Same-sex marriage, census challenges and Japanese Latin American testimony

Vol. 148, No. 6, April 3, 2009. 16 pages. View this issue

Marriage equality and the state-by-state debate over it ran through the news pages. Hawaii lawmakers killed a civil union bill, and JACL Honolulu vowed to keep up the fight. Leslie K. Tamura reported on a House hearing where Japanese Latin Americans, with advocates such as Grace Shimizu, spoke about their wartime treatment and urged passage of H.R. 42. Other stories looked at the 2010 Census and fears of an undercount, and at Iowa teen Lori Phanachone, who was suspended after refusing to retake an English language test. In commentary, John Tateishi wrote about a forgotten redress check and what redress was really about.

Also inside: a reader’s letter objecting to Rep. Mike Honda’s use of a racial slur in a tweet, a piece on Gary Locke’s confirmation as commerce secretary, and Congress authorizing a special study of the Tule Lake Segregation Center. Community news covered the Bainbridge Island memorial breaking ground on phase 2 and an Oregon committee’s support for a stamp honoring Nisei veterans.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Appalled: Honda’s Use of Slur on Twitter Draws Criticism, page 2. A reader writes to express dismay that Rep. Mike Honda used the term ‘Jap’ in a tweet responding to McCain about the San Jose Japanese Museum. The letter writer contrasts this with JACL’s decades-long effort to remove the slur from written and spoken communication, noting the irony given a related story about a WWII display using similar language.
• A Sense of Identity and Purpose, by Justine Kondo, page 2. Justine Kondo reflects on how the Pacific Citizen has given her a sense of identity and connection to the national JA community, recounting how the paper covered issues her college peers were unaware of. She urges readers to donate to the Spring Campaign to support the newspaper’s continued operation amid budget cuts and a tough economy.
• Proving a Point, by John Tateishi, page 8. John Tateishi recounts a story about a forgotten $20,000 redress check found in an attic, using it to reflect on the Redress Movement’s true purpose. He argues that for Japanese Americans, redress was always fundamentally about honor and acknowledgment of injustice rather than money.
• One Millimeter, by Yumi Sakugawa, page 8. Yumi Sakugawa describes her volunteer work at the Museum of Tolerance and how confronting humanity’s darkest moments alongside stories of courage and redemption has shaped her worldview. She reflects on the challenge of opening one’s heart to care for strangers suffering injustice around the world.

National

• Japanese Latin Americans Bring Their ‘Suppressed’ Stories to the Hill, by Leslie K. Tamura, page 3. A House Judiciary subcommittee heard testimony on March 19 about the wartime internment, relocation and deportation of nearly 2,500 Japanese Latin Americans by the U.S. government during WWII, in support of H.R. 42 which would create a fact-finding commission. Advocates including Grace Shimizu stressed the urgency of passing the bill given the economy and the dwindling number of surviving internees who can testify.
• 2010 Census: New Challenges Arise for Asian Pacific Americans, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 4. As the 2010 Census approaches, APA leaders and advocacy groups warn that historic undercounting of minorities could worsen due to immigration fears, economic troubles, and budget cuts, despite new bilingual forms and outreach efforts by the Census Bureau. JACL leaders including Floyd Mori urge members to get involved to ensure an accurate count that affects federal funding and political representation.
• Battle for Marriage Equality Crosses State Borders, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 5. Hawaii lawmakers killed a same-sex civil union bill, HB 444, disappointing JACL Honolulu and other advocates, while New England states like Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine consider their own same-sex marriage legislation. JACL continues to support marriage equality nationally, having filed an amicus brief against California’s Proposition 8.
• Iowa Teen Takes on School’s English Language Tests, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 6. Lori Phanachone, a high-achieving Laotian American student in Storm Lake, Iowa, was suspended after refusing to retake an English language assessment test she found demeaning despite her straight-A record. Advocates from AALDEF are working with school officials to clear her record and clarify the district’s flawed English Language Learner classification procedures.
• States Take Up Marriage Equality Issue, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. This roundup covers same-sex marriage and civil union developments in Colorado, Gainesville Fla., and New York City, alongside continued fallout from Hawaii’s failed civil union bill. JACL Honolulu vows to continue the fight for equal rights.
• JACL NY/SC Successfully Combats Hate, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. The JACL National Youth/Student Council helped get racist and anti-gay graffiti, including slurs, removed from Great River School in St. Paul, Minn. The council will hold its biennial National Youth Conference at Macalester College in June.
• Unpaid Wage Complaints on Rise for Immigrants, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. A Government Accountability Office investigation found the Labor Department’s wage and hour division is failing to adequately protect vulnerable immigrant workers from wage theft. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis has pledged to increase enforcement.
• APA Reps. Urge Obama to Reform Immigration, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. APA lawmakers led by Rep. Mike Honda urged President Obama to prioritize immigration reform, citing a backlog leaving two million APAs waiting to reunite with family. Concerns were also raised about DHS treatment of detainees and lack of due process.
• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. This roundup covers Harold Hongju Koh and Florence Pan’s nominations to key administration posts, softball player Courtney Davis’s conference honor, four JA women honored as 2009 Women of the Year, John Yasumoto’s retirement from JACL Health Benefits Administrators, and a 2010 calendar benefiting APA health care.
• After Saberi, Two APA Journalists are Detained in North Korea, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 7. Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were detained by North Korea while reporting near the Chinese border, adding to concerns already raised by the ongoing detention of journalist Roxana Saberi in Iran. JACL leaders including Floyd Mori and Larry Oda have called for the journalists’ release.
• Locke Becomes the First Chinese American U.S. Commerce Secretary, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 7. Gary Locke was confirmed by the Senate as the nation’s 36th commerce secretary, becoming the first Chinese American to hold the post and previously the first Chinese American governor in U.S. history. He pledged to focus on job creation and economic recovery while also overseeing the 2010 census.
• Grassley: ‘Of Course I Don’t Want Anybody to Take Their Life’, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 11. Sen. Charles Grassley backtracked after suggesting corporate executives should ‘follow the Japanese example’ and commit suicide, following criticism from JACL and Rep. Mike Honda that the remarks reinforced harmful stereotypes about Asian culture. Grassley clarified he meant only to call for more formal apologies from executives of failing companies.

Community

• Non-Profits Tackle Development Projects, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. Little Tokyo Service Center released renderings of its planned Little Tokyo Recreational Center and secured a $200,000 federal grant to clean up an old oil field site for new residential lofts. LTSC will partner with the Pilipino Workers Center on the project.
• New Mall Reflects APA Community’s Growth, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. A new 44,000-square-foot Asian-themed shopping center is set to open in Harrisburg, Pa., reflecting significant growth in the local APA population. Census figures show a 126 percent increase in Asian residents in the area since 1990.
• Oregon House Committee Approves Bill for Nisei Vets Stamp, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 11. An Oregon House Committee approved legislation urging the U.S. Postmaster General to issue a commemorative stamp honoring Nisei WWII veterans, joining Hawaii, California and Illinois in passing similar measures. The 442nd Regiment/100th Battalion was the most decorated unit for its size in U.S. military history.
• APA Group Demands Apology From a Jonas Brother, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 11. The Media Action Network for Asian Americans is calling on Joe Jonas to apologize for a leaked photo allegedly showing him making an anti-Asian eye gesture. JACL youth leaders called the incident disheartening, especially coming soon after a similar controversy involving Miley Cyrus.
• Bainbridge Island JA Memorial Breaks Ground on Phase 2, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 12. Fumiko Hayashida, one of the first Japanese Americans forcibly evacuated from Bainbridge Island in 1942, helped break ground on phase 2 of the island’s JA Memorial 67 years to the day later. The new phase will include a memorial walk and a 272-foot story wall telling the history of the island’s interned JA residents.
• Calif. Bill For Nisei College Degree Clears Education Committee, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 12. California’s AB 37, which would grant honorary retroactive college degrees to Japanese Americans whose education was interrupted by WWII internment, passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee unanimously. JACL National Director Floyd Mori testified in support, calling the measure overdue rectification of a historic wrong.
• Passage of Omnibus Bill Authorizes Special Study for Tule Lake, page 13. Congress passed HR 146, the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, authorizing the National Park Service to conduct a special resource study of the Tule Lake Segregation Center, the largest WWII internment camp. JACL leaders thanked congressional sponsors including Sen. Dianne Feinstein for their work conserving the historic site.
• Sonoma County JACL Speakers’ Bureau Continues Telling Nisei Stories, page 13. The Sonoma County JACL developed a 15-member speakers’ bureau, mostly composed of Sansei and Yonsei volunteers, to continue sharing Nisei WWII internment stories in local schools as the number of living Nisei declines. The bureau uses a customizable PowerPoint presentation with historical photos developed from the chapter’s earlier ‘Giri Oral History Project.’

Arts & Entertainment

• ‘Live a Simple Life and Act’, by Lynda Lin, page 9. Actor Sung Kang discusses his career resurgence with ‘Fast & Furious’ and his frustration with being typecast in stereotypical Asian gangster roles despite his leading-man appeal. He also runs his own restaurant, Saketini, as a practical hedge against Hollywood’s uncertainties while hoping for more diverse roles in the future.

Sports

• Ruki Nakamura: From Judo Mats to the NFL, page 10. Baltimore Ravens safety Haruki ‘Ruki’ Nakamura reflects on his rookie season, his family’s judo legacy, and the loss of his father who died of cancer when Ruki was five. Raised by his mother with strong ‘konjo’ fighting spirit, Ruki has become one of the few Asian Pacific Americans in the NFL and looks forward to shedding his rookie status.

Obituaries

• Shinkichi Tajiri, Renowned Sculptor and 442nd Veteran, page 15. Sculptor Shinkichi Tajiri, who was interned at Santa Anita and Poston during WWII and later wounded serving with the 442nd RCT, died at his home in Baarlo, Holland at age 85 from pancreatic cancer. Internationally recognized for his monumental sculptures, he was knighted in the Order of the Dutch Lion by Queen Beatrix.
• Richard Aoki, Charter Member of Black Panthers, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 15. Richard Aoki, a charter member of the Black Panther Party who helped organize its initial rallies and provided arms used to patrol against police brutality, passed away March 15 at his home. He was also a key figure in UC Berkeley’s 1969 Third World Liberation Front Strike, which led to the founding of ethnic studies at the university.
• Daniel Sakai, Rising Oakland Police Star, Dies in the Line of Duty, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 15. Oakland police Sgt. Daniel Sakai, 35, was one of four officers killed in a March 21 gun battle with a parolee, having recently been named a leader of the SWAT entry team. A UC Berkeley graduate and former K-9 officer, he is survived by his wife Jennifer, a UC Berkeley police officer, and their young daughter.

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