JACL honors veterans at its D.C. gala; Tak Toyoshima’s comic strip turns 10

Vol. 149, No. 7, October 2, 2009. 16 pages. View this issue

JACL’s Gala Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C. led the news. Irene Mori reported on the Sept. 17 event, which honored Japanese American World War II and Korean War veterans and the groups that preserve their legacy, and which also marked JACL’s 80th anniversary. On the cover, Tak Toyoshima talked about the 10th anniversary of his comic strip Secret Asian Man and where it goes next. Christine McFadden told how a Minidoka pilgrimage led Rev. David Weekley, a Portland JACL member, to share his story with his congregation.

Other pages covered the California State University vote to grant honorary degrees to Japanese Americans whose studies were cut short by World War II, and a delay for the bill on Japanese Latin Americans. John Tateishi profiled two immigration attorneys, and Bob Nakamura urged readers to be counted in the 2010 Census. Arts coverage included actor James Kyson Lee.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Finding Strength in His Identity, by Christine McFadden, page 3. A Minidoka pilgrimage inspired Rev. David Weekley, a Portland JACL member and pastor at the historically Japantown church Epworth, to reveal to his congregation that he was born female. His story of transitioning decades earlier resonated with the internment stories he heard, and his mostly-JA congregation responded with support and applause.
• CSU Votes to Grant Honorary Degrees to WWII Internees, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 12. The California State University Board of Trustees unanimously approved granting honorary degrees to former JA students whose education was interrupted by WWII internment. JACL and Assemblyman Warren Furutani, author of AB 37, championed the measure as a way to address a longstanding injustice.
• Berkeley Thai Temple Can Keep the Curry Cooking, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 13. The Berkeley City Council voted unanimously to approve a zoning permit allowing the Wat Mongkolratanaram Thai Buddhist temple to continue its popular weekly Sunday food event, its primary source of revenue. The decision follows years of neighbor complaints and negotiations, with Berkeley JACL among the groups consulted during the process.

National

• Protesters Say Proposed UC Tuition Hikes Attack the Vulnerable, by Nalea J. Ko, page 4. University of California students, faculty and staff protested systemwide Sept. 24 against proposed fee hikes, layoffs and pay cuts approved by the UC Board of Regents. Protesters, including union members and students of color, argued the cuts would disproportionately harm minority and low-income students and called for greater transparency and use of reserve funds.
• At Washington U. it’s a Family Tradition, by Lynda Lin, page 6. Andy Matsumoto, a Yonsei freshman at Washington University in St. Louis, follows in the footsteps of his grandfather Yoshio Matsumoto, who continued his education there after being forced from UC Berkeley and interned during WWII. Learning his grandfather’s story sparked Andy’s interest in JA internment history and social justice.
• National Newsbytes, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 6. A roundup of national news briefs including the renunciation of racism by Joseph Ileto’s killer, the relaunch of Nichi Bei as a weekly newspaper, a new APA business association formed after slayings in Macon, Ga., a campaign to repeal California’s gay marriage ban, a new census outreach radio program in Las Vegas, and the Obama administration’s stance on surveillance law reforms.
• Army to Allow Iraq War Objector to Resign, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 7. First Lt. Ehren Watada, who refused to deploy to Iraq in 2006, will be granted a discharge under other-than-honorable conditions after his court-martial ended in mistrial and further prosecution was barred on double jeopardy grounds. Watada and his family expressed relief the matter is finally resolved, while JACL maintained its position that his civil rights should be protected.
• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. This roundup highlights APA achievements including Louann Igasaki’s historic appointment as an SSA appellate judge, Salinas Valley JACL scholarship winners, Evelyn Nakano Glenn’s election as ASA president, Jim Yong Kim becoming the first APA to lead an Ivy League school, and Edward Chow Jr.’s appointment to lead Maryland’s Department of Veterans Affairs.
• JLA Commission Bill Faces Delay, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 7. A bill to establish a federal commission investigating the U.S. government’s wartime treatment of Japanese Latin Americans has been delayed in the House Judiciary Committee. Advocacy groups like the Campaign For Justice and JACL are urging swift action given the advanced age of surviving internees.
• Dec. 17 is ‘Day of Inclusion’, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 10. California’s State Senate passed a resolution designating Dec. 17 as ‘Day of Inclusion’ to address the legacy of anti-Chinese immigration laws like the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. Supporters say the move highlights ongoing struggles for fairness faced by minority communities today.
• Teen Sues National Retailer for Alleged Bias, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 11. A Muslim American teenager filed a federal lawsuit against Abercrombie & Fitch, alleging she was denied a job because she wore a hijab in violation of the store’s ‘Look Policy.’ The EEOC-backed suit follows previous discrimination controversies involving the retailer, including its 2002 anti-Asian T-shirt line criticized by JACL.
• APA Groups Fight to Keep Affordable Education, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 15. A coalition of 80 Asian Pacific American groups filed a legal brief urging the California Supreme Court to uphold AB 540, a law allowing eligible undocumented students, including many Korean Americans, to pay in-state tuition. Advocates argue the law removes financial barriers to higher education and warn a ruling against it in Martinez v. Regents could harm APA students.

Arts & Entertainment

• Secret Asian Man on the Loose, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 5. On the 10th anniversary of his comic strip ‘Secret Asian Man,’ creator Tak Toyoshima discusses the strip’s return to a weekly format after United Features ended daily syndication. He reflects on the strip’s evolution, his characters, fatherhood, and his uncertain outlook on the future of print and APA media.
• Breaking Barriers With Actor James Kyson Lee, by Nalea J. Ko, page 9. Actor James Kyson Lee discusses his role as Ando on NBC’s ‘Heroes’ and his new film ‘White on Rice,’ which features a mostly APA cast. He talks about his career journey since moving to Los Angeles in 2001 and his hopes to break stereotypes for Asian American actors.

Commentary

• Heroes in Our Midst, by John Tateishi, page 8. Tateishi profiles pioneering APA immigration attorneys Ben Gim and Bill Hing, highlighting Gim’s historic Supreme Court case and mentorship of young attorneys, and Hing’s ongoing advocacy and teaching in immigration law. He credits both men with shaping a more humane approach to immigration policy and civil rights.
• Memoirs of a Non-Geisha: An Asian American Wedding, by Yumi Sakugawa, page 8. Sakugawa reflects on attending a Vietnamese American wedding and the cultural complexities of planning Asian American and multicultural weddings. She considers how mixed-race and interfaith couples navigate blending traditions, using the wedding’s sand-mixing ritual as a metaphor for new cultural patterns being created in the APA community.
• Get Counted in the 2010 Census, by Bob Nakamura, page 11. Nakamura urges community members to participate in the 2010 Census, explaining that undercounting could cost communities $800 to $1,000 per person in lost federal and state funding. He outlines the Census Bureau’s confidentiality protections and encourages readers to complete the simple questionnaire when it arrives.

JACL

• JACL Holds Successful Gala, by Irene Mori, page 10. JACL held its Gala Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 17, honoring Japanese American WWII and Korean War veterans and organizations preserving their legacy, including Sen. Daniel Akaka, JAVA, and NJAHS. The event, also marking JACL’s 80th anniversary, drew numerous dignitaries, veterans, and JACL leaders.
• Northern California Events to Celebrate JACL Leaders, Legacy, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 12. Several Northern California JACL chapters and the NCWNP District Council are hosting October events honoring founders, community leaders, and marking milestones, including the Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapter’s 75th anniversary. Events will feature guest speakers, honorees, and fundraising for JACL programs.

In-Depth

• Obata, Adams to Reunite For ‘Democracy’, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 13. Gyo Obata, son of painter Chiura Obata, and Michael Adams, son of photographer Ansel Adams, will discuss their families’ connections to WWII Japanese American internment as part of Washington University’s ‘Ethnic Profiling: A Challenge to Democracy’ series. Both families were linked through shared experiences and Ansel Adams’ documentation of the Manzanar camp.

Obituaries

• Family of Slain Yale Student Holds Funeral, by P.C. Staff and Associated Press, page 15. The family of Annie Le, a Vietnamese American Yale doctoral student murdered before her planned wedding, held a private funeral Mass in California. Lab technician Raymond Clark III was charged with her murder after her body was found hidden in a lab building wall.

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