Apas HIV: WORKING to Erase the Stigma # 3183 / VOL
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Asian Americans encourage The not-so-nice girls of the FEBRUARY 17 - MARCH 1, 2012 more marrow donors. >> pg 4 ‘Nice Girls Crew’. >> pg 9 OF THE THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER JACL PHOTO: SHAMA KO >> pg 3 APAs HIV: WORKING TO ERASE THE STIGMA # 3183 / VOL. 154, No. 3 ISSN: 0030-8579 WWW.PACIFICCITIZEN.ORG 2 feb. 17-MAR. 1, 2012 LETTERS/NATIONAL PACIFIC CITIZEN PACIFIC CITIZEN HOW TO REACH US NATIONAL JACL CONVENTION SET FOR E-mail: [email protected] Online: www.pacificcitizen.org Tel: (213) 620-1767 Fax: (213) 620-1768 JULY 5 TO 8 IN BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON Mail: 250 E. First Street, Suite 301 Los Angeles, CA 90012 The theme for this year’s Staff Executive Editor annual meeting is “Inform, Caroline Y. Aoyagi-Stom Assistant Editor Transform, Perform: Em- Lynda Lin bracing JACL in an era of Reporter Nalea J. Ko transformation.” Business Manager Staci Hisayasu By National JACL Convention Circulation Eva Lau-Ting Planning Committee The Pacific Citizen newspaper The annual national JACL convention has (ISSN: 0030-8579) is published semi-monthly (except once in De- been set and this year’s event will take place cember and January) by the Japa- July 5 to 8 in Bellevue, Washington at the Hyatt nese American Citizens League, Regency Bellevue. Pacific Citizen, 250 E. 1st Street, Suite 301, Los With the theme, “Inform, Transform, Per- Angeles, CA 90012 form: Embracing JACL in an era of transforma- Periodical postage paid at L.A., CA tion,” the event is being sponsored by the Seattle POSTMASTER: send address theater, multi-media game room, restaurants JACL will be the National Youth/Student Coun- changes to National JACL, 1765 chapter with support from the Lake Washington Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94115 and Puyallup Chapters. and shops. cil which will also meet at the convention. Conventioneers will be welcomed at an Alo- A Health and Wellness Fair will provide JACL President: David Kawamoto Convention Chair Elaine Akagi and a dedicat- National Director: Floyd Mori ha Mixer featuring a Hawaiian band and danc- health-related information, conduct health ed Convention Planning Committee have been P.C. editorial BOARD meeting for over a year to organize informative, ing. More entertainment will be provided by the screenings, promote wellness strategies and ex- Judith Aono, chairperson; Paul inspirational and fun-filled activities. As home Portland Swing Band at the Sayonara Banquet tend outreach to seniors and others who need Niwa, EDC; Kevin Miyazaki, MDC; and a theatrical offering, “Within the Silence,“ transportation, meals, hospice care, mental Roberta Barton, CCDC; David Un- to mega-corporations such as Microsoft, Boe- ruhe, NCWNPDC; Hugh Burleson, ing, Amazon, Starbucks, Nintendo, Google, and will be performed by “Living Voices.” health and other services. More news will be PNWDC; Gil Asakawa, IDC; Cindi sports venues like the Seattle Seahawks and With an opportunity to reconnect with old presented as commitments are finalized with Harbottle, PSWDC; Sonya Kuki, Youth Mariners, the greater Seattle area has become a friends and colleagues and attend a broad va- health and wellness professionals. riety of workshops, there should be something A website should be available within the next SUBSCRIBE major destination point for foreign and domes- Get a one-year subscription of the tic visitors. of interest for everyone. As noted above, the month. Please begin making your travel plans Pacific Citizen newspaper at: The Convention Center is across the street theme of the convention recognizes the chang- to attend the JACL National Convention in www.pacificcitizen.org or call (800) 966-6157 from beautiful Bellevue Square which is filled ing face of the JACL and the challenges it faces Bellevue, Wash. from July 5 to 8. Updates and to be relevant in the 21st century. An important a registration form for the convention will be ADvertise with shops, restaurants and services and the To advertise in the Pacific Citizen, Lincoln Center which houses a bowling alley, contributor to a dialogue about the future of the published in future issues of the Pacific Citizen. call (800) 966-6157 or e-mail: [email protected] LEGAL No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express per- RE: ‘THE TEA PARTY VS. HERD MENTALITY’ mission of the Pacific Citizen. Editorials, news and the opinions ex- I would like to provide a respectful rejoinder to “The Tea Party vs. pressed by columnists other than the HERD Mentality” by columnist James Kumpel in the Nov. 18-Dec. 15, national JACL president or national di- rector do not necessarily reflect JACL 2011, issue of the P.C. Even though the Tea Party may strategically fore- policy. Events and products advertised Letters ground their supporters of color, one cannot dismiss the racialized rheto- in the Pacific Citizen do not carry the ric their representatives invoke, from the racial coding underlying con- implicit endorsement of the JACL or this publication. We reserve the right to to the demnations of public programs and immigration, to Islamophobic tirades, edit articles. © 2012 to persistent calls for President Obama’s birth certificate to pronounce- Periodicals paid at Los Angeles, Editor ments of the coming of White slavery. While Tea Party members may Calif and mailing office. raise libertarian critiques of government power, the racial politics they deploy should concern any person committed to civil rights. JACL MEMBERS In contrast to the alleged victimization that the Tea Party faces, the au- THANK YOU 442ND! Change of thor holds that the burgeoning Occupy Wall Street movement is grounded Address When a Pan Am colleague and I were finishing our assignment to call in “hostility, entitlement, redistribution and dependence.” I cannot speak on a company in Genoa, Italy, my friend suggested that we drive from for OWS, but I want to emphasize that this movement is, at its base, con- If you’ve moved, Genoa to Rome via Bologna. As we approached a vicinity of Bologna, we cerned with mounting a challenge to the egregious economic inequality please send new stopped at a roadside restaurant for a brief lunch. The interior garden was that exists in society wrought by the overlapping effects of neoliberalism, information to: almost filled with local guests and we enjoyed our stopover, but we could assaults on the public sector and government policies that have aban- National JACL not help but notice that all those local guests seemed to be looking over at doned the most marginalized in society. 1765 Sutter St. our table and having a quiet discussion. From where I stand, I see a great deal of hostility: the violent beatings San Francisco, CA My friend was able to capture some of their conversation which seemed and pepper spraying meted out to peaceful protestors at UC Berkeley and 94115 Allow 6 weeks for to talk about my approximate age in comparison to those Japanese Ameri- UC Davis. I see corporate interests’ sense of entitlement to special treat- address changes. can soldiers who came through and saved these villages during World ment by the government. I see the hard labor of working people redistrib- War II. Those guests who were leaving the restaurant earlier came over to uted to line the pockets of CEOs. To avoid interrup- our table and shook our hands with a smile. OWS is indeed a motley and messy band of participants. But that di- tions in delivery, When we were ready to leave, we were greeted by their ovation just versity speaks volumes unto itself, that the disenchanted middle-class please notify your as though they were all saying “thank you” to those gallant soldiers who professional, the college student with few prospects beyond graduation, postmaster to fought through these areas. Yes, we thank you, the 442nd! the working poor and the veteran whose American Dream has been bank- include periodicals rupted have found common ground. in your change of Michael Watabe address (USPS Jean-Paul deGuzman Form 3575) San Clemente, CA UCLA Department of History & San Fernando Valley JACL PACIFIC CITIZEN IN-DEPTH FEB. 17-MAR. 1, 2012 3 OUT OF THE DARKNESS: ASIAN AMERICANS CONFRONT THE STIGMA OF HIV/AIDS In California, Los Angeles and San Francisco are among the 12 municipalities nationwide most af- fected by HIV/AIDS, according to the CDC’s Enhanced Comprehen- sive HIV Prevention Planning, or ECHPP project. By Nalea J. Ko, Reporter SHAME Editor’s note: This article was produced as a project for The California Endowment Health Journalism Fel- lowships, a program of USC’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. It is the first article in a three-part series examining Asian Pacific Americans and HIV/AIDS healthcare in California. A simple, strapless wedding dress is what Sara, 28, settled on for her summer wedding where she is expecting about 200 people. Like most brides-to-be, Sara, who is part Asian American, is busying planning the minute details of her wedding from gay made him wait about five years to reveal his HIV status “If we don’t step in to support, help and be understand- specialty cupcakes to the reception venue. to them. ing, then the kind of outcomes that took place in our family But unlike most who are soon-to-be wed, Sara has a secret “This is what they pretty much told me, ‘our family’s well with Glen and with Guy will continue, and of course they do she is keeping from some friends and family members. Sara, respected here. What would people think about us if they continue today,” said Al Nakatani about Glen and Guy, who a heterosexual woman, is HIV positive. find out that you’re gay?’” Henry said. “And so if that was identified as gay.