Lt. Ehren Watada’s refusal to deploy divides the JA community

Vol. 142, No. 11, June 16, 2006. 12 pages. View this issue

Ist Lt. Ehren Watada’s decision to refuse deployment to Iraq was the main story of this 12-page issue. Caroline Aoyagi-Stom reported on the range of reactions in the Japanese American community, from praise for his courage to criticism from World War II veterans. A second page 4 story followed the debate as a court martial loomed. Lynda Lin also covered boxer Christina Kwan’s professional debut and a Connecticut dispute over the children’s book ‘Baseball Saved Us.’

Elsewhere, JACL asked CBS Radio for more than an apology after an on-air slur, and Wen Ho Lee settled his privacy lawsuit. The Florin JACL’s Manzanar pilgrimage and the JACL Mentor Program’s first graduates appear on page 5. Lynda Lin’s interview with filmmaker Linda Hattendorf, about the Tule Lake incarceration survivor in ‘The Cats of Mirikitani,’ is on page 9.

What’s in this issue

National

• JA Community Divided Over Lt. Watada’s Refusal to Deploy to Iraq, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 1. Ist Lt. Ehren Watada, a Japanese American Army officer, is poised to become the first commissioned military officer to refuse deployment to Iraq, prompting a range of reactions from the JA community. Some praise his courage in taking a stand against what he calls an illegal war, while WWII veterans and others criticize him for breaking his oath and dishonoring past sacrifices.
• JACL to CBS Radio: An Apology Is Not Enough, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 1. Chicago sports radio host Mike North drew criticism from JACL and other APA groups after calling Cubs pitcher Jae Kuk Ryu a ‘Chinaman’ on air. JACL Midwest Director Bill Yoshino sent a letter to CBS Radio demanding accountability beyond a simple apology, noting this follows a similar incident involving radio host Adam Carolla.
• Author’s Historic Childhood Home Saved From Demolition, page 3. The Historic Joy Kogawa House in Vancouver, immortalized in Joy Kogawa’s novel ‘Obasan,’ has been saved from demolition by The Land Conservancy of British Columbia. Organizers now aim to raise funds to restore the house and establish a writers-in-residence program there.
• Wen Ho Lee Settles Privacy Lawsuit for $1.6 Million, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 3. Former nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee settled his privacy lawsuit, receiving $1.6 million from the government and five news organizations after being wrongly suspected of espionage. The settlement ends contempt proceedings against reporters who refused to reveal their confidential sources in the case.
• Hiroshima Memorial Honors Chinese Atomic Bomb Victims for First Time, by Hans Greimel, page 3. The Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall honored three Chinese forced laborers as atomic bomb victims for the first time, marking a historic recognition of Chinese casualties from the 1945 bombing. The men had been brought to Japan as slave laborers in 1940 and were in police custody in Hiroshima at the time of the attack.
• Watada Court Martial Looms as Community Debate Continues, page 4. Watada faces likely court martial and jail time for his refusal to deploy to Iraq, as JA veterans and community members express sharply divided opinions on his decision. Supporters call him brave for taking a public stand while critics say he is dishonoring the legacy of WWII veterans who served despite internment.

Sports

• The Rise and Fall of the Kwan Dynasty, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Amateur boxing champion Christina Kwan suffered a first-round knockout loss in her professional debut against Florida’s Valerie Rix due to a weight mismatch. Despite the setback, Kwan, known as the ‘School Girl’ for her academic achievements, remains determined to continue her boxing career and represent Chinese American athletes.
• Christina Kwan: The School Girl Always Comes Through, by Lynda Lin, page 6. Despite her professional boxing debut loss, Christina Kwan remains determined, crediting her education and supportive team including her husband and trainer Vinny Perozzi. Known for balancing boxing with academic achievement and community outreach, Kwan plans to return to the ring in August against a new opponent.
• Angels Make Huntington Beach Catcher Their First Pick, page 7. The Los Angeles Angels selected Korean American catcher Hyun Choi ‘Hank’ Conger with their first pick in the June 6 MLB draft. Conger, a standout switch-hitter from Huntington Beach High School, is expected to sign a professional contract despite having committed to USC.
• Mets Trade 2B Matsui to Rockies for Marrero, page 7. The New York Mets traded struggling second baseman Kaz Matsui and $4.5 million to the Colorado Rockies for utilityman Eli Marrero. Matsui, once an All-Star in Japan, had failed to replicate that success in New York and was hitting .200 at the time of the trade.
• Wie Fails, But Another Hawaii Teen Qualifies for U.S. Open, page 7. Fifteen-year-old Tadd Fujikawa of Honolulu qualified for the U.S. Open golf tournament, becoming one of the youngest players ever to do so, while fellow Hawaii golfer Michelle Wie failed in her bid to qualify. Fujikawa, who only took up golf seriously four years ago, expressed excitement about competing among the world’s best golfers.

Commentary

• Too Young to Understand: A Children’s Book About Baseball in an Internment Camp Strikes Out With Some Parents, by Lynda Lin, page 1. Parents in New Milford, Connecticut requested the removal of the children’s book ‘Baseball Saved Us’ from the second-grade reading list due to its use of a racial slur depicting wartime prejudice against Japanese Americans. Author Ken Mochizuki and JACL’s John Tateishi defend the book’s educational value in teaching children about tolerance and historical context.
• Taking the Pacific Citizen from Print to Cyberspace, by Sharon Kumagai, page 2. The Pacific Citizen’s 2006 Spring Campaign aims to fund improvements and expansion of the newspaper’s website to reach a wider cyberspace community. The author encourages readers to donate so more print content can be made available online, extending the JACL’s message beyond print subscribers.
• A Worthy Read, by Richard “Babe” Karasawa, page 2. A letter recommending JACL chapters promote the book ‘Dear Miss Breed,’ which documents Japanese American incarceration during WWII through the letters children sent librarian Clara Breed. The writer praises the book’s accuracy and suggests chapters donate copies to school libraries.
• Discovering Your JA Roots, by Rou Chung, page 2. A reader shares his personal experience researching his family’s genealogy after being inspired by a previous Pacific Citizen article, including a trip to Kumamoto where he met a man connected to his family’s land. He encourages the paper to publish more genealogy-related articles.
• Lessons on Racism? The Baseball Saved Us Controversy Continues, page 6. The debate over the use of a racial slur in the children’s book ‘Baseball Saved Us’ continues, with New Milford school officials defending its educational value while acknowledging parental concerns about its use with second graders. JACL’s John Tateishi and author Ken Mochizuki weigh in on the importance of historical context in addressing racial epithets in literature.
• Very Truly Yours: The $100 Million ‘H’ Prize and Other H-Words, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Columnist Harry Honda discusses the new congressional ‘H’ Prize for hydrogen technology innovation alongside other news stories beginning with H, including Peru’s presidential election and the Hamas party. He also reflects on JACL’s historical fight against anti-Japanese discrimination from the 1920s through WWII, drawing parallels to current civil liberties concerns like NSA surveillance.

Community

• Chinese Artifacts, Medicine Vials Unearthed in Idaho Dig, by Associated Press, page 4. Archaeologists excavating a highway site in Sandpoint, Idaho discovered artifacts from Chinese railroad laborers, including medicine bottles possibly used to treat venereal disease, alongside evidence of the area’s wild frontier past. The dig is being conducted ahead of construction of a U.S. Highway 95 overpass.
• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 4. Gary Yamauchi received Homeboy Industries’ inaugural Employer of the Year Award for providing jobs to reformed gang members through his vending company. The Japanese American National Museum also recognized several outstanding volunteers including Carole Yamakoshi, Sumi and Manabi Hirasaki, and others at its annual awards luncheon.
• Florin JACL Manzanar Pilgrimage: Walking in Their Footsteps, by Andy Noguchi and Twila Tomita, page 5. Fifty-five participants, including Nisei veterans, Muslim community members, and diverse allies, journeyed to the Manzanar Internment Camp to honor the 600 Florin Japanese Americans interned there in 1942. The pilgrimage fostered solidarity between JA and Muslim American communities amid post-9/11 tensions, with participants sharing personal stories and forming new bonds.
• San Francisco JACL Names Essay Contest Winners, page 5. The San Francisco JACL, National Japanese American Historical Society, and Nikkei Lions Club announced winners of an essay contest comparing Japantown’s history to another community’s experience. Richard Ngo won first place, with five students receiving second-place prizes in the competition open to San Francisco high school students.

JACL

• JACL Chapters Award 2006 Scholarships, page 5. The San Diego and Berkeley JACL chapters awarded scholarships to graduating high school seniors based on academic achievement, community involvement, and personal statements. San Diego’s top award went to Shelli Skinner, while Berkeley honored six students including the recipient of the Bea Kono Memorial Scholarship.
• JACL Mentor Programs See First Graduates, page 5. The first cohort of students in the JACL Mentor Program, started in 1999 in partnership with UC Merced and the Southeast Asian community, has graduated high school with seven of ten students planning to attend college. The program aims to put underserved students on a path toward higher education.
• All Veterans of Japanese Heritage to Reunite in ’07, page 8. The All Veterans of Japanese Heritage Reunion Committee announced plans for a February 2007 reunion in Little Tokyo honoring JA veterans from all U.S. wars, including a new memorial and a book documenting Japanese Americans who served in the Korean War. Medal of Honor recipient Hiroshi ‘Hershey’ Miyamura will attend and autograph copies of a book featuring his story.

Arts & Entertainment

• The Cats of Mirikitani: An Interview with Filmmaker Linda Hattendorf, by Lynda Lin, page 9. Filmmaker Linda Hattendorf discusses her documentary ‘The Cats of Mirikitani,’ which follows Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani, a homeless artist interned at Tule Lake during WWII whom she eventually took into her home after 9/11. The film explores themes of trauma, art as healing, and the lasting impact of internment on Mirikitani’s life and work.

Obituaries

• In Memoriam – 2006, page 11. This compilation lists Japanese American community members who recently passed away, including WWII and Korean War veterans, alongside their surviving family members. Entries include brief biographical details of the deceased and their contributions to their communities.
• Satoru Takemoto, page 11. Satoru Takemoto, 86, passed away May 14, leaving behind his wife Chizuko and three children. Born in Watsonville and interned at Poston during WWII, he later served in the U.S. armed forces and became president of Tolona Pizza Products, the largest pizza supplier in the world at the time, before serving as vice president of Mama Tish sorbettos.
• June Noriko Yoshioka, page 11. June Noriko Yoshioka, 89, passed away May 24, having been interned at Tanforan and Topaz during WWII before her husband Giichi joined the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Service. She and her family later ran the Yoshioka Nursery and florist shop in Hayward, and she was active in the JACL and Oakland Buddhist Church throughout her life.

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