Asian Americans and HIV/AIDS, plus Day of Remembrance and a hazing verdict

Vol. 154, No. 3, February 17, 2012. 16 pages. View this issue

The stigma of HIV/AIDS in Asian Pacific American communities led the news. Nalea J. Ko’s feature followed a woman named Sara, a gay Filipino American man named Henry, and the Nakatani family, who lost two sons to AIDS. Christine Fukushima reported on the search for bone marrow matches for Asian American leukemia patients. Christine McFadden asked what Day of Remembrance, which marks Executive Order 9066, means to Japanese American youth.

Elsewhere, John Tateishi explained the history of the JACL eagle logo, and the national JACL convention was announced for July 5 to 8 in Bellevue, Washington. News pages covered Rep. Pete Hoekstra’s Super Bowl ad, the not guilty verdict in the Harry Lew hazing case, and the Prop. 8 ruling. Sam Mihara’s Heart Mountain photographs and memories also appeared, along with Jeremy Lin’s rise with the Knicks and the web series Nice Girls Crew.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• National JACL Convention Set for July 5 to 8 in Bellevue, Washington, by National JACL Convention Planning Committee, page 2. The annual national JACL convention will be held July 5 to 8 in Bellevue, Washington at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue, sponsored by the Seattle chapter with support from Lake Washington and Puyallup chapters. The theme ‘Inform, Transform, Perform’ will feature workshops, entertainment, a Health and Wellness Fair, and participation from the National Youth/Student Council.

Commentary

• Thank You 442nd!, by Michael Watabe, page 2. A letter writer recounts a trip to Italy where local restaurant guests near Bologna quietly discussed his resemblance in age to the Japanese American 442nd soldiers who liberated their villages during WWII. The guests thanked him and his companion with an ovation as they left, honoring the memory of those soldiers.
• RE: ‘The Tea Party vs. Herd Mentality’, by Jean-Paul deGuzman, page 2. A letter writer offers a rejoinder to a previous column defending the Tea Party, arguing that its rhetoric carries racialized undertones on issues like immigration and Obama’s birth certificate. The writer contends that the Occupy Wall Street movement is instead grounded in legitimate concerns about economic inequality and government policies favoring corporate interests.
• For the Record: JACL Logo, by John Tateishi, page 8. Former JACL national director John Tateishi recounts the history of the JACL’s eagle logo, whose head was deliberately turned to face left—contrary to standard American eagle imagery—as a symbolic protest against the WWII internment, per a decision made by Mike Masaoka’s generation of leaders. Tateishi describes wearing the pin during the Redress campaign as a conversation starter that led to countless discussions about internment and redress with strangers.
• China as the Bogeyman and Other Myths, by James Kumpel, page 8. Kumpel argues that blaming China for America’s economic problems is misguided, tracing decades of U.S. policy encouraging Chinese economic development and noting that U.S. debt and deficits stem from domestic policy choices rather than Chinese manipulation. He criticizes Rep. Pete Hoekstra’s racially charged campaign ad as reminiscent of the anti-Japanese sentiment that led to Vincent Chin’s 1982 murder.

In-Depth

• Out of the Darkness: Asian Americans Confront the Stigma of HIV/AIDS, by Nalea J. Ko, Reporter, page 3. This feature explores how Asian Pacific Americans living with HIV/AIDS face heightened stigma within their communities, through the stories of a heterosexual woman named Sara, a gay Filipino American man named Henry, and the Nakatani family who lost two sons to AIDS. Healthcare workers discuss the challenges of testing, awareness, and care access for APAs, as well as concerns about how healthcare reform will affect HIV/AIDS treatment going forward.
• Searching for the Perfect Bone Marrow Match for Asian American Leukemia Patients, by Christine Fukushima, Correspondent, page 4. The article details the difficulties Asian American leukemia patients face finding compatible bone marrow donors due to low registry numbers, following the stories of patients Janet Liang and Jack Chin and the volunteers organizing donor drives for them. It highlights the National Marrow Donor Program’s Be The Match Registry and the cultural barriers that keep Asian Americans from joining.
• What Day of Remembrance Means to Today’s JA Youth, by Christine McFadden, Correspondent, page 5. The article examines how younger generations of Japanese Americans relate to Day of Remembrance ceremonies commemorating Executive Order 9066, featuring perspectives from Katie Hirai Niemann, Laura Ng, Robert Hegwood, and Connie Masuoka. While some youth attend out of family tradition or academic interest, others worry that many young people remain disconnected from the history and its relevance today.
• The Japanese American Powerlifting Grandmother, by Nalea J. Ko, Reporter, page 6. Stephanie Misaki Whiting, a 63-year-old grandmother from Kauai, has been powerlifting for three decades despite her small frame, once squatting 210 pounds and deadlifting 237 pounds. The article traces her path from an aerobics class at a Wisconsin YMCA to national coaching certification and international competitions, along with her family’s history including internment at Tule Lake.

National

• Asian Americans Express Disgust With Xenophobic Rep. Hoekstra Advertisement During Superbowl, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Michigan Republican Pete Hoekstra faced widespread criticism after airing a Superbowl ad featuring a stereotypical Asian actress criticizing his opponent, evoking painful memories of anti-Asian sentiment in Michigan tied to the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin. Groups including JACL and Rep. Judy Chu condemned the ad and called for a formal apology, though Hoekstra only removed it from rotation without apologizing.
• Marine Not Guilty in Lance Cpl. Harry Lee Hazing Case, by Associated Press, page 7. A military jury found Sgt. Benjamin Johns not guilty of hazing charges related to the death of Lance Cpl. Harry Lew, who killed himself after enduring hazing at a base in Afghanistan. Rep. Judy Chu, Lew’s aunt, called the verdict a travesty and has pushed for congressional hearings on military hazing prevention.
• Federal Appeals Court Rules Calif.’s Prop. 8 Is Unconstitutional, by Associated Press and Pacific Citizen Staff, page 10. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that California’s Proposition 8 same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional, a decision celebrated by actor George Takei and Asian American civil rights organizations including JACL. The ruling is expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and gay marriages remain on hold in California pending further proceedings.
• National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff, page 10. This roundup covers several national stories: a federal investigation into alleged discrimination against Asian Americans in admissions at Harvard and Princeton; a legal challenge to California’s shark fin ban; a study showing Asian Americans remain underrepresented on Broadway; and growing Asian immigrant populations in Frederick County, Maryland and near Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.
• Ceded Lands Settlement Discussed, by Treena Shapiro, Associated Press, page 11. Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees urged lawmakers to approve a $200 million real estate settlement over longstanding ceded lands claims, which would transfer land near Kakaako Waterfront Park to OHA in exchange for waiving claims from 1978 through 2012. This marks the second attempt at such a settlement since 2008, with OHA working harder this time to gain support from Native Hawaiian beneficiaries.
• Marine Hazing, page 16. This continuation piece details the events leading to Lance Cpl. Harry Lew’s suicide, including being forced to dig a foxhole and being assaulted by Lance Cpl. Jacoby, who received a 30-day sentence after pleading guilty. A third Marine, Lance Cpl. Carlos Orozco III, faces pending charges of assault and maltreatment in the case.

Arts & Entertainment

• Nice Girls Crew—Not Your Grandmother’s Book Club, by Nalea J. Ko, Reporter, page 9. Actresses Sheetal Sheth, Michelle Krusiec, and Lynn Chen star in “Nice Girls Crew,” a new comedy web series produced by CAAM about a raunchy book club whose members discuss everything but books. The series, created by Christine Kwon, will premiere at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival in March.

Community

• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 11. This roundup highlights several notable Asian Pacific Americans: the El Cerrito City Council honored the late community activist Ernest Iiyama; Colonel Paul M. Nakasone was promoted to brigadier general, becoming the 45th Japanese American to reach flag rank; Tom Hayashi was named OCA’s new executive director; University of Hawaii professor Eric Yamamoto was honored for his civil rights legal work; and Michelle Kwan was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame.
• JANM Announces Remembrance Project, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The Japanese American National Museum is launching the Remembrance Project, an online initiative collecting personal stories from those affected by Executive Order 9066 to mark its 70th anniversary. The project will feature a public service announcement premiering at JANM on Feb. 18, with celebrity supporters like George Takei participating.
• Veteran JACLer Frank Sakamoto Wins Minoru Yasui Award in Denver, by ‘My P.C.’ Contributor, page 12. Frank Sakamoto, a longtime JACL member and Mile-Hi chapter board member, has been named the March recipient of the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award in Denver for his decades of service to JACL and the Japanese American Association of Colorado. Sakamoto, a retired optometrist, recalled personally fitting Minoru Yasui with contact lenses when they met in 1962.
• Milwaukee Mayor Presents City Proclamations to Nisei WWII Vets, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett honored local Nisei WWII veterans Ronald Minami, Susumu Musashi, and Tamio Suyama with city proclamations at the Wisconsin JACL’s inaugural luncheon, recognizing their receipt of the Congressional Gold Medal. Japanese Consul General Yoshifumi Okamura also spoke about Japanese resilience following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
• JAVA Memorial Scholarships for H.S. Grads Now Available, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 12. The Japanese American Veterans Association is offering eight $1,500 scholarships to graduating high school students related to veterans of the 100th, 442nd, MIS, or other armed services members, with applications due May 1. The scholarships honor several notable individuals including Orville Shirey, Col. Phil Sunao Ishio, and Mike and Etsu Masaoka.
• Former Heart Mountain Internee Offers Pictures, by Don Amend, Powell Tribune, page 16. Sam Mihara, who was interned at Heart Mountain as a 12-year-old, returned to the site six decades later and began sharing his collected photographs and memories after being encouraged by Shirley Higuchi at the Interpretive Learning Center’s grand opening. His presentation covered his family’s hardships in camp, including his father’s blindness and grandfather’s death, as well as the changed attitudes he encountered upon returning to Cody, Wyoming.

Sports

• Jeremy Lin Becomes NBA’s Newest Sensation, Boosting Asian TV Ratings, by Associated Press, page 13. Taiwanese American Jeremy Lin has rapidly become a basketball sensation, leading the New York Knicks to key wins and prompting Asian TV networks to add Knicks games to their broadcast schedules. Lin scored 23 points with a career-high 10 assists against the Washington Wizards, drawing enthusiastic crowds waving Taiwanese flags.

Obituaries

• Henry K. Sakai, page 15. Henry K. Sakai, 86, died January 27, 2012, survived by his children Lisa, Jay, and James Todd, and grandchildren Joseph, Alexandra and Emily. Memorial donations were directed to the Chicago JACL Mary Sakai Scholarship Fund or the American Lung Association, with visitation and interment held in Chicago.

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