Vol. 155, No. 6, September 21, 2012. 8 pages. View this issue
The JACL national board’s meeting in San Francisco led the September 21, 2012 issue. Nalea J. Ko reported on technology upgrades for the national offices, the approval of Susan Yokohama as business manager for the Pacific Citizen, and funding for the Planned Giving Program. The In-Depth pages turned to Christine Ha, the first visually impaired contestant to win Fox’s MasterChef, interviewed by Leiloni De Gruy, and to MIT’s new reality series ChemLab Boot Camp.
Three commentaries ran on page 5. Gil Asakawa wrote about cosplay at Denver’s anime convention, John Tateishi looked at the shift from “Eurasian” to “hapa” and the Hapa Issues Forum, and Frances Kai-Hwa Wang wrote about Obon dancing. The obituaries recall lives touched by Heart Mountain, Topaz, Gila River and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- JACL Board Proceeds with Technology Upgrades, a Staff Hire and Funding for Planned Giving Program, by Nalea J. Ko, page 2. The JACL national board met in San Francisco to discuss technology upgrades across national offices, including a new accounting program, computer replacements, and software changes recommended by the Veng Group’s assessment. The board also approved hiring Susan Yokohama as business manager for the Pacific Citizen and authorized travel reimbursement for Steve Okamoto to develop the Planned Giving Program.
In-Depth
- First Visually Impaired Player on ‘MasterChef’ Cooks Up a Win, by Leiloni De Gruy, Pacific Citizen Contributor, page 3. Christine Ha, a Vietnamese American graduate student who is legally blind due to an autoimmune condition called NMO, became the first visually impaired contestant to win Fox’s ‘MasterChef.’ In an interview, she discusses the challenges of cooking with vision loss, her late mother’s influence on her cooking, and her message of hope to others facing disabilities.
- MIT Premieres New ‘Geek Fun’ Reality Series About a Chemistry Lab Class, by Nalea J. Ko, page 4. MIT freshmen enrolled in a chemistry lab course became the subjects of a new reality series, ‘ChemLab Boot Camp,’ which documents their transformation from novices into confident lab researchers over a four-week course. Students including Emily Yau and Hansol Kang describe the show’s blend of educational content and reality TV drama, aiming to inspire more young people toward science careers.
Commentary
- ‘Cosplay’ Is the Highlight of an Anime Convention, by Gil Asakawa, page 5. Gil Asakawa reflects on attending Nan Desu Kan, Denver’s anime convention, describing the elaborate cosplay costumes and the sold-out event’s 7,500 attendees. He argues that such conventions help build cultural relationships between Japan and the U.S., even as fans engage mostly with fictional pop culture rather than authentic traditions.
- Your ‘Eurasian’ Is My ‘Oriental’, by John Tateishi, page 5. John Tateishi discusses the generational and cultural shift from the term ‘Eurasian,’ which carried negative connotations of exoticism and exclusion, to ‘hapa,’ embraced by mixed-race Asian Americans as an empowering self-identifier. He recounts the history of the Hapa Issues Forum founded by Sheila Chung, which fought for acceptance of multiracial youth within the Japanese American community.
- Dancing to Summer Music Outdoors and at the Obon, by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, page 5. Frances Kai-Hwa Wang writes about enjoying outdoor summer concerts with her children and connects this to the tradition of Obon, the Japanese Buddhist festival honoring ancestors through community dance. She describes the multigenerational, communal nature of Obon dancing at Japanese American Buddhist temples, filled with food, taiko drumming, and traditional dance led by kimono-clad elders.
Obituaries
- Miwako Nishizu, page 7. Miwako Nishizu, 89, of Buena Park, CA, passed away July 4; she was born in Los Angeles and graduated from Belmont High School in 1941 before being incarcerated at Heart Mountain, Wyoming, where she met her future husband Henry. After the war she worked as a live-in nanny in St. Louis before returning to Los Angeles, marrying Henry in 1961, and is survived by her husband, three daughters, four grandchildren, and a brother.
- Yo Hironaka, page 7. Yo Hironaka, a longtime San Francisco resident who was incarcerated at Topaz during World War II, passed away Aug. 30, 2012, after decades of community volunteer service, including on the boards of the JCCCNC and San Francisco JACL. She organized the chapter’s annual health fair, served as a Deacon at Christ United Presbyterian Church, and is remembered for her strength, independence, and devotion to her community and family.
- Dan Uchimoto, page 7. Dan Uchimoto, 90, of Richmond, CA, died peacefully on Aug. 23, 2012; he grew up in Suisun Valley and was interned at Gila River during World War II before serving with the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Europe, earning the Bronze Star. After the war he earned degrees from UC Berkeley and worked as a public health chemist for the State of California for 25 years, and is survived by his wife Elsie, son William, grandchildren, and siblings.
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