Women warriors of World War II and a push for civil rights

Vol. 148, No. 9, May 15, 2009. 16 pages. View this issue

Asian Pacific American women who served in World War II were the subject of the main feature, by Lynda Lin, which profiled nurses, translators and pilots such as Maggie Gee, Sue Kato, Chito Isonaga and Hazel Toy Nakashima. Civil rights ran through the news pages: the House passed a federal hate crimes bill, JACL opposed a Texas voter ID bill, and Floyd Mori reported on JACL’s work in Washington, D.C. Lt. Dan Choi’s fight against his Army dismissal also made news.

A reader, Hisa Sakiyama, wrote about her family’s incarceration journey through Arboga, Tule Lake and Heart Mountain. Other pieces covered the casting of white actors in The Last Airbender, Hawaii’s ceded lands and the Akaka Bill, immigration rallies on May 1, and California’s AB 37 on honorary degrees for Japanese Americans whose studies were disrupted. Ted Namba and Harry Honda wrote about the Pacific Citizen itself and its new website.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Happenings in the JACL, by Floyd Mori, page 2. National JACL Director Floyd Mori reports on upcoming events including the National JACL Gala Dinner in Washington, D.C. honoring JA veterans, the final Student/Youth Conference in St. Paul, and grant work led by Craig Ishii. He also touches on legislative priorities such as the hate crimes bill, redress for Japanese Latin Americans, the Nisei stamp campaign, and the release of journalist Roxana Saberi.
• JACL Urges Continued Funding for Disadvantaged AAPI Students, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. JACL joined the National Education Association in calling on Congress to continue funding the Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution Program, which helps colleges serve low-income AAPI students. JACL leaders Floyd Mori and Larry Oda emphasized the ongoing financial barriers facing many in the AAPI community despite overall educational gains.
• JACL Announces Study That Will Explore Experiences of JAs, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 12. JACL received a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to fund a study on Japanese American immigration and acculturation experiences, led by Dana Nakano and Tim Koide. The project will survey JACL members to examine contemporary JA identity amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment.
• JACL Seeks Applicants for Ford Fellowship, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 13. JACL is accepting applications for its Ford Program Fellowship in the Midwest Office in Chicago, aimed at a recent college graduate interested in civil rights and community work. The one-year, full-time fellowship will focus on JACL’s anti-hate, leadership and education programs and planning for the 2010 National Convention.

Commentary

• Reader Remembers Arboga, by Hisa Sakiyama, page 2. A reader from Los Angeles writes to thank the Pacific Citizen for its article on the Arboga Assembly Center, recalling her family’s internment journey from Florin to Arboga, Tule Lake, and Heart Mountain. She reflects on marrying and having her first child while in camp before eventually returning to Los Angeles.
• Let’s Provide the P.C. With a ‘Stimulus Package’, by Ted Namba, page 2. Ted Namba appeals to JACL members to support the Pacific Citizen’s Spring Campaign, noting how the recession has forced budget cuts across nonprofits including JACL. He shares a survey of JACL members from across the country praising the paper’s coverage and improved website.
• Have You Seen P.C.’s New Web Site?, by Harry Honda, page 8. Editor emeritus Harry Honda reviews the redesigned Pacific Citizen website, describing its navigation categories, links to APA organizations and JACL chapters, and features like the ‘P.C. Beat’ blog. He highlights the site’s growth since 2005 and its role in delivering multimedia content beyond print.
• Screaming ‘Fire!’ on National Television, by Peter Shigeki Frandsen, page 8. Columnist Peter Shigeki Frandsen criticizes cable news pundits like Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity (and their liberal counterparts) for stoking outrage for ratings rather than substantive discussion. He argues that this partisan sensationalism undermines honest political discourse despite being protected by the First Amendment.

In-Depth

• APA Women Warriors of World War II, by Lynda Lin, page 3. This feature profiles Asian Pacific American women who served in WWII as nurses, translators and pilots, including Sue Kato of the WAC, pilot Maggie Gee of the WASP, Chito Isonaga, and Hazel Toy Nakashima. It explores how these women defied gender and racial norms to serve their country, and how their stories are at risk of being forgotten as their numbers dwindle.
• Iraq Vet Trains for Ironman in Honor of Fallen Comrade, by Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, page 4. Korean American Iraq War veteran Robert Seo is training in South America to compete in an Ironman triathlon in Brazil in memory of his fallen friend Gregory MacDonald. Seo is using the effort to raise funds and awareness for homeless veterans through the Jericho Project.

National

• Lt. Dan Choi to Fight His Army Dismissal, by Lynda Lin, page 5. Iraq war veteran Lt. Dan Choi is being discharged from the New York Army National Guard after publicly disclosing he is gay, and he has vowed to fight the dismissal rather than resign. Choi’s case has become central to the national debate over the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, which several members of Congress are seeking to repeal.
• Justice Dept. Won’t Retry Lt. Ehren Watada Case, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 5. The Justice Department has dropped its effort to retry Army Lt. Ehren Watada, the first commissioned officer court-martialed for refusing deployment to Iraq, after a mistrial and a ruling barring retrial on double jeopardy grounds. Watada’s attorney says he plans to leave the Army and attend law school, though two lesser charges remain unresolved.
• U.S. Journalist Roxana Saberi Freed from Iran, Reunited with Parents, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 6. Journalist Roxana Saberi, an American of Japanese and Iranian descent, was released from an Iranian prison after her espionage sentence was reduced, reuniting with her parents in Tehran. JACL and other APA groups praised the release, though concerns remain for two other detained American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, held in North Korea.
• Hawaii Moves to Prevent Ceded Land Sales, by Mark Niesse, Associated Press Writer, page 6. Hawaii lawmakers passed a bill requiring a two-thirds majority vote in both legislative chambers before ceded lands can be sold, effectively creating a near-moratorium. The measure responds to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and settles part of a long-running lawsuit over the sale of former Hawaiian monarchy lands.
• Bill to Recognize Native Hawaiians Reintroduced, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 6. Hawaii’s congressional delegation reintroduced the Akaka Bill, which would grant federal recognition to Native Hawaiians similar to that given to American Indian tribes. The bill was previously shelved after President George W. Bush threatened a veto in 2007.
• Scams Target Chinatown Business Owners, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 6. Chinatown business owners in Philadelphia are being targeted with extortion phone scams threatening to kidnap family members or damage property unless money is wired. Police urge victims to hang up and record the caller’s number before contacting authorities.
• German Minister: Need More Info on Gitmo Inmates, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 6. Germany says it needs more information from the U.S. before deciding whether to accept a group of Guantanamo detainees, including Chinese Muslim Uighurs. The request comes as President Obama has ordered the closure of the Guantanamo prison within nine months.
• Hawaii Lawmakers Delay Action on Same-sex Civil Unions Bill, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 6. The Hawaii state Senate postponed a decision on a same-sex civil unions bill until the next legislative session in January. The delay came after senators amended legislation that had been revived following an earlier unsuccessful push to bring it to a vote.
• Middle Schoolers Accused of Rape Threats Against APA Girl, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 6. Two middle school students in Boulder were arrested for allegedly making threatening, racially charged calls threatening to rape a 12-year-old Asian Pacific American girl. A third suspect, age 10, may also face arrest, and police have not released the school’s name.
• Bush Attorney Who Wrote Terror Memo Faces Backlash, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Former Bush administration attorney John Yoo faces growing pressure and calls for disbarment over memos he wrote supporting harsh interrogation techniques. Justice Department investigators have stopped short of recommending criminal charges but suggest professional sanctions may be warranted.
• Calif. Assemblyman Says He’ll Challenge Loretta Sanchez, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. California Assemblyman Van Tran, the first Vietnamese American elected to the state legislature, announced plans to challenge Rep. Loretta Sanchez in 2010. Tran believes the struggling economy makes Orange County’s 47th Congressional District ripe for a Republican challenge.
• Texas Voter ID Bill Passes House Committee, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 7. A Texas House committee approved strict new voter ID legislation opposed by JACL, which warns it could disproportionately affect Asian Americans, the poor, elderly and disabled voters. JACL President Larry Oda and National Director Floyd Mori voiced strong opposition, citing the organization’s civil rights history.
• House Passes Federal Hate Crimes Legislation, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 11. The House passed an expanded federal hate crimes bill adding protections based on sexual orientation, gender identity and disability, drawing praise from JACL and criticism from conservative opponents. JACL leaders Larry Oda and Floyd Mori urged Senate passage, calling it long overdue civil rights legislation.
• Bill to Extend Honorary Degrees to Former JA Internees Passes California Assembly, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 11. California’s Assembly unanimously passed AB 37, which calls on the state’s higher education institutions to grant honorary degrees to Japanese Americans whose studies were disrupted by WWII incarceration. Assemblymember Warren Furutani, who previously helped pass a similar high school diploma resolution, called the bill ‘unfinished business’ for the state.
• APAs Fight to Save D.C.’s Office on APIA Affairs, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 11. Asian Pacific American groups are protesting Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty’s proposal to eliminate the city’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs as a cost-saving merger. Community members testified before the city council, and the office received funding restoration amid concerns it unfairly targeted the APA community compared to other ethnic offices.
• Immigrants Push for Reforms at Rallies Across U.S., by Associated Press, page 12. Immigrants and supporters held rallies across the U.S. on May 1 calling for immigration reform and a path to citizenship, though turnout was lower than previous years partly due to swine flu concerns. APA participants, including students advocating for the DREAM Act, joined the demonstrations in cities like San Francisco, Chicago, and New York.

Community

• Community Groups, Leaders Receive Honor at APA Heritage Month Celebration, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. Southern California Edison honored community leaders and organizations at its fourth annual APA Heritage Month celebration, including the Little Tokyo Service Center, Korean American pioneer Susan Ahn Cuddy, and Filipino-owned business Seafood City. The awards recognized decades of service and contribution to Southern California’s APA communities.
• Arizona JACL Recognizes Community Leaders, Scholars, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. The Arizona JACL held its 48th Annual Sara Hutchings Clardy Scholarship Awards and Gold Saguaro Tribute, awarding $1,000 scholarships to three high school students. The chapter also recognized several longtime community members for their years of service.
• JCCCNC Unveils New Online National JA Community Directory, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 12. The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California launched an updated online version of its JA Yellow Pages directory, expanding beyond Northern California to connect JA organizations nationwide. The directory covers resources in politics, arts, education, health, and other community sectors.
• APA Group to Host Nationwide Conversation on State of Community, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 12. Asian Pacific Americans for Progress will host national house parties on May 31 featuring Konrad Ng, President Obama’s brother-in-law, to discuss APA community issues. The gatherings aim to build solidarity and will produce a report submitted to the Obama administration.
• Fundraiser Launched for Vets Memorial Court, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 13. Japanese American veterans from WWII through the Iraq War gathered in Little Tokyo to launch a fundraiser for the National Japanese American Veterans Memorial Court’s upkeep. Medal of Honor recipient Hershey Miyamura and other speakers emphasized the importance of honoring fallen community members.
• Vets Group Honors 3 Generations of JAs in the Armed Forces, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 13. The Japanese American Veterans Association honored three Medal of Honor recipients, cadets, and WWII veterans at a special luncheon celebrating generations of JA military service. JAVA President Bob Nakamoto highlighted how the WWII Nisei generation opened doors for today’s Asian American military leaders.

Arts & Entertainment

• APA Groups: Casting in ‘The Last Airbender’ Is ‘Whitewashing’, by Melissa Chua, page 9. APA advocacy groups including MANAA and Racebending.com are criticizing M. Night Shyamalan’s film adaptation of ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ for casting white actors in lead roles originally depicted as Asian. Critics point to Dev Patel’s casting as the film’s sole Asian actor, ironically in the villain role, as part of a troubling Hollywood pattern.

Sports

• Living With a Purpose: First Filipina Snowboarder Hopes to Compete in 2010 Winter Olympics, by Melissa Chua, page 10. Eden Serina left a lucrative Wall Street career to pursue snowboarding and aims to become the first female athlete to represent the Philippines at the 2010 Winter Olympics. She has competed in over 120 races and multiple World Championships, driven by a desire to honor her Filipino heritage and inspire others.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.