JACL’s future and the words we use for the WWII camps

Vol. 153, No. 1, July 1, 2011. 16 pages. View this issue

Questions about the JACL’s own future ran through this issue. Patricia Takayama wrote an open letter asking whether staff departures signaled a leadership crisis, and National Director Floyd Mori answered with an update on finances and membership. James Kumpel offered a third view on why membership has declined. A related In-Depth story by Nalea J. Ko reported on the movement to replace euphemisms with terms like “forced removal,” and on the JACL’s Power of Words Handbook, to be discussed at the national convention. Harry K. Honda looked back at wartime public opinion polls on the Japanese American incarceration (often called internment).

Also inside: Christine Fukushima on a video game about the Jerome camp, Nalea J. Ko on Asian American fishermen a year after the BP oil spill, and a profile of Lillian Kimura, who was incarcerated at Manzanar. Other pages cover National Park Service grants for camp sites, a Nikkei Conference, and the musical Manzanar.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• An Open Letter to JACL, by Patricia Takayama, page 2. The author questions why key JACL leaders like PSW Regional Director Craig Ishii and National Director Floyd Mori are departing before the national convention, wondering if this signals a leadership crisis. She urges the national board to develop new strategies to boost declining membership and empower a new generation to modernize the organization.
• Honoring Wat, by Katie Misaka, page 2. A reader thanks the Pacific Citizen for including Wat among the Extraordinary APAs feature in a previous issue. She praises the publication for consistently inspiring readers toward activism, cooperation and peace.
• Reader Enjoys Newspaper, by Ruby Inouye, page 2. A reader recalls that her late husband, active in the San Mateo County JACL, always enjoyed the Pacific Citizen. She states she also enjoys the print edition and thanks the paper for its service.
• What Evacuation-Bred Polls Wrought, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Harry Honda examines historical public opinion polls from the WWII era showing widespread American approval of Japanese American incarceration and exclusion, citing sources like Audrie Girdner and Anne Loftis’s ‘The Great Betrayal.’ He connects this history to the current ‘Power of Words’ movement, suggesting it’s time to reflect on these attitudes from the past.
• The JACL Should Pursue Change We Can ALL Believe In, by James Kumpel, page 8. James Kumpel argues that JACL’s declining membership stems from demographic shifts, high intermarriage rates, and a political agenda misaligned with the broader Asian American community’s interests. He calls for the organization to focus on issues genuinely relevant to AAs rather than aligning with other groups’ causes like gay marriage or Democratic Party priorities.

JACL

• Update on Status of JACL, by Floyd Mori, page 2. National Director Floyd Mori addresses questions about the departures of PSW staff, including Craig Ishii, clarifying these were personal decisions, and discusses JACL’s difficult financial situation caused by declining membership revenue. He outlines efforts to cut spending, increase fundraising, maintain youth programs through grants, and manage costs related to the Pacific Citizen newspaper.
• A Program That Inspires, by Bill Yoshino, page 2. Bill Yoshino describes JACL’s Project Community program in Chicago, which empowers Japanese American high school students to engage with their community and explore personal identity. He highlights participant Anna Takada’s transformative experience and suggests the program’s model could be replicated in other MDC chapters like Twin Cities.
• JACL, CJACLC to Host Nikkei Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The JACL and CJACLC will host the Nikkei Conference on July 9 in Hollywood, addressing ‘The State of Japanese America: 2011’ during the national JACL convention. The event will feature demographic presentations, panels on community leadership, civil rights, and workshops covering topics from JA arts and culture to Japantown preservation.
• Lillian Kimura: A Trailblazing JACLer, page 7. Lillian Kimura, who was incarcerated at Manzanar as a teenager, became the JACL’s first female national president in 1992 after decades of activism and leadership roles. She is especially proud of championing the JACL’s 1994 same-sex marriage resolution and continues to mentor younger JACL members.
• Mackenzie Walker Named Mike M. Masaoka Fellow, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 12. University of Washington graduate Mackenzie Kiyomi Walker was named the 2011 JACL Mike M. Masaoka Fellow and will assist Congresswoman Judy Chu in Washington, D.C. Walker’s JACL background includes internships, oratorical competition finals, and chapter board membership.

In-Depth

• One Year After BP Oil Spill, AA Fishermen Struggle to Recover, by Nalea J. Ko, page 3. A year after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Asian American fishermen like Thai American crabber Siriporn Hall continue to struggle with reduced catches, difficulty selling seafood, and denied BP compensation claims. Community organizations report ongoing financial and mental health impacts on Gulf Coast fishing communities, even as officials insist Gulf seafood is safe to eat.
• Moving Beyond Euphemisms: Defining the WWII JA Experience, by Nalea J. Ko, page 4. A growing movement within the JA community seeks to replace government euphemisms like ‘evacuation’ and ‘internment’ with more accurate terms such as ‘forced removal’ and ‘American concentration camps.’ JACL’s Power of Words Handbook, developed after a 2010 convention resolution, will be discussed at the 2011 national convention, with advocate Mako Nakagawa sharing her personal family story of wartime separation.
• Volunteer Extraordinare: Carl Williams Brings His Expertise to Victims of Japan’s Earthquake Disaster, by Christine McFadden, page 5. Dallas resident Carl Williams, an emergency management expert, has spent months in Japan coordinating disaster relief efforts for Direct Relief International and JACL following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Williams, who has personal ties to Japan, listens to survivors’ stories and warns that recovery will take years despite a declining number of volunteers.
• Building Empathy for WWII Incarceration, One Game Level at a Time, by Christine Fukushima, page 6. UCSD professor Emily Roxworthy created ‘Drama in the Delta,’ a video game prototype designed to build empathy about the Japanese American internment experience at Arkansas’s Jerome camp. Former internees like June Berk and Takayo Fischer shared mixed reactions, with Fischer expressing eagerness to see the educational final version despite emotional complexities.

Arts & Entertainment

• Art as Activism: Asian Pacific Americans and the Spoken Word Scene, by Christine Fukushima, page 9. Asian Pacific American spoken word artists like Beau Sia, Regie Cabico, Kelly Tsai, and Jasmine Osorio use poetry performance as a tool for activism and community building rather than mere artistic expression. Cabico, dubbed the ‘grandfather’ of APA slam poetry, expresses joy at no longer being alone in representing APA voices in the spoken word scene.

National

• NPS Grants Awarded to Japanese American Internment Camp Projects, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The National Park Service awarded 24 grants totaling $2.9 million to preserve and interpret WWII Japanese American incarceration sites across 11 states. Projects include cemetery restoration at Rohwer, a documentary on camp jazz bands, and tower reconstruction at Colorado’s Amache camp.
• Tammy Duckworth Resigns from VA Post, by Associated Press and P.C. Staff, page 10. Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost both legs in combat, has resigned her position. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki praised her service, while speculation continues about whether she will run for Congress from Illinois.
• National Newsbytes, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 10. This roundup covers competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi’s plans for July Fourth after being barred from Nathan’s contest, a 21% increase in Hawaii’s Native Hawaiian population, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus members denouncing anti-Chinese political ad rhetoric on the anniversary of Vincent Chin’s death. It also notes New York’s AA population surpassing one million and preservationists’ efforts to save a historic JA flower shop building in El Cerrito, California.
• APAs in the News, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 11. Sen. Daniel Inouye received Japan’s Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers for strengthening U.S.-Japan relations, while Asian American Vik Li was honored for helping D.C. police officers during an attack. Additional briefs cover Iowa’s new Human Rights director San Wong and Seattle Central’s Distinguished Alumni Award to activist Alan Sugiyama.
• China Alley Listed as Endangered Historic Place, by Associated Press and Pacific Citizen staff, page 11. China Alley in Hanford, California, once one of the largest Chinatowns between San Francisco and Los Angeles, was named one of America’s 11 most endangered historic places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Community members like Ananne Wing hope the designation will help raise funds to restore the neighborhood’s 19th-century buildings, including a temple and herb shop.
• Filipino American Journalist Says He’s Undocumented, by Associated Press and Pacific Citizen staff, page 11. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas revealed publicly that he has been an undocumented immigrant since being sent from the Philippines to live with his grandparents as a child. Vargas launched a campaign called Define American to push for immigration reform including the DREAM Act, after previously concealing his status while working at the Washington Post.

Community

• College APA Leaders Meet in D.C., by P.C. Staff, page 12. JACL sponsored its third annual Collegiate Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., bringing together 14 Asian Pacific American college students for skills training and policy workshops. Participants developed project plans on immigration reform, environmental justice, and educational policy to bring back to their campuses.
• SFV JACL Sponsors Musical ‘Manzanar’, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 13. The musical ‘Manzanar: Story of an American Family,’ based on co-writer Dan Taguchi’s mother’s internment experience, was performed to a sold-out crowd at the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center. The show follows the Shimada family’s journey from Santa Anita to Manzanar and aims to raise awareness about the JA incarceration experience.
• JACL PSW to Honor Community Leaders, page 13. The JACL Pacific Southwest District will honor community leaders including Bill Watanabe, Mary Anne Foo, and Madeline Ong-Sakata at its 15th Annual Awards Dinner on Oct. 29. Proceeds will support JACL PSW’s fundraising goal of $50,000 for community development, youth leadership, and civil rights work.
• JACL Fremont Donates to Sister City Fukaya, page 13. JACL Fremont chapter donated $1,000 to help earthquake and tsunami relief efforts undertaken by its former sister city Fukaya, Japan. Fukaya’s mayor sent letters of gratitude to both the City of Fremont and the JACL Fremont chapter for their support.
• JACL San Fran Youth Gone Fishin’, page 14. Sixteen kids participated in JACL San Francisco chapter’s Youth Fishing Derby at San Pablo Dam Reservoir, with San Francisco Nisei Fishing Club members offering casting and baiting advice. Max Chan won first place with a trout weighing 2 pounds, 3 ounces, followed by Tyler Kahn and Miya Suzuki.

Obituaries

• Sadao Baishiki, page 15. Sadao Baishiki, born in Stockton in 1922, was incarcerated at Rohwer during WWII before serving in the U.S. Army in Germany and building a career at Sylvania/GTE and Varian. Despite becoming legally blind in his later years, he remained an avid bowler, once even earning a Big 4 Split patch.
• Fred Hashimoto, page 15. Fred Mitsuru Hashimoto, born in Suisun, CA in 1919, was forced to leave university before graduating due to his family’s WWII incarceration at Merced and Amache camps. After the war he farmed, worked as a mechanic in Chicago, and eventually managed the Livingston Fruit Exchange while serving on numerous community and agricultural boards.
• Tomiye Katsumoto Miyamoto, page 15. Tomiye Katsumoto Miyamoto, born in 1931 in Union City, CA, was interned at Topaz during WWII and later served as JACL president at Eden Township. She is survived by her sons and several siblings.
• John Michihiko Nishizaka, page 15. John Nishizaka, born in Imabari, Japan and raised in Brooklyn, worked as a civil engineer in aerospace for nearly 40 years and served as San Fernando Valley JACL chapter president in 1971. He died peacefully in 2011 just weeks after being reunited in the same hospital as his wife Harriet, who was recovering from a fractured hip.
• Walter Naoaki Fuchigami, page 15. Walter Fuchigami, incarcerated at Amache during WWII, served in the Military Intelligence Service in Occupied Japan before earning his law degree and becoming Oregon’s Assistant Attorney General and Chief Counsel from 1956-1975. He also served as Portland JACL president in 1966 and retired as a Lt. Colonel from the U.S. Army Reserves JAG Corps.

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