Vol. 148, No. 8, May 1, 2009. 16 pages. View this issue
Memory of the World War II incarceration (often called internment) ran through this issue. Caroline Aoyagi-Stom wrote about efforts to mark the former Arboga Assembly Center in Marysville, Calif., where 2,465 Japanese Americans were held in 1942, with recollections from survivor Christine Umeda. Leslie K. Tamura reported on University of Oregon students designing visitor facilities for Minidoka National Historic Site. Senator Daniel Inouye’s bill to study camp sites in Hawaii and Seattle University’s new Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality also appeared.
Elsewhere, Jefferson Itami urged readers to back the Pacific Citizen’s Spring Campaign, and Kimberly Shintaku previewed the 2009 JACL National Youth Conference in Saint Paul. John Tateishi wrote about the Sansei becoming community elders. A report covered a Pennsylvania college attack on Asian students, along with a new JACL collegiate leadership conference. James D. Houston, co-author of ‘Farewell to Manzanar,’ was remembered on page 15.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- Why I Support the Pacific Citizen, by Jefferson Itami, page 2. Itami recounts his decades of JACL involvement, from attending national conventions and meeting influential Japanese American congressmen to participating in the Redress movement, all informed by his reading of the Pacific Citizen. He urges fellow JACL members to support the paper’s Spring Campaign fundraiser to ensure its continued survival.
- Opening the Door for Our JACL Future, by Kimberly Shintaku, page 2. Shintaku reflects on her experiences at past JACL National Youth Conferences and previews the 2009 conference, themed ‘IMPACT! Your Community, Your Generation, Your JACL,’ to be held at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The conference will feature workshops, a talent show, and networking events designed to empower young JACL members.
- JACL Recognizes Millennium Club Member Etsu Masaoka, by Timothy Koide, page 2. JACL apologizes for omitting Etsu Masaoka, wife of former JACL leader Mike Masaoka, from the 2008 Millennium Club honor roll. Koide praises her decades of dedicated service and support to the JACL community and family.
- Financial CEOs Must Go Too, by James Tanabe, page 2. A letter to the editor argues that the CEOs of bailed-out banks and AIG should have been fired just as General Motors’ CEO was, suggesting insider financial misconduct caused the crisis. The writer questions the government’s differential treatment of auto executives versus financial executives and calls for accountability and transparency.
- Save the Planet or Eat Toro?, by Yumi Sakugawa, page 8. The author reflects on her decision to eliminate seafood from her diet and the cultural significance of sushi and fish in Japanese society, including her experience working as a sushi waitress. She questions whether Japan’s sushi tradition and global seafood consumption are sustainable given declining bluefin tuna populations.
- Becoming the Elders in the Community, by John Tateishi, page 8. Tateishi reflects on his Sansei generation becoming community elders, recalling the values instilled by Issei and Nisei generations despite the hardships of internment. He explores the challenges of preserving Japanese American community and identity as assimilation reshaped how younger generations relate to their heritage.
In-Depth
- Arboga May Finally Get Some Recognition, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 3. Local historical groups and the Marysville JACL chapter are working to place a permanent plaque and memorial near the former Arboga Assembly Center in Marysville, Calif., which housed 2,465 Japanese Americans in 1942. Survivors like Christine Umeda and Hatsuye Nakamura recall the little-known history of the site, which remains largely undocumented compared to other assembly centers.
- Internment in the Pacific Northwest Remembered, by Leslie K. Tamura, page 5. University of Oregon architecture students, guided by professor Kevin Nute and funded by the Joel Yamauchi Fund, are designing memorial visitor facilities for Minidoka National Historic Site and the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center. The projects aim to educate the public about the Japanese American internment experience in the Pacific Northwest through thoughtful architectural design.
National
- Time to Rethink Asian Pacific American Heritage Month?, by Lynda Lin, page 4. As Asian Pacific American Heritage Month turns 31, debate grows over whether heritage months remain relevant in a supposed post-racial America following Obama’s election. College students and leaders like Norman Mineta and Helen Zia offer differing views on the value and visibility of APA Heritage Month events on campuses nationwide.
- JACL: Continued Support Needed for APA Journalists Jailed in Iran, North Korea, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 6. Japanese American journalist Roxana Saberi has gone on a hunger strike after being convicted of spying in Iran, while American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee face trial in North Korea for illegal entry. JACL National Director Floyd Mori called for continued advocacy and monitoring by APA groups to secure the journalists’ release.
- Duckworth Wins Confirmation to Top VA Post, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 6. The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee confirmed Tammy Duckworth as assistant secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs after her nomination was briefly stalled. Duckworth, a decorated Iraq war veteran who lost both legs in combat, previously led the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.
- National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 6. Brief national news items include $105,000 in stimulus funds awarded to Minidoka National Monument, California Attorney General Jerry Brown’s opinion that parts of Prop 209 are unconstitutional, a private bill to help a same-sex APA couple avoid deportation, low APA readiness for the digital TV transition, and California’s Senate vote to bar English-only policies like the LPGA’s proposal.
- Inouye Calls for Study of Hawaii’s WWII Internment Camps, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Senator Daniel Inouye introduced a bill calling for a National Park Service study of WWII internment camp sites in Hawaii, where more than 1,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned in eight camps. The legislation has garnered support from Hawaii’s congressional delegation and JA organizations including JACL and Densho.
- Oregon House Votes to Support Nisei Vets Stamp, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. The Oregon House unanimously voted to support a commemorative stamp honoring Nisei veterans, joining Hawaii, California and Illinois in backing the measure. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors also sent a letter to the U.S. Postmaster General urging approval of the stamp for the highly decorated 442nd/100th Battalion and MIS veterans.
- Pa. College Reports Racial Slurs, Physical Attack Against APA Students, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 10. Three Asian students at Franklin & Marshall College, including one APA student, were punched and called racial epithets in an early morning attack near campus. JACL’s Midwest Director Bill Yoshino sent a letter to police urging a thorough investigation and arrest of those responsible.
Community
- In the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Kimiko Nagaoka Mukai received an honorary degree from Seattle Pacific University decades after her education was interrupted by internment, while Assemblyman Warren Furutani was named a Watershed Champion for his environmental legislation. Other briefs cover Milken Educator Award winners, Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy honorees, Aneesh Chopra’s appointment as U.S. CTO, and APAICS’s upcoming gala honoring APA leaders.
- Seattle University Names Law Center for Fred Korematsu, by Associated Press, page 11. Seattle University’s School of Law launched the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, honoring the civil rights icon who resisted internment and later successfully challenged his wartime conviction. The center will address discrimination through research, advocacy and education, continuing Korematsu’s legacy of fighting for justice and equality.
- White House Meeting on AAPI Initiative, page 11. JACL National Director Floyd Mori and other APA leaders met with White House staff, including newly appointed Kal Penn, to discuss the future of the White House Initiative on AAPIs. The group discussed timing, staffing and housing of a potential new executive order and committed to pursuing further discussions, including a meeting with President Obama.
- New Survey Confirms that APAs are Still Considered ‘Other’, page 12. A Committee of 100 survey found that 45 percent of respondents question Asian Pacific Americans’ loyalty to the U.S., up from 37 percent in 2001, revealing persistent racial discrimination and misconceptions. The survey also found many Americans underestimate the percentage of APAs born in the U.S. and believe APAs should assimilate more into American ways of thinking.
Arts & Entertainment
- So Yong Kim’s Journey to ‘Treeless Mountain’, page 9. Filmmaker So Yong Kim discusses her second feature film ‘Treeless Mountain,’ a semi-autobiographical story about two young Korean sisters left with relatives when their mother searches for their father. Kim describes her creative partnership with husband Bradley Rust Gray and her approach to eliciting authentic performances from child actors.
JACL
- Be a Part of JACL’s New Collegiate D.C. Leadership Conference, page 10. JACL is accepting applications for a new Collegiate Washington, D.C. Leadership Conference for APA college students, funded by a UPS Foundation grant covering travel costs for 12 participants. The three-day program, coordinated by Bill Yoshino, will expose student leaders to federal policymaking processes and networking opportunities.
- Apply Now for West L.A. JACL’s New Internship, page 10. West Los Angeles JACL announced a new internship program giving participants experience in civil rights advocacy and program planning at the district and chapter levels. The flexible, roughly two-month full-time internship offers a $1,500 stipend and is open to college students or recent graduates 18 or older.
- APAICS Accepting Applications for 2009-10 Fellowship Programs, page 12. The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies is accepting applications for fellowship programs placing graduate students and professionals in Congressional offices and federal agencies for nine months. Fellowships range from $20,000 to $30,000 and include programs sponsored by the National Association of Realtors, State Farm, and other organizations, with an application deadline of May 31.
Obituaries
- James D. Houston, Author of ‘Manzanar’, Passes, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 15. James D. Houston, co-author with wife Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston of the classic memoir ‘Farewell to Manzanar,’ died at age 75 at his home in Santa Cruz, California. Houston convinced his wife that her family’s internment story deserved a broad audience, and the book has sold over 1.5 million copies and become a staple of school reading lists.
- Harry H. Tanabe, page 15. Harry Harushi Tanabe, 86, a WWII veteran who served in Counter Intelligence and received the Purple Heart, passed away in Washington, D.C. He is survived by his wife Miyako, six children, twelve grandchildren, and several siblings, and was an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
- Florice Kuwahara, page 15. Florice Kuniko Kuwahara, 90, died peacefully in Sacramento after a life that included internment at Amache, Colorado during WWII with her husband Sam. She was active in the Cortez JACL and Presbyterian Church and is survived by a sister, sisters-in-law, and numerous nieces and nephews.
- Sam Yamaguchi, page 15. Sam Yamaguchi, 85, a WWII veteran who served with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s Company F, passed away in San Diego on March 8. He is survived by his wife Laura and sister Jane Takeshita.
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