centenarians, page 8. Kimochi, Inc. is seeking to identify Japanese Americans and Japanese-speaking individuals who will turn 100 or older in 2006 as part of its 35th anniversary celebration and San Francisco Japantown’s 100th anniversary. Identified centenarians will be honored with the Kimochi Spirit Award at an event on May 7 in San Francisco’s Japantown.
In-Depth
- Groups Hope to Tell Little Known Little Tokyo Story, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. A small alley on Azusa Street in Little Tokyo marks where African American Pastor William Seymour founded the Pentecostal Church Movement, but a proposed memorial and mural have faced a decade of roadblocks. The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center has declined to approve the mural on its wall, while the Nikkei Interfaith Council has raised concerns about differing values, even as the 100th anniversary of Azusa Street approaches.
National
- JACL Closes ’05 with Surplus, Warns of Future Shortfalls, by Lynda Lin, page 1. The JACL national board reported a $132,288 surplus in 2005 due to fundraising success and decreased expenditures, but membership continues to decline and key staff positions remain unfilled. Board members deferred budget decisions for 2006 and the 2007-2008 biennium to the April meeting, with warnings that a dues increase may be necessary to address ongoing staff shortages.
- Amache Camp Will Become National Historic Landmark, by Associated Press, page 1. The Amache internment camp in Granada, Colorado, where over 7,000 Japanese Americans were held during WWII, will become a national historic landmark. A local teacher’s efforts to document the camp’s history have helped change community attitudes after decades of silence about the site.
- AA Groups Blast Radio Personality Adam Carolla for Anti-Asian Comments, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 1. Several Asian American groups including JACL criticized radio host Adam Carolla for mocking the Asian Excellence Awards with racist stereotyping on his CBS radio show. JACL is calling on CBS to issue an on-air apology and require Carolla to attend sensitivity training, though neither Carolla nor CBS have apologized.
- Groups Announce New Redress Efforts for JAs and JLAs, page 4. Sen. Daniel Inouye and Rep. Xavier Becerra introduced a bill to create a federal commission studying wartime violations against Japanese Latin Americans during WWII. Additional efforts include a community delegation delivering an ‘enemy alien’ report to Congress and a petition filed with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on behalf of former Japanese Latin American internees.
- JACL Mourns Passing of Civil Rights Icon, page 4. JACL expressed condolences following the death of Coretta Scott King, praising her decades of advocacy for civil and human rights beyond racial justice issues. JACL vice president Heidi Tanakatsubo called King an inspiration and role model for women and minorities.
- Civil Rights Leaders Meet with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, page 4. A diverse group of civil rights leaders met with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to discuss the Voting Rights Act reauthorization, civil rights enforcement, immigration policy, and surveillance of American citizens. Leaders from NAACP LDEF, AAJC, MALDEF and NUL urged regular future meetings between the administration and civil rights community.
- National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. Briefs cover an AALDEF lawsuit against NYC’s Board of Elections for Voting Rights Act violations, Eddy Zheng’s ongoing deportation hearing after serving 19 years for a robbery committed at 16, and Hiroshima atomic bomb survivors in Brazil praising a Japanese court ruling for back medical payments. Also included are notes on Kenneth Mui becoming Cambridge’s first APA police detective and Col. Bert Mizusawa’s promotion to Brigadier General.
Arts & Entertainment
- East West Players Celebrates 40th Anniversary with Visionary Awards Dinner April 10, page 5. East West Players, the nation’s premier Asian American theatre, will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a gala at the Hilton Universal City on April 10, honoring artists who raised visibility for the APA community. Past honorees have included George Takei, Lucy Liu, Margaret Cho and other notable performers.
- Memories of the Bomb Continue to Wash Up, by Lynda Lin, page 9. Filmmaker Steven Okazaki’s documentary ‘The Mushroom Club,’ featuring interviews with 10 hibakusha survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is nominated for an Academy Award in the short documentary category. Okazaki, a two-time Oscar nominee who won for ‘Days of Waiting,’ discusses the long journey to make the film and the lingering stigma survivors face in Japan.
JACL
- Countdown to JACL 2006 Convention, by Ted Namba, page 5. The 2006 JACL national convention in Phoenix, themed ‘Phoenix Rising: Leadership for a New Generation,’ will feature new youth activities, a Family Room for kids, and a new workshop on rare archival footage of Poston camp discovered by Arizona historians. The convention will be held at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa with a special rate for attendees.
- Leadership Council Announces Internship Program, page 6. The California Japanese American Community Leadership Council announced the 2006 Nikkei Community Internship program, now in its fifth year, which places interns with Japanese American community groups in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. The program runs June 24 through Aug. 18 and provides an educational stipend of up to $2,000 to develop future community leaders.
Sports
- IOC Executive Board Backs Olympic Recognition for Pacific Islands, page 7. The IOC executive board proposed Olympic recognition for the Marshall Islands, a former U.S. nuclear testing site, which would become the 203rd country or territory with Olympic status. The recognition would allow the islands to send athletes to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and receive annual funding to develop sports programs.
- Wie to Play Men’s Tournament in Korea, page 7. Michelle Wie accepted an invitation to play against men on the Asian Tour at the SK Telecom Open in Korea, to be held May 4-7. It will be her eighth time competing on a men’s tour since turning pro in October.
- Oh No! American Short Track Star Stumbles in Turin Debut, by Paul Newberry, page 7. Apolo Anton Ohno stumbled in his semifinal heat at the Turin Olympics, failing to reach the final in the 1,500 meters as South Koreans Ahn Hyun-soo and Lee Hosuk won gold and silver. Ohno still has three events remaining to try to match his previous Olympic medal haul from Salt Lake City.
- NBC Loses Its Biggest Star from Winter Olympics, page 7. Michelle Kwan’s withdrawal from the figure skating competition due to injury was a major blow to NBC’s Olympic coverage, as she was expected to be the network’s most compelling story. Analysts note the opening ceremony already drew half the viewers of the Salt Lake City games four years earlier.
- Inoue, Baldwin Land First Throw Triple Axel in Olympic History, Place 7th, page 7. American pairs skaters Rena Inoue and John Baldwin made history landing the first throw triple axel in Olympic history during their short program, though Inoue nearly fell during a similar attempt in the long program. The pair, who placed 7th overall, includes Inoue, a cancer survivor now skating in her third Olympics after becoming a U.S. citizen in September.
Commentary
- Kansha \u2014 And a Time to Remember, by Harry Honda, page 8. Harry Honda reflects on the Japanese concept of ‘kansha’ (enduring gratitude) as documented in a 1985 Hawaii booklet honoring individuals who supported Japanese Americans during WWII, including missionaries, educators, and government officials who resisted mass evacuation in Hawaii. He notes that many of these figures remain unknown to mainland Japanese Americans and references a new MIS Norcal book addressing similar support on the mainland.
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