Pacific Citizen Staff Regarded by Many As a Pillar of Whopping 70 Percent of the Votes

Kauai vet can Zhang Ziyi reveals JANM'sgala stay home with unveils historic her softer side, dinner to honor his family sculptures giggles and all famed dancer PAGE 3 PAGE 3 PAGE 9 PAGE 10 Since1929---------------------------- Offensive name no longer mars beauty of ITIZEN Florida Beach The National Publication of the Japanese American Citizens League See page 3 Former Gen. Shinseki Outcry Over TV Show Reveals Community Fracture Lines Honors Men of Go For Broke By LYNDA LIN with war or human tragedy. 'The Vietnam War and all Assistant Editor the politics are not something that I packed in a bag and By CAROLINE AOYAGI amongst members of the crossed borders with," he said. Executive Editor Democratic Party. "My memories of the homeland are of playing jacks More than once, Tuan?s intellectual thirst led him to Democrats, most notably Sen. with my friends, not staring down communist troops," pick up Karl Marx literature or Mao Tse Tung's infa John Kerry, often evoked said Tuan Tran, of growing up in Vietnam. At the age mous little red book, and each time Tran's mother Shinseki's name while attacking of nine, Tran fled his native land for a strange place lashed out at her son's treachery, ripping out the book President George W. Bush's current called America, but the 32-year-old Los Angeles resi pages that she said had caused her so much pain. Like policies in the war with Iraq. dent says the most commonplace items still jog child many other refugee families, the fractures that divide a PASADENA, Calif-Although Mainly, that Shinseki had long hood memories, none of which have anything to do generation that experienced the atrocities of war from fonner Gen. Eric·Shinseki ha~ been wamed the Administration a war in the younger generation that did not, con retired from the U.S. Army for more Iraq could not be won without the tinues to deepen. than a year now, his name was a build up of hundreds of thousands "It's not good ... I don't even want to prominent feature in the recent of U.S. troops, a prediction that has think about it," said Lang Tran, 54, wip- . national elections, especially proven to be prophetic. ing a tear from the comer of her eye At the time, several media while her son throws up his hands in reports played up the tensions exasperation. between U.S. Defense "It's been this way since I was a child. Secretary Donald Rumsfeld I'm not supposed to say or do things that and Shinseki, the 34th Chief of 'can be offensive, but I don't know why," Staff, after Rumsfeld said Tuan Tran, heatedly echoing the sen announced the general's suc timent that silently unites and vocally cessor a good year before divides the Vietnamese American com Shinseki was set to retire in munity today. August 2003. Last month, the generational conflict These days, Shinseki is stay came to a head over a fledging television ing out of the limelight, turning show that aired brief images of the down a number of media Communist Vietnamese flag and a photo requests, even from the likes ·of See GO FOR BROKElPage 6 See VAX-TVlPage 2 Asian Pacific American Politicians IN MEMORIAM JA 'Giant' William M. Marutani Passes, Make History in Recent Elections Leaves Behind Civil Rights Legacy Early Exit Polls Indicate Flushing businessman, gamered a an AA to the state legislature. By Pacific Citizen Staff Regarded by many as a pillar of whopping 70 percent of the votes. Flushing is known for its diversity APAs Went to the Polls in the Japanese American community Meng's Republican challenger, where 51 percent of the residents are Unprecedented Numbers. Famed civil . rights leader and with his life-long contributions to Meilin Tan, received 20 percent of AA. retired Pennsylvania Judge William justice and civil rights, Marutani the vote. Meng, By Pacific Citizen Staff M. Marutani became the first Asian American "I cam originally died Nov. 15 in presiding judge of a court of gener paigned fro m A handful of Asian Pacific Lumberton al jurisdiction outside of the Pacific door to Taiwan, has American politicians made history Leas, New Coast States. He served as a judge door," said lived in during the recent national elections Jersey, leaving of Philadelphia County's Court of Meng, who Queens for while an unprecedented number of behind an Common Pleas from 1975-1986. attributed over 25 APAs cast their votes, according to indelible lega "He certainly was one of the his historic years with the latest exit polls. cy of leader giants in our history," said JACL victory to his wife The state of New York has its ship. EDC District Governor Paul his cam- Van Tran Bobby Jindal and three first-ever Asian American legislator Marutani had been battling Uyehara, adding, 'The Philadelphia paign's concerted effort to reach as kids. with the victory of Jimmy Meng in Parkinson's disease for years before JACL chapter, and indeed all long many people as possible. On the West Coast, the state of the 22nd Assembly District. In this his death at the age of 81. He is sur time JACLers, are deeply saddened Meng's district was redrawn in ethnically diverse district of vived by his wife, Victoria, eight , 2001 with the specific aim of getting See ELECTIONSlPage 6 Queens, Meng, a 61-year-old children and eight grandchildren. See MARUTANVPage 5 Publisher Hopes to Unit~ AAs in Wiscon~in with New Magazine Venture By CAROLINE AOYAGI Hmong-only newspaper, Filipino UNITING A Executive Editor magazine, and the like. COMMUNITY- "This actually weakens the Heidi Pascual, publish Heidi Pascual is venturing into strength of our group as Asian er and editor of Asian territory where many have struggled Americans," she added, "and fur Wisconzine, at one of the many brainstorm and failed - she's launching a mag ther adds to the lack of understand ing sessions she held azine targeted to the Asian ing of each other's cultures, contem for the diverse Asian · porary needs and concerns. Asian American community. Pacific American com And she's doing it not in Los Wisconzine aims to create a com munity in Wisconsin. Angeles, New York, 0):' Houston, mon forum where Asian American The magazine is set to where sizeable numbers Of AAs issues can be discussed." launch in January, reside. Her new magazine will tar Pascual, a 53-year-old Filipino 2005. get AAs in the state of Wisconsin. American, plans to launch A Wiz in Photo courtesy of Asian Wisconzine "There is a need for it in January 2005 and it will be the first Wisconsin," said Pascual, about her and only publication in this state to home, gender topics, business, gov members of the AA community. new magazine, Asian Wisconzine cater to the diverse AA community emment, and arts and entertainment. But in a community where lan (A Wiz). "I have observed that Asian that includes the Hmongs, Filipinos, In addition to regular features that guage and cultural differences are Americans here segregate them Chinese, Korean, and Jap'!llese. will focus on specific AA communi prevalent and the AA community is selves from each other in many She plans to cover topics such as ties in Wisconsin, A Wiz will also ways: Chinese-only newspaper, science and technology, health and include columns from various See WISCONZINElPage 2 2 PACIFIC CITIZEN, Nov. 19-DEC. 16, 2004 VAX TV But community members like model. However, VAX TV is not a co-founder and campaign director of Asian Media Watchdog, which PACIFIC CITIZEN (Continued from page 1) Lang Tran, who fervently shakes news agency equipped' to handle her head "No" when asked if it is topics of importance to the commu launched a petition to get the show 7 Cupania Circle, of Ho Chi Minh. The show, okay to show communist images in nity unless it is prepared for the back on-air. Monterey Park, CA 91755 Tel: 3231725-0083,800/966- Vietnamese American Xposure any context, would rather not have response." KXLA-TV Channel 44 recently 6157, Fax: 3231725-0064 (VAX TV) - a 30-minute English her emotional scar tissue picked at. Without a place to broadcast, reached an agreement to re-air E-mail: [email protected] language cable television series - "I say I just want to live peaceful- VAX TV officials and its supporters VAX-TV, which returned to its reg [email protected] was axed by parent company, ly," she said. launched a campaign to get the ular Saturday schedule as of Nov. Saigon TV, after only two. episodes Her son, however, does not see series back on-air with an online . 13. Executive Editor: The victory, although sweet, may ' Caroline Y. Aoyagi when angry --- any harm in petition and a Nov. 4 open forum .. Assistant Editor: viewers com , drumming up a Its purpose was "to bring to surface drive a wedge deeper between the Lynda Lin plained about How many shows little dialogue the differences between young, old, generations. Sa Dao said that VAX Office Manager: the images and have you seen like this and pointed out conservative, and liberal." TV producers have not yet decided Brian Tanaka protested in that it was a The mood and comments, whether to change their formula in Circulation: Eva Lau-Ting that feature people like us front of their documentary according to Sa Dao, perfectly illus order to embrace more members of Publisher: Japanese American Westminster, English-speaking based on his- trated the generational divide. A the older generation.

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