AN ANIMATED LIFE Willie Ito Discusses His Career Achievements and What’S Next
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Aug. 22-Sept. 4, 2014 THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF THE JACL Page 8 AN ANIMATED LIFE Willie Ito discusses his career achievements and what’s next. JACCC Holds Bookstores Launch Commentary: Comedy ‘Remembering Sadako’ Murakami’s Latest Central’s ‘Drunk Tribute Page 6 Offering Page 11 History’ Page 13 #3239 / VOL. 159, No. 4 ISSN: 0030-8579 WWW.PACIFICCITIZEN.ORG 2 Aug. 22-Sept. 4, 2014 NATIONAL represented us in good over evil could possibly HOW TO REACH US turn on us . .” Email: [email protected] JACL: DON’T MIX POLITICS The use of racism continues to plague the Online: www.pacificcitizen.org everyday lives of Asian Americans in the utter- Tel: (213) 620-1767 Fax: (213) 620-1768 ances by Groob and Nugent. It’s unfortunate AND RACISM Mail: 250 E. First St., Suite 301 that racist quips continue as a convenient tool Los Angeles, CA 90012 to inflame a pliable segment of the electorate. By JACL National STAFF The JACL has consistently railed against these Executive Editor he JACL issued the following statement posts, Kathy Groob, a Democratic activist and tactics because we know that provoking fear by Allison Haramoto on Aug. 7. the founder of a group called Elect Women, using racism is often effective. Assistant Editor The battle to win favor in the market- said, “She (Chao) isn’t from KY, she is Asian,” The JACL has stated repeatedly that it is Tiffany Ujiiye Tplace of political ideas took a distasteful turn and “Wedded to free trade China.” The posts important to confront racism wherever it Business Manager recently with racial rhetoric at a political rally were rebuked by the Democratic Party and appears. We cannot afford to be bystanders, Susan Yokoyama in Wyoming and in an election campaign in were taken down. especially when haters seek to spread fear. Kentucky. While speaking before the Big Horn Basin In the coming months, political campaigns Production Artist Marie Samonte Twitter posts attacked Elaine Chao, the Tea Party gathering, Nugent used the slur will seek to gain an advantage where the former secretary for the Department of Labor, “Japs” to underscore his notion of evil. In partisan divides are deep and where certain Circulation and musician Ted Nugent used a vile racial criticizing the government, he said, “ . we issues are extremely contentious. Eva Ting slur at a political rally. have bent over since World War II because It will be important for everyone to remain The Pacific Citizen newspaper Chao, who is married to Sen. Mitch McCon- we couldn’t believe that good — the univer- vigilant and respond where necessary because (ISSN: 0030-8579) is published semi- monthly (except once in nell (R-Ky.), was the target of a racial attack in sally celebrated good of America crushed the our best defenses for combating racism are December and January) by the an attempt to tarnish McConnell’s campaign universally understood evil of Japs and Nazis. education and the reliance on good people to Japanese American Citizens for the Senate in Kentucky. In several Twitter We couldn’t believe that the government that stand up, speak out and reject it. n League, Pacific Citizen, 250 E. First St., Suite 301, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Periodical postage paid at L.A., CA POSTMASTER: Send address JACL DENOUNCES ‘JONAH FROM TONGA’ changes to National JACL, 1765 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94115 he JACL said Aug. 1 that it is Tongan teen living in Australia. “The JACL is disturbed that HBO would JACL President: David Lin “disturbed” by HBO’s decision to air a “Jonah and his Tongan peers are portrayed as condone such a racist and offensive show and National Director: Priscilla Ouchida new Australian “mocumentary” comedy disrespectful, aggressive and delinquent,” the urges HBO to pull ‘Jonah From Tonga’ from P.C. EDITORIAL BOARD Carol Kawamoto, chairperson; Tseries “Jonah From Tonga.” JACL said in a statement. “Numerous scenes its lineup.” Leona Hiraoka, EDC; Kevin In the series, a white Australian actor, Chris in the series mock or misrepresent Tongan The producers of “Jonah From Tonga” Miyazaki, MDC; Roberta Barton, Lilley, performs in brown makeup and culture and customs. Although styled as a describe it as “an adventurous journey into the CCDC; Jim Duff, NCWNPDC; Gabrielle Nomura, PNWDC; Gil a wig to depict Jonah, a young comedy, there is nothing clever or funny life of 14-year-old rebellious schoolboy Jonah Asakawa, IDC; John Saito Jr., about the harmful and offensive stereotypes Takalua, his family, friends and the crew of PSWDC; Kevin Mori, youth rep. perpetuated by ‘Jonah From Tonga.’ teachers and counselors who are exhaustively SUBSCRIBE “Too often, bigotry and racism are employed trying to help him channel his seemingly limit- Get a one-year subscription of the Pacific Citizen newspaper at: in the pursuit of humor; when done correctly, less energy into bigger and brighter things.” www.pacificcitizen.org or call satire can be a powerful weapon for revealing The cast includes Tama Tauli’I as Jonah’s (800) 966-6157 and skewering the irrationality and absurdity of brother, Isaia Noa as his father, Linda Horan ADVERTISE the racist ideas. Yet the juvenile and crude char- as his aunt, Jane Reupena-Niko as his cousin, To advertise in the Pacific Citizen, acterizations in ‘Jonah From Tonga’ only reveal Eigawe Hunt as his sister and Tevita Manu as call (800) 966-6157 or e-mail: [email protected] Lilley’s deep ignorance and disrespect of the his uncle. LEGAL Tongan people. The show has elicited protests from members No part of this publication may be “Whether the content of this series is accept- of Australia’s Pacific Islander communities. reproduced without the express able elsewhere, it is an affront to the sensibili- Prinnie Stevens, a former contestant on “The permission of the Pacific Citizen. Editorials, news and the opinions ties of American audiences who understand that Voice Australia,” posted on Facebook, “I have expressed by columnists other than honoring diversity implies a healthy respect for always despised the stereotypes that society put the national JACL president or national the dignity of all cultures. upon us as Tongans/Polynesian people.” n director do not necessarily reflect JACL policy. Events and products advertised in the Pacific Citizen do not carry the implicit endorsement of the JACL or this publication. We reserve $ $ the right to edit articles. © 2014 Donate 150 or more to become a WALL OF FAMER; 200 or Periodicals paid at Los Angeles, more for a chance to win a cruise! Calif. and mailing office. JACL member? Y N JACL MEMBERS Change of Address Name ......................................................................................................................... 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To avoid interrup- Email .......................................................................................................................... tions in delivery, please notify your postmaster to Help the P.C. complete include periodicals our archive. in your change of address (USPS Form 3575) COMMENTARY Aug. 22-Sept. 4, 2014 3 NIKKEI VOICE HOW ARE ASIAN AMERICANS REACTING TO THE NEWS FROM FERGUSON? By Gil Asakawa just got back from a week in Washington, D.C., the country and the deadly volley of gunfire that killed four thinking about the state of race relations in America, both attending the Asian American Journalists Assn.’s students at Kent State University in 1970. then and now. annual convention. I sat in on a lot of interesting (and That night led to a brief peace, when the state’s governor But at the AAJA convention, conversations about Isome not-so-interesting) sessions about social media and assigned state patrol to take over for the overmilitarized Ferguson were private conversations among attendees, not journalism, about why it’s important to cover the Asian local police force. The state troopers are led by an African on panels. I heard Ferguson mentioned twice, once in a American Pacific Islander community, and lots of other American Ferguson native who chose a community-based, panel about covering the Asian American community and current topics in the news. nonconfrontational approach to calming the neighborhood. then by Jose Antonio Vargas, the Pulitzer Prize-winning But one topic was barely mentioned as part of the panel But tensions and violence resumed after a bungled Filipino journalist who’s an undocumented immigrant. discussions: The death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, an announcement of the name of the police officer who shot Richard Prince, an African American columnist for the unarmed African American man who was shot by a local Brown, and the next night, the governor announced a Maynard Institute, an organization for training journalists police officer in the small town of Ferguson, Mo., a suburb curfew. The National Guard was called in. of color, attended the AAJA convention and wrote a column of St. Louis. It’s been a huge ongoing breaking news story, and it’s not titled “Do