The death of Pvt. Danny Chen, and Day of Remembrance season

Vol. 154, No. 2, February 3, 2012. 16 pages. View this issue

The case of Pvt. Danny Chen led this issue. Nalea J. Ko reported on Asian American advocates, including JACL and OCA, who demanded justice after an investigating officer recommended dropping the manslaughter charge in his death. Elsewhere, Japanese Americans who remembered the World War II incarceration (often called internment) voiced alarm at the National Defense Authorization Act. Barbara Takei compared a new bill to the 1944 Renunciation Act, and Nalea J. Ko wrote about George Takei’s turn on ‘Celebrity Apprentice.’

The paper also looked ahead to Day of Remembrance, with a Central California luncheon on Feb. 19, and covered Fred Korematsu Day. Christine McFadden described plans for a Jerome/Rohwer museum in McGehee, Arkansas. Pilgrimage notices covered Manzanar and Tule Lake, and the issue carried scholarship, internship and leadership program news from JACL. Letters on columnist James Kumpel filled page 2.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Columnist Kumpel Evokes Strong Reaction From Readers, by Kathy Biala, page 2. A reader criticizes JACL board member James Kumpel’s pro-Tea Party column as inappropriate partisanship for the Pacific Citizen, arguing the paper should remain above political divisions. She warns she may withdraw JACL support if the paper becomes a partisan political voice.
• Reader Feedback on James Kumpel’s Column, by Tracie Sasaki Seibert and Donald Gecewicz, page 2. Two readers offer opposing views on columnist James Kumpel, with one demanding his removal for alleged lies and another praising his columns as reason to renew JACL membership.
• Remembering Santa Anita Assembly Center, by Susan Matsumoto, page 2. A 90-year-old former incarceree recalls her family’s confinement at Santa Anita Assembly Center in 1942 before being transferred to Rohwer, describing conditions in the horse stables and mess hall. She asks whether a marker will ever be placed at Santa Anita to commemorate Japanese Americans held there.
• God Bless Our American Soldiers, by Nancy Sakurai, page 2. A Sansei former Pan Am stewardess recounts a 1962 encounter in Rome where Italian villagers recognized her as American because she resembled the soldiers who liberated their village during WWII. She reflects on the pride she feels for Japanese American Congressional Gold Medal honorees and the soldiers who saved European towns.
• Doesn’t National Council Decide the Location of Its Director?, by Shigeki J. Sugiyama, page 2. A past national JACL president questions whether the JACL Constitution still requires national council approval for headquarters location, recalling his role in building the San Francisco headquarters in the 1970s to prevent relocation to Los Angeles. He notes his surprise that the national director’s office was recently moved to Washington, D.C.
• Capture Your Family’s Food Culture Before It’s Too Late, by Gil Asakawa, page 8. Gil Asakawa reflects on the importance of preserving Japanese American culinary traditions as the Nisei generation ages, describing his mother’s homemade dishes like tofu, tempura and okara. He and his wife recently videotaped his mother preparing signature recipes and encourages other JAs to document their family food histories.
• Part 2: DVD and Two Books About Pearl Harbor, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Harry Honda shares reader responses about Japanese mini-submarines used in the attacks on Pearl Harbor and Sydney, including a firsthand account from a Kibei Nisei who witnessed submarine crew training in Japan. He also recounts stories from MIS veteran Allen Meyer about interrogating Japanese POWs after the war.
• Deporting ‘Troublemakers’ Redux, by Barbara Takei, page 16. Barbara Takei warns that new legislation, the Enemy Expatriation Act, echoes the 1944 Renunciation Act that stripped nearly 6,000 Japanese Americans of citizenship at Tule Lake during WWII. She calls for vigilance and advocacy during Day of Remembrance season to prevent similar civil rights abuses under the National Defense Authorization Act.

National

• AA Advocates Demand Justice for Private Danny Chen, by Nalea J. Ko, page 3. Asian American advocates expressed outrage after a military investigating officer recommended dropping the manslaughter charge against a soldier accused in the death of Pvt. Danny Chen, who allegedly endured racial harassment before his death in Afghanistan. JACL, OCA and other groups met with Army officials to discuss diversity training and are also drawing parallels to the hazing death of Marine Lance Cpl. Harry Lew.
• JAs Wary of Obama’s Signing of Nat’l Defense Authorization Act, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 6. Japanese Americans, recalling WWII incarceration, expressed alarm after President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act allowing indefinite detention of U.S. citizens suspected of terrorism. National JACL Director Floyd Mori criticized Obama for caving to political pressure despite earlier promising to veto the bill.
• Korean Americans Protest Racist Remarks by ‘The John and Ken Show’, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 6. Members of San Fernando Valley JACL joined Korean American organizations in a Jan. 19 protest against racist comments made by hosts of a Los Angeles talk radio show about Korean American painters. Groups are demanding advertisers pull support and that the show be taken off the air.
• JAVA Proposes U.S. Postage Stamps Featuring Congressional Gold Medal Awardees, page 7. The Japanese American Veterans Association has proposed a commemorative stamp series honoring WWII military units awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, including the 100th/442nd/MIS, Tuskegee Airmen, WASP and Navajo Code Talkers. The proposal has been endorsed by the Japanese American WWII Veterans Stamp Campaign and awaits U.S. Postal Service review.
• Chicago Police Arrest Seven in YouTube Beating of Asian American Teen, by Associated Press, page 7. Seven teenagers were arrested in Chicago for the videotaped beating and robbery of a 17-year-old Asian American student, during which attackers used racial slurs. Police say the attack was motivated by robbery rather than race, though anti-violence advocates dispute that characterization.
• AAs Celebrate Fred Korematsu Day, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 10. Asian Americans nationwide marked California’s second annual Fred Korematsu Day on Jan. 30, honoring the civil rights icon who challenged Japanese American incarceration during WWII. Events included a Pasadena ceremony and the unveiling of Korematsu portraits at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
• National Newsbytes, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 10. Brief news items cover New York’s proposed Asian-majority election districts, San Francisco subway expansion approval, a Chandler, Arizona park renamed Nozomi Park to honor Japanese American history, California Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi’s shoplifting case, and a CDC study on cancer screening disparities among Asian Americans and Hispanics.
• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 11. Briefs cover Korean American Phillip Kwon’s nomination to the New Jersey Supreme Court, Broward County’s first Asian American judge, Mee Moua’s appointment to lead the Asian American Justice Center, and honors for Stephanie Otani-Sunamoto, Dr. Hisashi Kajikuri and athlete Sachi Siegelman. Each item highlights notable achievements by Asian Pacific Americans.

In-Depth

• Town of McGehee, Arkansas Determined to Build Jerome/Rohwer Internment Museum, by Christine McFadden, Correspondent, page 4. McGehee Mayor Jack May, who is not Japanese American, has spent years raising nearly $767,000 to build a museum honoring internees of the nearby Rohwer and Jerome WWII camps. Organizers hope to open the museum by the end of 2012 and are working to locate former internees and their families to invite them back.
• Celebrating the Year of the Dragon: Asian Americans Ring in the New Year, by Nalea J. Ko, Reporter, page 5. Japanese, Chinese and other Asian American families share how they celebrate their respective New Year traditions, from mochi-making and ozoni soup to visiting Shinto shrines and exchanging red envelopes. Interviewees reflect on how meanings behind traditional foods and rituals have evolved across generations while family togetherness remains central.

JACL

• JACL Announces Power of Words Committee, page 7. National JACL announced the members of its new Power of Words Committee, tasked with promoting accurate terminology for the Japanese American WWII incarceration experience. The committee was formed following resolutions passed at the 2010 and 2011 national JACL conventions.
• John Moy & Southwest Airlines Congressional Internship Program, page 12. National JACL is accepting applications for its congressional internship program, which places interns in congressional offices to gain experience in AAPI policy issues. The program, funded by JACL supporter John Moy, offers two paid eight-week internships beginning Winter 2012.
• The JACL/OCA Leadership Summit Is March 10-13, page 12. National JACL announced its 2012 JACL/OCA Washington, D.C. Leadership Summit will take place March 10-13, bringing together 30 emerging leaders to learn about national public policy issues affecting Asian Americans. The joint program is organized with OCA.

Arts & Entertainment

• George Takei Hits the Boardroom in NBC’s ‘Celebrity Apprentice’, by Nalea J. Ko, Reporter, page 9. Actor George Takei is competing on the fifth season of ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ to win $250,000 for the Japanese American National Museum, where he serves as chairman emeritus. Takei discusses his fellow celebrity contestants, his background in real estate, and his upcoming stage musical ‘Allegiance’ about the WWII Japanese American experience.

Community

• JACL CCDC to Honor WWII Veterans at Day of Remembrance Ceremony, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 10. The Central California District of JACL will award replica Congressional Gold Medals to local WWII Nisei veterans at its Feb. 19 Day of Remembrance luncheon in Clovis. The event, funded by a grant from the Nisei Farmers League, honors veterans who could not travel to Washington, D.C. for the national ceremony.
• 43rd Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage Set, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 11. The 43rd Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage, sponsored by the Manzanar Committee, will take place April 28 at the Manzanar National Historic Site, including an evening Manzanar At Dusk program in Lone Pine. Hundreds of students, community members and former incarcerees are expected to attend.
• ‘Understanding No-No and Renunciation’ Is Theme for 2012 Tule Lake Pilgrimage, page 11. The 19th Tule Lake Pilgrimage, scheduled for June 30-July 3, will focus on Japanese Americans who resisted the loyalty questionnaire and those who renounced their U.S. citizenship while segregated at Tule Lake. Registration is now open with discounted fees for low-income participants and free registration for former internees over 80.
• Nat’l JACL Kicks Off 2012 Scholarship Program, page 12. National JACL will again distribute more than $70,000 in scholarships to approximately 30 students in 2012, covering freshmen, undergraduates, graduates, law and creative arts categories. Applications must be submitted through local chapters or directly, with an April 1 postmark deadline.
• Chicago JACL’s Project: Community! Now Accepting Applications, page 12. Chicago JACL is accepting applications for Project: Community!, a leadership and cultural awareness program for Japanese American high school students featuring workshops on JA history, discrimination and identity. Sessions will run on Saturdays in March and April, with applications due Feb. 10.
• Prominent JAs Selected for Leadership Delegation to Japan, page 13. Ten Japanese American leaders were selected for the twelfth Japanese American Leadership Delegation, sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and organized by the U.S.-Japan Council. For the first time, delegates will visit Sendai to show support for the region devastated by the 2011 earthquake, in addition to meetings in Tokyo.
• UCLA Asian American Studies Center Announces Aratani CARE Grants, page 13. The UCLA Asian American Studies Center announced that applications are open for the George and Sakaye Aratani Community Advancement Research Endowment grants, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. The grants aim to strengthen ties between Japanese American communities and UCLA, with applications due March 9.

Obituaries

• Kay Obayashi, page 15. Kay Obayashi passed away January 7, 2012 at age 92 after a brief illness, having lived in Gardena and Long Beach where he worked as a businessman until retiring in the late 1990s. He is survived by his sister, brother, and several nieces and extended family.
• Lillian Yuriko Tateishi, page 15. Lillian Yuriko Tateishi passed away January 24, 2012 in Culver City, remembered for graduating valedictorian in 1931 but being denied the chance to give her graduation speech due to her Japanese ancestry. She endured incarceration at Manzanar while raising four sons alone after her husband was sent to an interrogation center, and remained active in her church throughout her life.
• Yemiko Nobusada, page 15. Yemiko ‘Amy’ Nobusada, 96, of Monterey passed away January 7, 2012, having been interned at Gila, Arizona during WWII with her husband Kay before settling on the Monterey peninsula. She is survived by her sister, two children, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

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