EASTV^INP Politics and Culture of Asians in the U.S.

Vol. I, No. 1 Spring/Summer 1982

ARTICLES 2 Introducing EAST WIND by Eddie Wong

4 "What do you know about the camps, you weren't even born yet!" by Evelyn Yoshimura A Sansei view on the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans Gambare! by Miya Iwataki

9 A Time to Reclaim our History by Gordon El. Chang The 100th Anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act

12 Asian Women: Past, Present and Future by Yuri Kochiyama

15 Fighting Racism at the NEW YORK TIMES by Sasba Hohri Wanted: Asian Journalists

'Page 4 1 6 A s i a n A m e r i c a n S t u d i e s i n A c t i o n b y B u t c h W i n g Profile of Professor Ray Lou

18 Aloha 'Aina (Love of the Land) by Tracy Takano The Struggle for Land and Power in Hawai'i

22 Marcos' New Republic in Crisis by Masao Suzuki

41 Choi Soo Lee Retrial by Ranko Yamada

SPECIAL FOCUS 25 Personal Reflections on the Asian National Movements by May Chen, Philip Vera Cruz, Happy Lim, Lori Leong, Lillian Nakano, Alan Nishio a n d W e s S e n z a k i

CULTURAL FEATURES 42 Not on the Menu by Cor/cy Lee A photo essay

Page 18 4 4 A s i a n A m e r i c a n s i n T h e a t e r — E a s t a n d W e s t C o a s t : Interviews with Tisa Chang and Mako

49 Made in Oakland by Janet Miyoko Tsubamoto Artwork

52 Bewildered by Louis H. Chu A short story

58 Poetry: abc: a poem in three parts by Lydia Lowe living in the world by Alan Lau Okayu by Richard Oyama Dream of a River by Happy Lim And There Will Be Good People by C.T. Wong Warrior: The Woman Farm Worker by Luna To a Beloved Friend, on Parting by Clarita Roja

Cover by Janet Miyoko Tsubamoto

Page 44

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 1 prevailing over the West Wind. That is to say, the Ifyou've you knowever thatdriven it's from one ofL.A. theto mostSacramento, boring trips forces of socialism have become overwhelmingly imaginable. 1-5 is as flat as a pancake and as hot as superior to the forces of imperialism." The East a griddle. A few years ago, when I was making a Wind represented revolution and social progress, film about Asians in the Sacramento River Delta, I and many Asians in America too felt the power of made the trip several times. I would head up north those ideals and believed in the possibility for a late in the evening, cruising along with the radio better world. We were inspired by the emergence blasting. Hours passed, but there were still miles to of socialist China. We identified with our Asian go and darkness all around. brothers and sisters in Southeast Asia who bravely It's a tedious drive but not without a special resisted annihilation by the U.S. war machine. We, allure. Something beautiful starts to happen by the too, were part of the "East Wind," part of all that time you reach Coalinga. A thin ribbon of light stood for fighting against imperialism and building peeks over the horizon giving life and shape to the a just and equal society." We, too, would stand silent rows of crops; light blueish hues erode the alongside our Black, Chicano, Native American, thick darkness. Then the sun bursts through ripping Puerto Rican brothers and sisters and all oppressed open the sky with brilliant yellow light radiating people to change this imperialist system. warmth and energy. And everything changes. It's a And Asians from coast to coast began checking new day, and all things seem possible. Damn, it's a each other out. "Hey, brother, Hey sister. What's great feeling! And that's how I'm feeling now. happenin'? Say, what's goin' on? Right on! Power to Here it is — EAST WIND, Volume I, Number 1. the People!" It's really hard to capture the spirit of It's also a new beginning and one with, I hope, all those wild and bodacious times, to describe the the promise of a new dawn. electricity generated in that moment of collective recognition of our beauty, power and strength. Although MS7 WIND is a new publication, it's The days of the early Asian Movement have part of a long and rich legacy of Asian American passed into history, but we will never forget what newspapers and magazines. Some of us have brought us together and continue to learn from worked on Gidra, Getting Together, Bridge those struggles. Magazine, UNITY newspaper and other newspapers and journals. Among the contributors to EAST WIND are writers, artists, and organizers whose roots go back to the very beginning of the Today,a newthe Asian situationnational with movements complex questions.face EAST contemporary Asian American Movement and WIND exists to help shed some light on these others who have been organizing Asian working issues. Great changes have taken place. The Asian people since the 1930's. Other contributors are and Pacific Islander population has doubled in ten brand new to the Movement. Regardless of our years since the 1970 Census. New Asian immigrants backgrounds, we share a common purpose: to ex who were driven from their homelands in the after press Asian pride, to expose the truth about our math of war — Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, conditions in America, and to help unite Asian Burmese — have arrived by the thousands and are people to fight for justice and equality. painfully undergoing an adjustment to this radi A large part of this magazine's editorial perspec cally different society. Huge increases in the im tive reflects our background in the early Asian migration of Chinese from Southeast Asia, the Peo Movement of the '60s and '70s. We named our ple's Republic of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan magazine EAST WIND because these words have a have brought a new generation of immigrants to special meaning for anyone who was involved Chinatowns across America. Over the last ten then. The expression comes from a speech given years, Pilipinos and Koreans have come to by Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong in 1957. America and established new Asian communities. In the midst of the Cold War, Mao characterized And there has also been an increase in the number the international situation as " . . . East Wind of Pacific Islanders — Samoans, Guamanians,

2 EAST WIND Micronesians — settling in the U.S. Asian immigration, and trying to save needed In future issues, we hope to deepen our know social services and arts funding. Thousands of ledge and understanding of the many Asian and Japanese Americans have mounted a militant, na Pacific Islander nationalities in the U.S. today. tionwide campaign for redress and reparations for Besides examining the myriad changes, EAST their World War II internment in U.S. concentra WIND will take a stand on the issues of the day. tion camps. At the work place, Asian workers are We know all too well from our own experience forming caucuses to protect their rights to that conditions are worsening for Asian and Pacific unionization and to organize their nonunion peoples as they are for all minorities and the poor. brothers and sisters who slave away under forced Working people and the poor are being squeezed overtime, low pay, and lack of benefits. And by economic hardships further exacerbated by the Asians in the professions and business continue to Reagan administration's rampant military spending fight against discrimination in hiring and promo and pro-big business policies. Asians along with tion. All of this points to the continuity and growth other minorities see the fruits of past struggles be of the Asian national movements. ing snatched back. We see affirmative action EAST WIND magazine can play an important policies gutted by new government edicts; role in this process of building the Asian national bilingual/bicultural education under attack; and movements. We need a popular, progressive social services slashed to the bone. magazine to publicize these important issues and The signs are all too clear for greater repression movements in our communities and bring them against "dissidents" and "uppity Third World folk before a broad audience. We hope that EAST who don't know their place." Nearly 200 members W I N D c a n b e c o m e a v e h i c l e f o r c o m m u n i c a t i o n of Congress have signed House Resolution 48 among the many different sectors of the Asian na which calls for the reestablishment of the House tional movements. Internal Security Committee, the successor of the Finally, EAST WIND stands for the unity of n o t o r i o u s H o u s e U n - A m e r i c a n A c t i v i t i e s C o m m i t Asian people, for without unity, our efforts will re tee. Provisions in the new Immigration Act provide main scattered and weak. While there may be dif for massive detention camps for "aliens," and in ferent views on how to achieve full equality and deed these already exist for thousands of Haitian political power and different approaches to and Cuban refugees. strategies and tactics, there should be a united ef The reactionary trend in government policies fort around many issues and concerns. In the spirit only gives the green light for racist scum like the of encouraging dialogue and debate, EAST WIND, Klan and other racist thugs to firebomb a Chinese while advocating a point of view, is open to views theater in Monterey Park, California, and burn contrary to our own. While we may differ on par crosses in Seadrift, Texas, to drive out Vietnamese ticular questions and issues, we have a common in shrimpers. The cry of "Yellow Peril" is being re terest in advancing the cause of Asian people, in vived in the anti-Japanese imports campaign and protecting our rights, and in winning new social, in the slanders against the "hordes" of new Asian political and economic gains for our people. Thus, immigrants. we encourage our readers to write letters, con tribute articles and give us feedback. Please write to us if you have topics that you would like us to cover or articles that you wish to contribute. Theseis notare withoutdangerous hope. times, If we havebut the learnedsituation It is hard to say what will happen in the days anything from Asian American history, it is that ahead. When you turn on the evening news, there's Asians have resisted, have survived, and can unite. always some new atrocity being cooked up by All across the country, Asians are on the move! On President Reagan and his ruling class buddies. the campuses, students are fighting against the Publishing this magazine perhaps just adds one loss of Ethnic Studies and resisting fee hikes and more cry of protest. And if this be the case, let it the abandonment of special admissions programs. be one mighty yell! There's a powerful message In the Chinese community, the people are con here — Asian people must unite! We are deter fronting urban redevelopment and gentrification mined to win justice and equality! Join us. A new which threatens to wipe out our communities, go E a s t W i n d i s o n t h e r i s e ! P a s s i t o n . □ ing out on rent strikes to protest intolerable hous ing conditions, organizing against restrictions on Eddie Wong

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 3 I A Sansei view on the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans

*. " 4(00^ about the camps._ . . ^ y o u ^ v g i ^ C T " " '

we tried to buy a house. The people Having a white boyfriend or girl Evelyn Yoshimura flat out told us they didn't want friend was seen as a status symbol. "Japs" in the area. And at that time, it would make both But during this time, there were Asian men and women feel resentful, profound changes happening across and not quite up to par. the country. Black people were Drugs, fighting, alienation — these Somewhy peopleI am soask concernedme, a aboutSansei, the building up the Civil Rights Move were ways we expressed our frustra camps. After all, it didn't really affect ment and taking a stand against tions. At that time, I didn't under me — I wasn't even born yet. But as discrimination in housing and other stand why Japanese Americans stuck far back as I can remember, my par areas of life. So by the time I was in together so much, concentrated in ents, relatives and their friends would junior high school, Crenshaw was our communities. It seemed so pro always make references to "before about 1/3 Japanese and other Asians, vincial. I thought the problems that camp," "during camp," "after camp." ■'/j Black and ""/j white. e x i s t e d i n o u r c o m m u n i t i e s w e r e a There were never any actual feelings My family was really active in the result of us sticking together. expressed, but I knew it was a signifi Buddhist Church. At church I would When I went to college, in the late c a n t e v e n t i n t h e i r l i v e s . I r e m e m b e r really feel good, like I truly belonged, '60s, I looked forward to getting away seeing pictures of my parents, aunts and I learned a lot about my culture f r o m t h e N i k k e i c o m m u n i t y. B u t i t and uncles and their friends, all look and identity. But sometimes, outside was really a cultural shock. I met ing very young, smiling for picture tak of church, I would feel a little uneasy, white people who had never seen a ing with usually one of the young men b e c a u s e B u d d h i s m s e e m e d s o r t o f Third World person before in the in an army uniform. All of them were " s t r a n g e " o r " e x o t i c " t o m y n o n - flesh, and they would have all these standing in front of what looked like a Japanese friends. wild stereotypes. I met Asians who shack, with sandy dirt below their Even though the Japanese commu h a d l i t t l e o r n o c o n t a c t w i t h o t h e r feet. nity had an identity, we were still Asians. I noticed that sometimes I was born in Denver, Colorado, greatly affected by the "white is while walking through campus, three or four years after my family better" philosophy of the American Asians upon meeting each other, left camp in Boston, Arizona. We culture. My girlfriends and I used would look the other way or even returned to Los Angeles when I was to put scotch tape over our eyes to w a l k i n t h e o t h e r d i r e c t i o n . three years old, and settled in the make them look bigger; people with Then the profound rumblings tak C r e n s h a w a r e a . I c a n r e m e m b e r w h e n very Asian eyes were made fun of. ing place making big changes in the

4 E A S T W I N D country began affecting the college They made comments like, "My par campuses. The Third World Strikes at ents don't hug and kiss me the way U.C. Berkeley and San Francisco parents do on TV. I don't think they State gave rise to Asians and other really love me." Third World people in every college In less than three generations, we demanding Ethnic Studies that have almost lost our language. Not would teach us our true history; only do an overwhelming number of special admissions that would make Sansei not understand or speak up for years of discrimination; and Japanese, but many of their Nisei demands that the colleges teach an parents don't either. These and other e d u c a t i o n t h a t w a s r e l e v a n t t o T h i r d problems are hidden and neglected World communities. because of the myth that Japanese I t w a s w i t h i n t h i s c o n t e x t t h a t I A m e r i c a n s a r e " d o i n ' fi n e . " began to learn about the World War These seemingly isolated prob II concentration camps that my l e m s c a n b e b e t t e r u n d e r s t o o d w h e n parents, grandfather, aunts and seen as a policy of forced assimila u n c l e s a n d o l d e s t b r o t h e r w e r e i m tion directed at Nikkei people, begin prisoned in. Forced evacuation and ning with the mass and brutal imprisonment of Japanese Ameri uprooting of a whole people into the c a n s w a s a c u l m i n a t i o n o f o v e r 5 0 camps or forced inland; the destruc years of racism against Nikkei from tion of the community structure and the day the first j apanese workers set leadership; and the conditions of foot in the U.S. I began to learn about leaving the camps. We were told to the details of this brutality that led stay away from other Japanese; we to the evacuation. And I began to un were told to take on habits accep- derstand all of the seemingly isolated Manzanar Pilgrimage 7979 events in my own life when seen as part of a larger story of Nikkei peo ple's uphill struggle againstlOOyears o f r a c i s t l a w s a n d r a c i s t t e r r o r. T h e n things began to fall into place. T h e W o r l d W a r I I c o n c e n t r a t i o n camps ripped apart the fabric of the Nikkei community, destroying the c o h e s i o n a n d s u r v i v a l n e t w o r k b u i l t over 50 years of struggling in racist America. The evacuation pitted one group against the other, splitting the unity that was needed to effectively respond to this attack, with questions of loyalty to the U.S., to Japan and especially loyalty to each other. The barbed wire left a deep gash in the flesh of Nikkei that still aches to day, 40 years later. Nikkei have the highest rate of alcoholism of any Asian/Pacific group; we have a very high rate of high blood pressure and heart disease, resulting in the pre mature deaths of many Nisei. Doc tors in the Japanese American com munity feel that these stress related e l e m e n t s a r e a r e s u l t o f t h e e v a c u a tion and the burden that people have had to bear all these years. There is very high drug abuse among our youth. In 1970, 31 Sansei in Los Angeles overdosed on drugs. In work done around that time with many of these youths, a reoccurring theme was a lack of positive identity.

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 6 [Left] Day of Remembrance Marcfi. Los Angeles, Feb., 1982. (Right] Toni Morozumi of Concerned Japanese Americans — New York, testifying at the commission hearing. November, 1981. table to white America. movement for reparations and jus begun to unite a long divided com But despite the odds, Nikkei peo tice. A forty year silence is being munity, with World War 11 veterans of ple still returned after the war to broken, and people are coming for the 442nd marching and working rebuild our communities. Many ward to speak their bitterness, to alongside Nikkei revolutionaries. chose to avoid the West Coast, want demand justice and compensation Sansei law students are working on ing to blend in so they could not be for the brutality and cruelty of the committees with 70 year old gar singled out again. In the past 20 evacuation. The recent Commission deners. Parents are finally beginning years, many of these Nikkei have hearings held across the country t o t e l l t h e i r c h i l d r e n w h a t t h e U . S . r e t u r n e d t o N i k k e i c o m m u n i t i e s o n have been a powerful outpouring of g o v e r n m e n t d i d t o t h e m a n d t o the West Coast. anger, pain, humiliation which is be gether, we are fighting for justice. I began to understand that Japa ing turned into strength, unity and This movement represents a resur n e s e A m e r i c a n c o m m u n i t i e s a r e t h e action to reclaim our destiny and gence of our pride and dignity as a foundations of power and support. future as a people. As one person people. When our children and The community provides an environ f r o m G a r d e n a t e s t i fi e d , " A f t e r 4 0 grandchildren ask us what we did ment to resist assimilation, which in years, only now are we finally getting about the camps, we can say proudly, stead of offering equality, makes us out of camp." we fought with all our hearts for give up our culture and identity. But The government commission is justice and reparations. just living together in the community currently preparing a recommenda The reparations movement also is not enough. We have to fight ac tion to Congress on remedies for the represents a chance to set the story tively for equality. evacuation and internment. We are straight about who the Nikkei people And in the past few years, there is a working now in the reparations really are: we have not all "made it;" definite resurgence of pride, identity movement to continue to pressure we are not all rich; we are not all pro and interest in our cultural history. the commission to make a strong and fessionals. As of the 1970 census, Japanese American history classes just recommendation. Also, Nikkei 2 0 % o f o u r i s s e i s e n i o r c i t i z e n s w e r e have been initiated in the community are building momentum and support living below the poverty level;^3 of by groups of varying ages and inter for a legislative bill for direct our community is part of the working ests. The film, Hito Hata: Raise the appropriations. class. The 1980 figures have yet to be Banner, dramatizing the Issei strug But beyond these things, the rep released, but we all know that the gle against the racist environment, arations movement has already been economic situation is not getting any has drawn phenomenal responses in victorious in activating and uniting better. In fact, things are getting the Nikkei communities. In places broad sectors of our community. This much worse. like Denver, Fresno and other cities movement has activated those who We have much in common with people will drive from miles around have never marched in a demonstra other Third World people in the U.S. to see the film. In Boston, Nikkei tion before and those who have never Our demands for reparations are part from the entire New England area spoken out in public. It is activating of a larger struggle to win justice and came to see the film. people who were involved in the pre equality for all Third World people in But perhaps the single most im vious struggles for Ethnic Studies and the U.S. Thus, our movement reaches portant development in building against drug abuse, but who have out to Japanese people, other op Japanese pride and identity is the s i n c e b e c o m e l e s s a c t i v e . I t h a s pressed nationalities, and all people

6 E A S T W I N D who support justice and equality. was built on the slavery of Black peo capitalism. We need to create a new The reparations movement is an ef ple, the genocide of Native American system not based on profits for a few, fort to unite Nikkei to gain political people and the theft of their lands, but on a better life for the many, a power. The power we seek, however, the subjugation of Chicanos and the society where J apanese and other op is notfor afew wealthy Japanesewho contract labor of Asians and other pressed nationalities are free to exist claim to represent us only to climb on more recent immigrants from the and develop freely. □ o u r j b a c k s a n d l o o k d o w n o n o t h e r Third World. minorities and laboring people who I can see now that the suffering b u i l t o u r c o m m u n i t i e s . that racism has caused me and my Evelyn Yoshimura is a longtime activ In order to get real power and people will end only when we stand ist in the Japanese community. She equality, we must fight for fun up as a people, taking our place w o r k s a t t h e L i t t l e To k y o S e r v i c e damental change. The racism and alongside other nationalities and Center and lives with her husband and greed that put our people into the working people to overturn this daughter in Los Angeles' Crenshaw camps is no accident. This country greedy, misery-producing system of neighborhood.

Gambare!

The sting of evacuation of sleeping white citizens.

pierces the cozy unity E n d l e s s c l o u d s o f d u s t of the Terminal Island community. a whirling dervish of escaped dreams 48 hours slipping thru floors cracked to pack 48 years u n d e r t h e b u r d e n o f b r o k e n h e a r t s of life. and seeping into weeping barracks — F a t h e r s fi r s t ! s e c r e t s t o r e h o u s e s o f s t o l e n l i v e s . "To take care And guards, everywhere, guards o f h e r h u s b a n d ' s a f f a i r to protect us from the hostile white citizenry was just too overwhelming. . . so she just sat down and cried." But wait! Look! Guns pointed at us! Cry, Terminal Island woman, cry. Wait! No! No!! Yo u r t i m e w i l l c o m e . Hiroshi-San! C u r f e w s o n d i s t a n c e a n d t i m e hiroshi-san carpetbaggers ripping off your last dime My brother no one gave you a chance They killed my brother. stealing your life Cry, Terminal Island woman for a song and a dance. Your lament rings from Cry, Terminal Island woman, cry Manzanar/Poston/Cila Yo u r t i m e w i l l c o m e . Heart Mountain/Topaz/Minidoka In the dead of night Tule Lake/jerome/Rohwer/Amache s i l e n t b u s e s s t e a l i n n o c e n t f a m i l i e s Cry, my people and unsuspecting children then cry no more. O u r t i m e h a s c o m e . t o w a r d s b a r r e n a n d d e s o l a t e d e s t i n a t i o n s . With shades discreetly drawn The Iranian hostages are home! shrouding passenger windows Yellow ribbons fluttering amidst parades s o a s n o t t o o ff e n d t h e s e n s i b i l i t i e s of happiness and patriotism.

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 7 Yellow ribbons flying high amidst waves t o c u t u s o ff of national unity and love. c u t u s s h o r t The Jap-anese hostages are home! c u t u s o u t Yellow banners waving greetings of once again imposing limits of distance and time hatred, hostility, and blame. now instead of 48 hours to pack away 48 years T h e h e r o i c 4 4 2 n d B a t t a l i o n i s h o m e ! they gave us 5 minutes No banners, just silence to pack 4 years of indignities t o c o v e r r a c i s m a n d h i d d e n s h a m e . and 40 years of private hells No work, no money, no home and expect us to put up with old lady no japs allowed!! dyed hair, foul-mouth racists?! She lost her sons in the war Our people spoke louder still! So what, she's a Jap! Presidential apologies won't pay my bill!! He always expressed loyalty and respect for this One by one, with empathy, support and pride country filling the hearing room So what, he's a Jap! spilling out into the halls My god, let her play! She's only a little girl willing each other the strength to go on So what, she's a Jap! welling up with anger, and swelling with pride They're very clean people, they do excellent work So what, they're Japs! as Issei and Nisei stood up and testified testified But Dad, I love him testified. So what, he's a Jap! Today a commission Breaking language barriers sits on high taking painful memories out of a dusty past expecting the emission ridden with horse stalls and tar paper shacks. of a sigh Breaking a 40-year silence representing the submission guarded by barbed wire and gaman. of a shy, shy And with each testimony my heart laid back community stood up and shouted which, to their surprise Gambare! Don't give up the struggle!! stands together in unity And I think they heard. once again on the rise One by one, with empathy, support, and pride once again on the rise. spiritually, each at the other's side Hayakawa, that has been banana Issei, Nisei, Sansei testified sings, in Amerikan, "Oh Susannah" testified safely hidden in Cana- testified. duh. . . What's up Doc? And, with one voice, proclaimed loud and clear Prescribing high dosage semantics the time for reparations is here!! to cure the spewing of truth. Dance, Chiquita Hayakawa, dance Miya Iwataki Yo u r t i m e h a s c o m e ! One by one, with empathy, support, and pride Contributing Editor Miya Iwataki is the Development we told our story Director at KPFK Radio in Los Angeles and a member of in spite of those who tried P a c i fi c A s i a n W o m e n W r i t e r s W e s t

8 E A S T W I N D The 100th Anniversary of the Gordon H. Chang Chinese Exclusion Act

Nothingracist more treatment symbolizes of Chinese the in the U.S. than the 1882 Chinese Exclu sion Act. One hundred years ago, A Ti m e To R e c l a i m Congress enacted legislation that added Chinese workers to prostitutes a n d i m b e c i l e s a s u n d e s i r a b l e e l e Our History ments prohibited from entering the U.S. It was the first exclusionary immi gration act based solely on national ity. Its affect on the Chinese of Amer ica was profound as it was on all Asians when the Act was expanded in subsequent years. On this centennial anniversary of the passage of the Act, it is highly ap propriate to review this history as there is discussion now taking place in government circles concerning a new immigration bill that will seri ously hurt thousands of Asians and others in the country. Politicians are discussing elimination of the 5th preference immigration category which, if abolished, would end amain avenue a U.S. citizen can utilize to bring overseas brothers and sisters into the U.S. as permanent residents. The Exclusion Act and follow-up bills terminated large-scale immigra tion of Chinese into the U.S. for some 80 years. But perhaps even more sig nificant was the Act's other main pro vision which prohibited Chinese from becoming naturalized citizens of the U.S. They were labeled "aliens ineli gible for citizenship," a status that brought a wide range of other restric tions (such as prohibitions of land ownership in many states, limitation of the right of habeas corpus), relegat ing Chinese to an officially inferior status, deprived of even the most San Francisco Chinatown. Early 1900's.

basic rights. The intention of such legislation was not to simply limit further entry of Chinese into the country but to drive them entirely from the U.S. By 1924 it was even illegal for a U.S. cit izen to bring a Chinese wife into New York Chinatown demonstration against the Japanese invasion of China. America. The Chinese population here dropped from close to 200,000 the Chinese government to protest protest continued. It was only when in 1900 to just around 60,000 in 1930. the immigration acts as these fell in the Manchu government in China felt The record of atrocities against the the bounds of diplomatic concerns. that the boycott was becoming too Chinese in America is long indeed. It But many became disillusioned radical that it stepped in and sup includes legal discrimination as well with legal processes and diplomatic pressed the protest. The acquiescent a s a n t i - C h i n e s e m a s s a c r e s . B u t a c dancing. They recognized that politi and even collaborationist stance of companying this history is a wide cal and mass pressure was necessary the Chinese government with regards spread belief that the Chinese just to influence the judicial system and to the American immigration laws passively accepted this fate. Perhaps because the Chinese had few ave and treatment of Chinese impelled outraged or insulted as victims but nues of traditional recourse to press many Chinese in the U.S. to look for always the "long-suffering Chinese." for righting grievances, they took ways to change the administration in But this conception is not so much other approaches. In 1892, when China. real as contrived by those who wish Washington demanded all Chinese to Thus, in the early 20th century, to have Chinese and other Asians register with the federal government, thousands actively supported the themselves believe in the myth of over 85,000 individuals boycotted great reform movement led by K'ang passivity and not take heart from the the requirements under threat of de Yu-wei and Liang Ch'i-ch'ao in China. actual history of Chinese who fought portation. The mass boycott was so T h e a i m o f t h i s d r i v e w a s t o r e m o v e for justice and equality. Por too long, successful that the government had t h e m o s t s t u b b o r n f e u d a l e l e m e n t s i n historians and commentators of the to modify its policies. the Manchu court and modernize the Asian experience in America have ig Later in May, 1905, Chinese in the country. By 1904 the American sec nored the Chinese as participants in U.S., China and around the world boy t i o n o f t h e r e f o r m m o v e m e n t c l a i m e d the making of history. It is time that cotted goods of American companies 103 branches with a membership of the Chinese-as-hapless-victim go join in protest of another anti-Chinese im some 10,000. the happy-go-lucky-slave and other migration law. L a t e r w h e n i t b e c a m e e v i d e n t t h a t racist conceptions. Over the next year, the $50 million t h e r e f o r m m o v e m e n t w o u l d n o t b e Soon after the 1882 Act, Chinese U . S . t r a d e w i t h C h i n a w a s c u t 5 0 - successful, increasing numbers of tried to oppose the discriminatory 70% due to the movement. It be Chinese in the U.S. joined the ranks of measures through the courts. Fong came such an international issue that Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary move Yue Ting sued the government all the President Roosevelt had to issue an ment. During his trips to the U.S. in way up to the Supreme Court. An executive order directing immigra 1896, 1904 and 1910, Sun collected other Chinese, Look Tin Sing, suc tion authorities to cease "arbitrary" money, material aid and other forms cessfully fought to have U.S.-born mistreatment and abuse of the Chi of support for his attempts to over Chinese recognized as citizens with nese. This attempt to defuse the issue throw the Manchu government. Sup full rights. Other Chinese pressured though was not successful and the porters of Sun even established over

10 EAST WIND 20 military schools in the U.S. to train sonally with President Theodore a l s o d i m i n i s h e s o u r s e l v e s . young Chinese to return to fight Roosevelt for a more lenient policy, Now 100 years after the Chinese against feudalism and imperialism. and he publicly debated the right- Exclusion Act, the racist anti-Chinese And it is critical to recognize that this wing labor aristrocrat Samuel Gom- immigration laws have been re passion to affect the course of events pers who wanted to send all Chinese moved from the books. As a result of in China was directly connected to b a c k t o C h i n a . t h e e f f o r t s o f m a n y p e o p l e a n d the brutal treatment Chinese faced in Ng Poon Chew as a middle-class re changing circumstances, Washing America. It was reasoned that as long former placed great hopes on con ton slowly altered its official pol a s t h e C h i n e s e n a t i o n i t s e l f w a s d e vincing political figures that the Chi icies, which no longer overtly dis graded by foreign powers, the treat nese were no threat to the country. c r i m i n a t e o n t h e b a s i s o f r a c e o r ment of those of Chinese ancestry He simply wanted the Chinese to nationality. overseas could never qualitatively have an "equal opportunity." But while the targets of the strug improve. B u t o t h e r s f r o m t h e l a b o r i n g gle have changed, the nature of the classes did not share the sort of faith problem remains. National oppres in individual effort held by Ng Poon sion is woven into the fabric of capi Chew. Rather they sought out the talist America, and the mounting Duemany to the people, recent the efforts record of of power of organization to advance anti-Asian sentiment seen in the Chinese experiences at the immigra the interests of the Chinese against country today testifies to this. tion depot on Angel Island in the San government discrimination and so T h e r e i s w o r k t o b e d o n e . □ Francisco Bay is becoming more well cial inequality. known. During its 30 years of opera Some activists joined the Com tion, this processing station gained a munist Party, USA, or organizations Contributing Editor Gordon Chang reputation as a hell hole for Chinese based in the Chinese communities is a professor of Chinese history and a n d o t h e r A s i a n s w h o w e r e i n t e r r o associated with the left-wing. They t h e C o o r d i n a t o r o f A s i a n A m e r i c a n gated and mistreated there before linked their struggle for a change in Studies at Laney College in Oakland, beingallowed into the country. Some t h e i r s t a t u s w i t h t h e f u t u r e o f t h e California. were locked up for two years while working class and a radical transfor their fate was deliberated by the mation of American society. Groups authorities. s u c h a s t h e C h i n e s e W o r k e r s M u t u a l Performances But it is also now becoming known Aid Association, the East Coast Chi Classes that the indignities suffered by the nese Hand Laundry Alliance, or the Chinese on the island were not en more student oriented Chinese- dured in silence. Chinese kept in the American Democratic Youth League combined an avid interest in the Chi depot formed a group known as the 415 928-5676 Angel Island Liberty Association n e s e r e v o l u t i o n w i t h e f f o r t s t o i m 1639 Leavenworth which sought assistance to expose prove the position of Chinese in San Francisco 94109 the mistreatment. Anger at the deten America. tion even broke out in the open as in a Despite the considerable distance 1925 rebellion involving 200 individ between leaders like Ng Poon Chew uals. Subsequently the authorities a n d t h e s o c i a l i s t - m i n d e d w o r k e r s o f modified their activities to try to pre the Chinese community, they shared vent another such occurrence. a commonality. They all faced a so The wooden walls of Angel Island's cial system that denied them basic depot still speak to us today of the equality and reminded them day in feelings in the hearts of those kept in and day out that they had to struggle the cells. Inscribed poems tell us of simply to remain human. the dreams, hurts and hopes for re Despite formidable odds, the Chi venge that the Chinese intensely felt. nese in America were persistent in Just as every people's history is their efforts to gain justice. The anti- marked by activities that differ due C h i n e s e i m m i g r a t i o n l a w s w e r e a to the class and social position of its prime target of their anger for dec a p l a y b y participants, so does the Chinese- ades, and the anguish as well as pro G e n n y L i m American experience have a diver test against these restrictions run as a sity of responses to the anti-Chinese red current through the history. It is J u n e 3 - J u l y 2 record. We have in the 20th century not enough for the Chinese-Americans Chinese Culture Center activists like Ng Boon Chew, the of today to look back and quietly em founder of the first significant daily pathize with those who have suffered Chinese language newspaper in 1900 before us, for we should also look a n d a C h r i s t i a n m i n i s t e r w h o t r a v e l e d back and see their courage, creativity the country campaigning for the and determination. To do anything rights of the Chinese. He argued per- less belittles our predecessors, but

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 11 gees must be our concern, for the knowing their place in both a male YuriKochiyama nent activisthas inbeen the Asiana promi and problems they will face in this country dominated and a racist society. Third World movement for many should not be shouldered by them Women's place worldwide, but espe years. fTer involvement in theanti-war selves alone. We, as Asians and as con cially in Asia, was/is second class. A movement, community struggles, re- cerned women, must keep abreast of quotation from India reads: "Man is dresslreparations, workers organizing their needs and adjustment. gold. Woman is only an earthen and international liberation support Thus, my topic will be: "Asian vessel." work has earned her the respect of women, past, present and future." We must admit that such inequi thousands of people. On March 7, Let's begin with our past. Whether ties are part of our Asian heritage, but 1981, she delivered this keynote o u r b a c k g r o u n d s t a k e u s b a c k t o i t d o e s n o t h a v e t o r e m a i n s o . W e address to the East Coast Asian Stu China, Korea, Japan, the Philippines, must recognize that all heritage and d e n t U n i o n ' s A s i a n W o m e n ' s C o n f e r India, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, traditions are not necessarily some ence held at Mt. Holyoke College. H a w a i i o r o t h e r P a c i f i c I s l a n d s — w e thing to be proud of. We must con all come from a history of feudalism, tinually discard what is confining or foreign domination, colonialism, h a r m f u l a n d c r e a t e w h a t i s b e n e fi Asian national traditions. Western cial, useful, broadening and humane. Thank you for the opportunity and c h a u v i n i s m a n d r a c i s m . T h a t ' s a B u t t h e o t h e r s i d e o f t h e c o i n o f t h e privilege of being here with you. We whole lot of oppression. feudal period — and other eras men as Asian women are here, I think, for A l l o f o u r m o t h e r s k n e w t h e m e a n tioned — was constant struggle several reasons: 1) to get to know one ing of obedience, subservience, and against injustices. Women in Asia as another, have dia w e l l a s w o m e n i n logue with each the Third World and other, feel good everywhere have v i b e s o f m u t u a l n e v e r c e a s e d i n concern and unity; Asian Women: their struggles. 2) to explore who we Today, that strug are, have been and gle continues even where we would in this so-called de like to go as Asian Past Present and Future mocracy where in w o m e n , a s T h i r d equities, injustices, World women, in exploitation and ternational women racism persist. New and just plain wom ideas and lifestyles en; 3) to seriously by Yuri Kochiyama must improve the consider questions quality of life not like: What brought only for women but about stereotypes? for men, children, What has been the history of Asian everyone. women? Are we subservient to socie However, there are Asian tradi tal forces, traditions, trends? What t i o n s t h a t w e c a n c o n t i n u e a n d h o l d should we oppose; what should we on to: the deep respect for the el support? Where are we now? What are derly; the preciousness of children; our needs? In a constantly changing the appreciation of nature; the prox world, priorities change as new prob imity to the soil (land); and the rever lems develop. Strategies and tactics e n c e f o r t h e a n c e s t o r s . must change as assessments become The bamboo has always been the clearer. Minority women's rights and symbol for the Asians — men and general women's rights must be women. It's gracefulness and strength placed in proper perspective. — able to bend with the wind; resilient We must also realistically realize but unbreakable; rooted in the solid that the era of visibly recognizable ground. Asian women in the United States may be only for a few more genera It sounds nice, but today, we can tions. A large percent of Asian not deal in simple analogies and sym women are marrying non-Asians and bolism. Women in Asia are coming their heirs may not look that Asian, together, joining hands on problems but a woman's most personal rights th e y c o n s i d e r m u tu a l . On e o f th e are the right to choose one's mate struggles that liberated women of and the right to procreate when she Japan are fighting against — along desires or is ready to do so. with women of Korea, Taiwan, Philip Also, the large influx of Asian refu pines, Okinawa and Thailand — is

12 EAST WIND the growing sexploitation by Japa e v e n t o f t h a t t i m e . I t w a s a n i n t e r n a from now, there may not be any more nese businessmen who travel to tional, transcontinental exchange dur Asian or Third World gatherings. those mentioned countries. The ing the height of the war, when North Asian Studies itself is being iced out problem is so serious that progressive American women learned about the across the country along with other Asian leaders have publicly con horrors and heroics that a cruel, unre ethnic studies. In New York, only City demned Japanese prostitution tour lenting war could evoke; and South College and Hunter College have a ism which has been booming in the e a s t A s i a n w o m e n h e a r d f o r t h e fi r s t few courses. In event that these meet 1970's. One Filipino leader stated time the history of the Black, Native ings are halted, we must think of some that this perpetration of a social evil American, Chicano, Puerto Rican and k i n d o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n l i n k s i n t h e is like a "sexual invasion of Imperial Asian experience in America. What an future. soldiers wearing civilian clothes." impact these women must have made T h e B a k k e a n d W e b e r c a s e s m a d e This immoral indulgence has ex on one another. mileages for U.S. domestic policies panded to Sri Lanka and Nepal. Unforgettable, too, was that the against affirmative action, not only Prostitution tourism is a classic ex planning for the conference had to be in education but in work places. We ample of the distorted political/eco done clandestinely for fear that the must fight to keep the gains made in nomic relationship between capital U.S. government would stop the the '60s. ism and exploitation of women; and women from attending this momen Ethnic ties, ethnic unity and ethnic the social aspect of the violations of t o u s e v e n t . organizing have to give rise to ethnic human rights meaning women's rights and women's dignity. We are now in the 1980's. As Asian American women we have graduated from identity crisis to community or ganizing to Third World interaction to study groups, political education to supporting international libera tion struggles. Much water has gone under the bridge. Asian awareness was born during the fight for Ethnic Studies twelve years ago and flow ered during the Viet Nam War when we proudly marched in Asian contin gents on both the West and East Coast in support of our Asian sisters and brothers in Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia. In 1971, two historic meetings took place in Canada, one in Vancouver, t h e o t h e r i n To r o n t o . . . t h e I n d o - c h i n e s e W o m e n ' s C o n f e r e n c e w h e r e several dozen Asian women along The Asian contingent in an anti-war march. Los Angeles, 1971 with several hundred Third World a n d w h i t e w o m e n f r o m N o r t h A m e r ica met with six unforgettable, in We are here today at another creativity and talent. We Asians can d o m i t a b l e w o m e n f r o m I n d o c h i n a ; w o m e n ' s c o n f e r e n c e . W e d i d n o t be proud of the number of Asian revolutionary women whose cour cross oceans to gather. We do not women artists, writers, poets, singers, age, spirit and warmth all struck the need translators. There is nothing dancers, musicians, photographers, North Americans with a humanity clandestine about this gathering, it is f i l m m a k e r s . W o m e n l i k e — N o b u k o and humility. Perhaps, these women not an international meeting. But, Miyamoto, Chris Choy, Eay Chiang, — w h o w e r e t e a c h e r s , d o c t o r s , t h i s c o n f e r e n c e o f E a s t C o a s t A s i a n R o b e r t a U n o , C a m i l l i a R y W o n g , housewives, mothers, workers, all women can be meaningful, educa D i a n e M a r k , G i n g e r C h i h , M i t s u who worked collectively in the strug t i o n a l a n d h a v e i t s o w n k i n d o f i m Yashima, Nelly Wong, Kazu lijima, gle (one who spent six years in the pact. We are living in a very serious Nancy Mom, Renee Tajima, Hisaye Tiger cages and survived) — brought period of national retrogression with Desoto, Janice Mirikitani, Grace Lee with them the profoundest meaning domestic policies, budget cuts and Boggs and others. Art is not for art's o r t h e b e s t o f A s i a n w o m a n h o o d . I t media control already closing ave sake. Eor people's artists, art is for was a combination of gentility with nues of special social, cultural out people's sake. strength, zeal with patience, commit lets such as this. It is to your credit Internationally, we live in a world ment with understanding. t h a t t h i s c o n f e r e n c e g o t o f f t h e where all peoples and nations are in E o r m o s t N o r t h A m e r i c a n w o m e n ground, and that Asian women made terdependent. The oppression of any who attended, it was the most moving an effort to attend. A couple of years nation or people must be the concern

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 13 of ail. Today, as we see struggles en- Women for the Liberation of South flaming in El Salvador, Namibia, the V i e t N a m w a s f o u n d e d t o a d v a n c e Middle East, Philippines, Eritrea, East women's rights and struggles against Timor, Afghanistan — such diverse imperialism. In 1970, International Congratula places — what strange names — now Working Women's Day was revived in areas we must keep our eyes on. We the U.S. when women marched again. must read and understand what is Where did they march? They marched tb happening there in terms of U.S. in to the old women's prison in New York EASTWIND magazine I volvement and imperialism and give City to protest vicious oppression support to those in liberation strug behind the walls. In 1971, the Tupar- f r o m ^ gles. We are Third World women, in maros, a guerrilla organization in I the Japaaase Gomhmlti ternational women. Uruguay, dressed as police, drove out ' Pi^lrfes^ve illili® And let us not forget that tomor of jail 50 women political prisoners. row March 8 is International Working Women have inspired women. Thus, W o m e n ' s D a y, r e c o g n i z e d w o r l d March 8 should hold a special place People's wide since its proclamation in Den for women. It is a day of remembrance Rights Organization. mark in 1910. Yes, across the world, and commemoration. women are meeting and observing As Asian women we have a unique this landmark date. It began on history. Our mothers and grand Subscribe to our newspaper, March 8, 1857 in New York City's mothers were pioneers. They crossed the NIKKEI SENTINEL, Lower East Side when women gar an ocean, learned a foreign language, a part of the growing m e n t a n d t e x t i l e w o r k e r s d e m o n adjusted to a new culture. They unity between strated against oppressive working worked side by side with their hus JCPA andLTPRO conditions in unsafe, nonunionized bands on plantations and farms; res sweatshops. Fifty years later in 1908, taurants and laundries; small sweat t h e w o m e n o f t h e L o w e r E a s t S i d e CgatMt: shops and vegetable stands; in fish LTPHO marched again with similar demands canneries and domestic work. They 244 So. Sas Podro St. Room 406 lO«Sll|«les,CA (MiE including the eight-hour day, an end helped create Chinatowns, Japan- to child labor and the right to vote. In towns, Manilatowns, and now Korea- or 1910, International Women's Day t o w n s . T h e i r c h i l d r e n ' s e d u c a t i o n JCPA w a s p r o c l a i m e d i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y a n d t h e i r c h i l d r e n ' s f u t u r e w e r e t h e i r ISSS Sutter St. Sao Fnnoiioo.GA 94tli through the effort of Claire Zeitkin of priority. They gave birth to a genera Germany, Alexandra Kollentai and tion of Asian Americans. You stu Lenin of Russia, Rosa Luxembourg of dents are here because of their back- Poland and Big Bill Haywood from breaking toil, their persistence, their the U.S. In 1917 in St. Peters, Russia, courage, their sacrifice. 90,000 women marched sparking the No citations, laws or memorials B e s t W i s h e s E A S T W I N D February revolution. In 1936, at the can repay them for the legacy they height of the Spanish Civil War left . . . except what you/we do with Full Equality for against fascism, 80,000 women our life for the generations after us. marched in Madrid demanding prog □ Chinese People! ress and liberty. In 1961, the Union of Chinese Progressive Association

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14 EAST WIND news agencies. Fighting J in sees himself as fighting the New York Times not only for himself, but R a c i s m a t t h e for generations to come. It is with persistence and the will to fight that h e c o n t i n u e s t o c o n f r o n t t h e N e w New York York Times for their foot-dragging on implementing the 1980 settlement. As Mr. J in emphasized, "We can't let Times the scratches heal so easily. We must c o n t i n u e t o f i g h t . " □

Sasha Hohri Contributing Editor Sasha Hohri is a member of the Concerned Japanese A m e r i c a n s a n d t h e f o r m e r c o - c h a i r o f the East Coast Japanese Americans for Whenof asked Third World about people the status at the Morgan jin R e d r e s s . S h e i s a l s o a m e m b e r o f New York Times a year and a half Thousand Cranes, an art group in New a f t e r a f a v o r a b l e s e t t l e m e n t o f t h e i r the passage of the Civil Rights laws, York City. affirmative action suit, Morgan Jin and therefore it is not just for the declared, "We've only just scratched Times to say it is an equal opportu the Times, but we are here to stay!" nity employer in all of its ads, when it The settlement, unprecedented in h a s o n i t s s t a f f h u n d r e d s o f B l a c k s Wanted: the newspaper industry, includes af and other minority groups pushing firmative action in recruitment, test mops and brooms, and then proclaim Asian Journalists ing, hiring, training, promotions, to the world that its responsibility is assignments, scheduling, personnel being fulfilled. It must include in its There are still only a handful ot records, scholarships, and tuition hiring minorities and give promotive Asian reporters wrnking on the ma- reimbursements. opportunities so they can develop joi newspapers in New York, Bos The $1,5 million settlement in and become professionals in their ton, San Francisco, Los Angeles and cludes stipulations that the New York areas of interests, and at the same other cities where there are large Times would make payments total time, be able to realize the 'great c o n c e n t r a t i o n s o f A s i a n s W h i l e ing $285,000 to 75 persons named as American dream.' this situation has more to do with w i t n e s s e s i n t h e s e t t l e m e n t . I n a d d i We people of color also have goals the racist practices of the news- tion, a $400,000 payment is to be to fulfill, dreams to realize, and chal riaper industry than w ith the lark of made to the Minority Caucus Affirm lenges to meet and conquer, not just talented Asian writers, theie will ative Action Grant Fund of the News being under-utilized. The present always be a need to seek out new paper Guild, which organized the pattern must stop." writers If you are interested in jour class action suit. After eight years, an The unprecedented settlement nalism, wiite to the following pro o u t - o f - c o u r t s e t t l e m e n t w a s r e a c h e d reached in September 1980 spurred grams tor more information. o n t h e e v e o f t h e c o u r t t r i a l a s t h e others to organize in the newspaper New York Times clearly settled to industry. Third World employees of • bummer Brogram tor avoid public exposure of its racist the New York Daily News have filed Minority Journalists practices an $8 million discrimination suit Nancy Kikuchi, Coordinator Jin, a circulation manager, ini against The New York Daily News. S c h o o l o f l o u r n a l t s m tiated the suit against the New York But the entrenched racist prac Liniversitv of California Times in1973 when he learned he was tices of the New York Times are con Berkeley, CA 94720 to be laid off, rather than be pro tinuing. Today, among the 4,000 (4151642-5962 moted. He consistently fought the Times' employees, there are less than racism of the New York Times and ral 25 Asians, but over 400 Blacks, still • lob Net Reierral Service lied with other Third World people to mostly working in janitorial posi CO Schcjol ol Journalism form the Minority Caucus of the New tions. At the highest levels, there is University ot California York Times. In 1975, at an annual one Black vice-president, buteven he Beikclev,CA 94720 stockholders' meeting, he laid out his i s o n t h e l o w e s t l e v e l o f v i c e - case of the New York Times' discrimi presidents. Of the 45 sports reporters, • 1 diting Program toi nation: "There is an old Chinese prov there is only one Black person. Jin Minority journalists erb, 'The press is an un-crowned king.' c i t e d c a s e a f t e r c a s e o f t a l e n t e d Journalism Department Because of this, it has a very heavy Third World people being passed U n i v e r s i t y o f A r i z o n a social responsibility and obligation. over, becoming frustrated and leav 1 u c s o n , A r i z o n a 8 5 7 2 1 I T h e N e w Yo r k Ti m e s w a s a l e a d e r i n ing the New York Times for other

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 15 Asian American Studies in Action — Profile of Professor Ray Lou

faced — Ray and other Butch Wing A s i a n G i ' s w e r e t r e a t e d like "gooks," identified as "the enemy" by mili- t a r y a u t h o r i t i e s , w h i l e RayLoupecially has busybeen thesees serving in the Marine past few days. Winter Corp. during 1968, the classes at San Jose State year of the Tet Offensive. University have just be After leaving the mili gun, and he's teaching tary, he entered the Uni t h r e e c o u r s e s — A s i a n v e r s i t y o f H a w a i i , a n d Americans in U.S. History, soon came into contact Chinese American His w i t h t h e E t h n i c S t u d i e s tory, and a new course on movement sweeping col C a r e e r s a n d P r o f e s s i o n s lege campuses through for Asian Americans. Ray o u t t h e U . S . — T h i r d is the only full-time pro W o r l d S t r i k e s a t U C fessor of San Jose State's Berkeley, San Francisco Asian American Studies State, City College New program. And on top of York; movements at Har that, he is coordinator of vard, the University of the program, which is also Washington at Seattle, offering courses on Amer- the University of Hawaii. i c a ' s C o n c e n t r a t i o n It affected nearly every Camps and Asian Ameri college where there were c a n Wo m e n t h i s t e r m . c o n c e n t r a t i o n s o f A s i a n s But Ray takes it all in and Third World students. stride. After all, he's one of the sea occupied a 'marginal' position — in "I was just an engineering student s o n e d v e t e r a n s o f t h e A s i a n A m e r i the segregated South, whites were on walking through campus, and I kept can Studies movement. Starting in top, and Blacks were on the bottom. hearing the speeches demanding Eth 1969, Ray has taught and helped de Chinese were neither. During the nic Studies in the background. It was velop programs at the University of early 1900's, Chinese were like the all very unfamiliar to me at first, be Hawaii, and University of California Blacks were. But over a period of ing a country boy from Mississippi. campuses at Irvine and Santa Cruz. time, we were given limited access to But as time went on, it all began to He arrived at San Jose State in 1978 as white public facilities. This served to make sense. Asian people do have a a professor and has been coordinator booster the identity of Chinese as distinct history. We do have social, since 1979. whites more than as people of color. economic and cultural problems pe A slight Southern drawl reveals The state of race relations in the town culiar to peoples of color. We do some interesting family roots, which w a s t e n s e . W h i l e I r e m e m b e r t h e have a right to learn about our history contributed to shaping his current in Freedom Rides and the Voter Regis and experiences at the university. terest in Asian and Third World Stud tration drives, I left the South and People of color should fight for our ies. "I grew up in a small Mississippi joined the military before the height rights." Ray soon left Engineering delta town called Greenville during of the Civil Rights Movement in the a n d t r a n s f e r r e d t o L i b e r a l S t u d i e s t o the 1940's and 1950's, one of about '60s. pursue his interests in Ethnic Studies. 1,500 Chinese in the region. Chinese H e r e a n o t h e r f o r m o f r a c i s m s u r After a decade of experience in

16 EAST WIND Asian American Studies, I asked Ray achieving a high level of academic the community. Ray's view? "Aca about his approach to developing quality in the program — rigorous demic quality, research and writing is quality programs in the1980's. "Why research, publications, and solid in no way contradictory to student is Ethnic Studies important? It pre courses. Ray is intent on "advancing and community involvement. The sents Asian Americans with scholarly the state of knowledge" through Eth problems arise when one aspect domi information and knowledge that nic Studies, and views research and nates and the others suffer. The key is serves to legitimize our existence in publications as tools to challenge the maintaining the correct balance, the U.S. It explains why our culture racist history, social science and keeping our priorities straight. Ac and personality has taken on partic literature of the past and present. tually, I'm real pleased with the in ular traits. It serves to preserve the In his study, "Chinese American crease of good research and writing continuum between our past and Vendors of Los Angeles: A Case of and we might see some breakthroughs present. I think it is vital to maintain Resistance, Political Organization, soon." strong, direct student participation in and Participation," Ray challenges "Keeping priorities straight" is no the development of Asian American t h e s o c i o l o g i c a l " t h e o r y " t h a t easy task. Not with college adminis Studies, to build close ties and con Chinese, by "refusing to acculturate trations constantly holding a gun at nections with the surrounding com and accept American values," had the heads of Ethnic Studies programs. munities, and to achieve a level of only themselves to blame for being Take San Jose State for instance. academic quality, sound research singled out and attacked during the "We have a relatively small program. and quality courses. 1880's. By conducting extensive re With just one full-time prof, one part- "When I say student participation, search about Chinese agricultural t i m e a n d o n e a d m i n i s t r a t o r ( w h o I mean input on all levels — central workers who were victimized at the teaches, too), we try to offer as many decision making in the hiring of staff time, he argues that Chinese farmers courses and activities as possible. and faculty, formulating curriculum "were an integral partof 19th century But any budget cuts, elimination of and assisting in the teaching of Southern California . . . Chinese ex personnel, would hurt us severely. courses, and community activities. clusion in the 1880's was a result of There's no fat, no excess, in Asian Students can do it all. After all, it was "white racist opposition," not of Chi American Studies. students who initiated, founded and nese refusal to assimilate." More "I worry about the program. Being maintained Asian American Studies over, he concludes that the Chinese the smallest and youngest program at all of these years. vendors were discriminated against the university, there's little security." "We exist to serve the needs of the because of their high level of partici students. Their involvement is vital pation in the greater society, rather to our own process of change and de than their alleged isolation. velopment. Without this, we would Elaborating on his approach to Despitemains this optimistic adversity, Ray about re the become isolated and divorced from research, Ray commented, "Chinese future of Asian American Studies, the people we are supposed to serve, historiography suffers from one glar and its ability to survive and grow in a n d l o s e o u r r e a s o n f o r e x i s t e n c e . " ing omission .... There is an absence the 1980's. "There's a new generation of investigation into the daily com of students. A lot of motion in the munity life of Chinese Americans. An community. Asian American Studies, overwhelming bulk of historical re if it remains well-connected, can be Thistosame his approachcommitment to theextends commu search has been concerned with what viable and continue to contribute to nity. I glance around the small office was done to Chinese Americans and our peoples' struggle for change. I and can't help but notice the cluster who did it to them, rather than who think we hit a low point awhile back, of posters, leaflets, and fliers cover the Chinese were and what they did, but are bouncing back. I'm really en ing the walls. Tule Lake Pilgrimage. how we evolved, and the dynamics of couraged by the continued support Hito Hata — Raise the Banner. Cele the social forces active in the crea that we receive on campus and in the brate Nihonmachi Organizing Com tion of these new people." community." m i t t e e ' s S e c o n d A n n i v e r s a r y. R e His goal is to tell the history of What is the key? Ray urges Asian American Studies to "go back to our dress/Reparations. Join A.S.I.A.N. Chinese Americans from our own per "Our program seeks to educate spective — as we have lived and expe original source of support — the stu students and stimulate their interests rienced it. Our own voices and our dents and the community. They are in the community. If we don't get in own story. "To do good research, to the foundations for our survival, the volved, who will? I try to encourage really understand our history, educa people we serve. We have to rely on students to participate in the process tors have to be in touch with the com o u r s e l v e s . " □ of change taking place in the commu munity, with the people. The people in nity. Give people the opportunity to the community are the primary source Butch Wing is the Managing Editor get involved through field trips to of knowledge and information." of EAST WIND and a member of the Angel Island or going on Tule Lake At the same time, Ray is well aware Pilgrimages. Once students have the of pressures from college administra League of Revolutionary Struggle opportunity, it's their choice as to tions, the "publish or perish" syn (M-L). how far they want to go." drome, and the effort to tear Asian Another one of Ray's goals is educators away from students and

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 17 Aloha Aina (Lo>Oc of the Land)

The Struggle for Land and Power in Hawai'i

"Do not shelter foreigners for they are graspers of the land." — a British foreigner to King Kamehameha I

Tracy Takano

Thisaimage reality,of andforeigners today became native Ha- waiians and other local people — the people of Hawai'i from Asia, Puerto Rico and Portugal first brought over as contract laborers by the plantation owners — are locked into a fight with the graspers for every beach, valley and piece of land in Hawai'i. The struggle for land began when the foreigners from the U.S. and Europe came to exploit and colonize Hawai'i in the early 1800's. The graspers saw that to take the land, they also needed to replace the ali'i, t h e H a w a i i a n c h i e f s w h o c o n t r o l l e d the land. They were able to do this by the end of the centu ry when the haole (white) capitalist planters and mer c h a n t s o v e r t h r e w t h e H a w a i i a n m o n archy in 1893. As the land was lost, the foreigners' grasp grew tighter on the sovereignty of Hawai'i. Similarly, the struggle to regain the land today is part of the struggle for revolution and to gain political power. The Hawaiians had a very devel oped feudal society by the time Brit ish explorer James Cook came to the i s l a n d s i n 1 7 7 8 . T h e H a w a i i a n l a n d system was based on use rather than private ownership — the ali'i con trolled the land, but the maka'ainana (people of the land, commoners) had the right to use the resources of the land and sea. The relationship be tween the people and the land was

18 EAST WIND expressed in the concept aloha 'aina and were the real rulers of Hawai'i. out of the valleys to make room for — l o v e o f t h e l a n d . H a w a i i a n s t o o k Hawai'i became a military base for development. Hotels and condomin care of the land so that the land could the U.S. and was under martial law iums crowded onto the best beaches. continue to sustain them. The Hawai during World War II. Statehood in America's welcome to the people of ian economy, culture, religion and 1959 completed the political domi H a w a i ' i i n t h e i r fi r s t d e c a d e o f political system were based on nation of the people by the American statehood was greater alienation shared use and respect for the land. imperialists. from the land and sea and even less Cook had opened the doors to a Statehood brought new waves of c o n t r o l o v e r t h e i r l i v e s . flood of Americans and Europeans settlers to the islands and greatly who rushed to exploit Hawai'i. West changed the character of Hawai'i. erners, especially the American mis The first ten years were especially Thesetimessame of revolutionten years were aroundalso the sionaries, gained favor with some of devastating. During this period, the world. Many young people in Hawai'i the ali'i and were given positions in population rose by 137,000 people, were inspired to take action too — in the Hawaiian government. They con and just under 100,000 in this in part by the liberation movements in vinced many of the ali'i of the superi crease was in the haoie population. the Third World and by U.S. revolu ority of the haoie ways including the Most of the people coming from the tionary organizations such as I Wor philosophy of free trade which the mainland U.S. were professionals, Kuen, the Young Lords Party and the missionaries taught in the schools businessmen and management peo Black Panther Party — but mainly they established forthea/;'/. Most sig ple. During this time, the military oc from seeing what U.S. imperialism nificantly, they were able to intro cupation of the islands stepped up. had done to Hawai'i. A new revolu- duce private ownership of land. By the 1850's, the haoie caused a major land distribution called The Great Mahele which instituted pri vate ownership of land. About a third of the land, some 1,500,000 acres, was supposed to be for land claims by the maka'ainana but the ali'i and the haoie manipulated the Mahele so that they received most of the land while the maka'ainana received only 28,000 acres. Less than 1 % of the land went to the 99% of the population. The Hawaiians, whose bodies and souls were tied to the land, were cut off from it, and the haoie were able to replace the Hawaiian social structure w i t h t h e i r o w n . It was also during the 1850's that Sand Island supporters resisting eviction, january, 1980 the haoie, especially the American capitalist planters and merchants, began seriously organizing either for In addition to the Big Five, other t i o n a r y n a t i o n a l i s t m o v e m e n t an overthrow of the monarchy or an U.S. monopoly corporations acceler emerged in Hawai'i out of the strug nexation by the U.S. In 1893, the ated their domination of the Hawai gle for Kalama Valley. planters and merchants staged a ian economy. The number of tourists Kalama Valley is located east of Honolulu on the island of O'ahu. The coup backed up with a U.S. navy gun increased 500% and the number of boat and 150 U.S. troops. Queen hotel rooms tripled to hold them. valley had many small farms which Lili'uokalani was forced into a condi The system of land distribution did were worked by the Hawaiian, Por tional surrender, and the haoie imme not change much since the planta tuguese, Japanese and Pilipino res diately asked for annexation by the tion days. 45% of the land is held by idents. In the summer of 1970, the U.S. 39 major landholders, while small, Bishop Estate, the largest private Formal annexation by the U.S. in private owners control only 6.3% of landholder in Hawai'i, began evicting 1898 meant that political power was the land. The rest is held by the State the tenants to make way for an expen even further removed from the peo and U.S. government. sive housing development. ple and that Hawai'i was secure for The large landholders were mak Most of the residents were forced imperialist domination. The planter ing the most of this new influx of out, but the last remaining residents monopolies — Alexander & Baldwin, capital and rich people. Land previ would not leave. The struggle for Kalama Valley was significant be AMFAC, Castle & Cooke, C. Brewer, ously used for pineapple and sugar and Theo. Davies — became known was cleared and leased for resorts or cause it signalled the beginning of an as the Big Five because they came to expensive housing developments. organized resistance to the wide control 80% of the islands' wealth Small leasehold farms were pushed spread evictions by the big landhold-

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 19 ists tried to develop these areas heavily in the 1970's, but mainly it was due to the strength of the people in the country. Many Hawaiians lived in the coun try because they can be closer to the land and the Hawaiian way of life. Other local people in the country also farm and fish and were close to the land. A "country lifestyle" devel oped based on the traditional Hawai ian and Asian concepts of sharing, ex changing goods and socializing. De spite the changes Hawai'i had gone through, aloha 'aina was still felt by the people in the country because they were still able to be on the land and work it and were less influenced by Americanization. Hul Aloha 'Aim Tuahineand Malama Hawai'i, student organizations, clearing land to The large land estates owned most plant taro. Oahu, 1982 of the land the people lived and worked on and soon began to rezone the areas for resort, housing develop ers and a reborn consciousness that i n t e r e s t s . T h e i r w h o l e l i v e s h a d a l s o ment and other more profitable use the people who work the land and changed completely because of the of the land. make it productive should control it. capitalist ownership and control of But community after community This idea was put out most clearly by the land. resisted. The largest and most mili Kokua Hawaii, a revolutionary na There were different experiences tant struggle was by the farmers and tionalist organization that took up faced by each nationality from r e s i d e n t s o f W a i a h o l e - W a i k a n e the Kalama Valley fight. China, Japan, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Valley which began in 1974 and still Kokua Hawaii linked the evictions Korea and the Philippines who were continues. The demand for long-term to the fact that the people of Hawai'i brought to work the plantations, but leases to keep the land in agricultural needed land and political power. "For they were all forced to work the land use, to stop capitalist development, the first time, a lot of us began to that they did not own. This gave the and to keep the country lifestyle mo realize what it is to be Local and to be planters complete control over their bilized thousands of people. These proud of it; What it feels like to be living and working conditions. They s a m e g e n e r a l d e m a n d s c h a r a c t e r brown and proud. What happened in restricted the people's use of their ized the struggles at Niumafu- Kalama was a coming together of own language and force fed them Nawiliwili on Kaua'i; 'Ewa, He'eia- Local People. . . The time is here when Americanization. The capitalists Kea, Waimanalo on the island of we have to put the big landholders w o u l d n o t a l l o w t h e m t o l i v e a s O'ahu; and many other places in the and developers in their place . . . We equals to the haole. mid-1970's. need some da kine Power for us kine Opposition has come out against Local People." Kokua Hawaii called major state projects that would bring for "land for the people of Hawai'i," After onehere, or local two people generations began to urbanization to country areas of self-determination and revolution to adopt some of the Hawaiian ways, O'ahu. The state plans to build a get that power. and there was much intermarriage deep-draft harbor at Barber's Point Kalama Valley was lost, but the and interaction among the different on the leeward coast and the H-3 free larger struggle for land and power nationalities because of their com way to the windward coast which grew because these demands came mon experience of oppression under would destroy many Hawaiian histor straight from the heart of the people. U.S. imperialism. They felt Hawai'i ical sites along with the country life These sentiments were strongest was home because of their years of style of these areas. among the native Hawaiian people hard work and suffering here. They Many of the older communities in because they have lost the most. were also angry at seeing that they H o n o l u l u a n d o t h e r t o w n s w e r e a l s o When your whole culture, economy had no control over their home being eyed by greedy developers, and the and identity is built around the land, sold away to the highest bidder. residents organized themselves to you have to be on the land! Taking Kalama Valley was just the open resist evictions. The overall demands away their land made it easier for the ing shot. It inspired the local people in these struggles were to stop evic imperialists to oppress the Hawaiians. to build organizations everywhere to t i o n s a n d t o b e a b l e t o c o n t r o l w h a t Other local people united with the fight for the land. A lot of these strug kinds of development goes on in their struggles to stop development and gles have been in the country, or rural communities. the use of Hawaiian lands for outside areas, partially because the capital Old Vineyard and Old Young

20 EAST WIND Street were longtime communities describe their feelings for Ka their struggle. threatened by development in 1973. ho'olawe and gave it added meaning. * * * They wanted to retain their commu Aloha'aina became a call to reclaim nities because they knew their neigh Kaho'olawe and all Hawaiian land The many land struggles through bors, could speak their own lan and use the land in a way that bene out the islands show the desire and guages there, and did not want to be fited the people. need of the people of Hawai'i for squeezed together like the other con land. Whether the demand is for stop- gested areas of Honolulu. ping development, control of the In Chinatown, People Against Thebylandholders the growingwere movementthreatened to communities, preserving agriculture C h i n a t o w n E v i c t i o n ( PA C E ) w a s take back the land and have gone all and country lifestyle, access, or the formed in 1974 to stop evictions and out to squash it. In 1974, Hawaiians outright return of the land, the peo to fight for low-rent housing. Most of occupied a beach in Kona on the is ple have shown their willingness to the residents were elderly Pilipinos land of Hawai'i and built Kuka'ili- fight. who needed to be in Chinatown be moku Village to block construction There is no shortage of land in cause of the low rent and to be where of a hotel. The developers and police Hawai'i. The people of Hawai'i are on they could socialize and use their own came many times to tear down the the land now and will continue taking language. over more of the land they aren't on. village and get rid of the residents, It comes down to a question of who Two years earlier in the town of but the people are determined to will control the land and who will Waipahu, the Pilipino community in keep access to the beach open and control Hawai'i. It is a question of Ota Camp was faced with eviction. save the many historical sites there. Instead of moving, the Ota Camp res I n 1979, the state government tried to political power and whether that idents demanded a community that smash the struggle of Hawaiians of power will stay with U.S. imperialism or come to the people of Hawai'i. □ a l l o w e d e x t e n d e d f a m i l i e s t o l i v e Sand Island on O'ahu. People there together and areas to grow their had taken over Hawaiian land which food. Like PACE, they got massive was being used as an industrial dump. support for their demands, and the Their aim was to live in the Hawaiian Tracy Takano was born and raised Ota Camp won relocation so that in Hawai'i. He is a shop steward in way by the sea and to establish a park Local 5 of the Hotel and Restaurant they could retain their culture. where Hawaiians could live and per Employees Union. The upsurge in the struggle for petuate their culture. The State land has gotten the most energy from evicted them but has not stopped the Hawaiian people. To be Hawaiian means to be on the land, and the Ha- waiians have been the most active in getting back on the land. The Hawaiians have traditionally had access to the land and the sea, and part of the Hawaiian economy, until today, is based on hunting, fish ing and gathering. But development took over the land and blocked many n accesses. The organization Hui Ala- loa on the island of Moloka'i and Ha waiians on the island of Hawai'i or ganized marches beginning in 1975 to open traditional Hawaiian trails and accesses despite the fences and the property laws. There have been many examples of Hawaiians asserting their rights by _JAM occupying the land and taking it back. The Protect Kaho'olawe JAPANTOWN 1852 SUTTER 'Ohana organized five occupations A R T & M E D I A S . F . , C A of the island of Kaho'olawe in 1976 and 1977 to stop the U.S. Navy from WORKSHOP 94115 using the island as a target for prac tice bombing. It was the beginning of Serving the Asian American communities with free and low the struggle which mobilized thou cost graphic services, art classes, exhibitions and cultural sands to struggle to preserve the rich Hawaiian culture and history found (415) 567-3851 on Kaho'olawe. The Ghana popular ized the concept of aloha 'aina to

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 21 Marcos' New Republic in Crisis

Manila) prevailed upon Marcos to zation that started the 1896 revolt Masao Suzuki suspend the coconut levy. However, against Spanish rule, Marcos is trying the state coconut milling monopoly to portray this effort as patriotic. But (headed by Defense Minister Ponce the new KKK would allow transna Thisniversary June will of mark Philippine the first President an Enrile) reaps huge profits from the tional corporations to subcontract Ferdinand Marcos' New Republic. levy and stopped buying coconuts, work, making the Philippine econ Marcos had hoped that his "lifting" of causing prices to drop up to 80%. omy more dependent than ever. With m a r t i a l l a w a n d " e l e c t i o n " t o a s i x - Marcos then reinstated the levy. M a r c o s a n d I m e l d a a s i t s C h a i r m a n year term would help to solve the With the country's financial sys and Secretary-General respectively, problems of his regime. But events tem on the brink of collapse follow the new KKK could be the biggest have shown that the New Republic is ing the Dewey Dee affair (where a porkbarrel of all time. just another name for the same old so m a j o r P h i l i p p i n e b u s i n e s s m a n B o t h t h e U . S . a n d M a r c o s h a v e ciety, and the crisis, if anything, has skipped out of the country with over been worried by the NPA's military gotten worse. $60 million in unsecured debts), Mar activity and growing political in At his inauguration last June, Mar cos had to establish a five billion fluence. Marcos' campaign to curb cos declared the following priorities peso ($600 million) bailout fund for the guerrillas has only resulted in an for the New Republic: to revamp the major corporations owned by his unprecedented militarization of Phil cabinet, to attack the country's eco friends and cronies. This crisis was ippine society. The increase in gov nomic problems, and to root out the averted, but the fundamental prob ernment repression has been so great New People's Army (NPA). lems of the economy continue. that one of the highest officials in the The installation of Cesar Virata as According to official sources, Catholic Church, Cardinal Jaime Sin, Prime Minister along with other prices increased at a 13.2% rate in said, "Daily we experience the in " t e c h n o c r a t s " i n t h e C a b i n e t w a s 1981. (Unofficial estimates are much creasing militarization of our lives: supposed to shore up business confi higher). By September of 1981, the the pervasive surveillance of citizens dence in the sagging Philippine econ total Philippine foreign debt had who express dissent democratically omy and help calm worries over the ballooned to over $15 billion, up by military intelligence; the lack of question of succession to Marcos. more than 21 % in the nine months of mercy and prudence shown by spe But infighting among different fac 1981 alone. cial military units against suspected tions within the Marcos clique has in Marcos' latest scheme to boost the criminals, the use of torture to exact tensified as they struggle for greater economy is the Kilusang Kabuhayan information, the unexplained wealth spoils and maneuver to become Mar at Kaunlaran or KKK (Movement for of many military officers. . . "(from a c o s ' s u c c e s s o r . N o w h e r e w a s t h i s Livelihood and Progress). A billion l e t t e r t o U . S . C o n f e r e n c e o f C a t h o l i c more evident than in the coconut pesos will be loaned out by the KKK Bishops dated September 4,1981). levy struggle. A big coconut grower for small businesses in 40,000 barrios Even more ominously, in Davao connected to Imelda Marcos (Mar (towns). By using the same initials as del Norte, Mindanao, the Philippine cos' wife and governor of Metro- the Philippine revolutionary organi army has forcibly removed more

22 EAST WIND than 25,000 civilians from these bar its political organizing to mass activ legal wildcats in defiance of govern rios in an attempt to curb the in ists, allowing an intensification of ment requirements for 30-day ad fluence of the NPA in the area. Farm military activity. In one two-month vance notice and a ban on strikes in ers are forced to walk up to six miles period in 1981, Manila newspapers all vital industries. each day to reach their fields from reported 56 NPA ambushes and raids. Rural, as well as urban protests the military guarded centers where h a v e m o u n t e d . N u m e r o u s r a l l i e s they now live. This version of the with up to 10,000 participants have "strategic hamlet" program em been organized because of the in ployed by the U.S. in the Viet Nam TheNbrunt e w Rof e pthis u bcrisis l i c hin aMarcos' s f a l l e n creasing militarization. War, has caused untold suffering. squarely on the Pilipino people. The Militancy of many Philippine mi Many of the children have sickened infighting over the coconut levy and nority groups is rising, with one re and died due to lack of sanitation, the resulting drop in prices hurt mil cent march by 3,000 Igorot students while the people fear hunger due to lions of Pilipino farmers. The decline in Baguio cal I ing the Ministry of Tour decreased production. This experi in exports and the lowering of tariffs ism's Grand Canao festival a prostitu ment has been expanded to a number has forced many businesses to close tion of their traditions. In the south, of neighboring areas already, involv down, laying off thousands of work the Moro National Liberation Front ing thousands of more people. ers. On top of rising unemployment, (MNLF) continues its ten-year revolt It is doubtful that this program will prices are rising much faster than against the central government with do anything but further alienate the wages, further impoverishing an al the goal of self-determination for the Muslim minority. Marcos' army said people from the Marcos regime. ready poor people. What is not in doubt is the growing in More and more people have seen the MNLF was "finished" in January, fluence of the NPA. The NPA now no other way than to openly resist the 1981, only to have over one hundred claims a mass base of six million (one- Marcos regime. During the first two government troops wiped out in an eighth of the population) in 30 guer months of the 1981-82 school year, ambush in February. The MNLF is rilla fronts throughout the archi over 200,000 students participated in fielding over 15,000 full time guer pelago. While they see themselves as demonstrations protesting tuition rillas, tying down half of the Philip still in the stage of a strategic defen hikes, lack of campus freedoms and pine military. Over the last year, the sive where they are overall weaker imperialist influence over the educa MNLF has become more united and than the government, the NPA con tional system. After the I if ting of mar ties with other Philippine opposition siders itself in a more advanced sub- tial law, workers' strikes increased to groups have increased. For the guerrillas of the NPA and stage where it can delegate much of almost one per day, many of them il

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SPRING/SUMMER 1982 23 their allied underground activists in viously undemocratic regime, have an attempt to suppress opposition to t h e N a t i o n a l D e m o c r a t i c F r o n t begun to take stands against U.S. his regime. (NDF), the fruits of their long struggle domination. With many of their fol Meanwhile the calls for support are starting to ripen. Since its forma lowers deserting to the NDF, the re from the Philippines grow stronger. tion in 1969 as the armed wing of the cent formation of the Pilipino Demo Such was the message of a Philippine Communist Party of the Philippines cratic Party (PDP) with a non-violent Roman Catholic priest: "The people (GPP), the NPA has grown from a (electoral) pursuit of nationalism is there are very desperate. Many of small band of 60 men with only 35 perhaps a Jast ditch effort to prevent their union organizers have been ar rifles to the national force it is today. the total collapse of a moderate rested by the military and tortured. It By applying Mao Zedong's theories alternative. is no wonder that some have gone to of protracted people's war to Philip join the NPA. Why, even four priests pine conditions, emphasizing politi in my diocese have gone, for they felt cal organizing and capture of arms Forthat Pilipinos many in havethe U.S., sought the to crisis es it was the only way to express their from government troops, the NPA cape is also encroaching. Under the Christian preference for the poor. For has maintained its independence and Marcos administration, over 400,000 those of you in the U.S., you do not self-reliance. Pilipinos have left the Philippines for feel the urgency of the situation. We The NDF's program of armed over t h e p r o m i s e d o p p o r t u n i t i e s o f need all the help that you can (give)." throw of the Marcos regime, an end America. At the end of his talk he added: "You to U.S. and other foreign domination But promises have faded before know, you are very lucky. You are liv of the economy and culture, and real the reality of discrimination and lack ing at a time when you can be proud land reform has been winning more of jobs for Pilipino immigrants. While to be Filipino, for you have the and more adherents. Many of the the Reagan administration is propos chance to give your lives for your mass protests have been raising these ing a 32% increase in military aid to c o u n t r y . " □ and other anti-imperialist demands, Marcos (from $105 to $140 million), while many activists have joined the job training, education and other underground in the face of Marcos' needed community services are be Masao Suzuki is a Contributing growing repression of open dissent. ing cut. On top of this, the proposed Editor to EAST WIND. He is a student Many of the pre-martial law politi U.S. Philippine extradition treaty at U.C. Berkeley and a member of cians, fed up with Marcos' phony would extend the long arm of Marcos the Philippines Education Support elections and U.S. support for an ob into the Pilipino community here in Committee.

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24 EAST WIND FOCUS

Personal Reflections on the Asian National Movements by Philip Vera Cruz^ Lillian Nakano^ Happy Lim, Lori Leong, May Chen, Alan Nishio and Wes Senzaki

what motivates people to dedicate their lives to or C h i n a t o w n s i n c e 1 9 6 9 . S h e i s a n a c t i v e m e m b e r o f t h e ganizing Asian people? Seven activists with interesting Progressive Chinatown People's Association, a com and varied backgrounds in the student movement, munity organization, and is participating in the cam community organizing, labor work and the arts share paign against the gentrification of Chinatown. some of their thoughts on this topic in the following May Chen has been active in the Asian American essays. They tell us a little about their lives, why they movement and the Chinese community for many years. became involved, and, share some lessons from their She has been a teacher and community organizer. She experiences. currently works for the Chinese Committee of Local 6 Leading off the essays is Philip Vera Cruz. Now living (the Hotel, Restaurant, Club Employees and Bar in retirement in Bakersfield, California, Philip Vera tenders Union) in New York City. She describes some of Cruz has been organizing Pilipino farm workers in Cen the lessons she learned while participating in the strug tral California since the late 1940's. He later served as gle to build a child care center in Los Angeles V i c e - P r e s i d e n t o f t h e U n i t e d F a r m W o r k e r s U n i o n . Chinatown. Lillian Nakano, a prominent activist in the National Alan Nishio is the President of the Little Tokyo Peo Coalition for Redress/Reparations and a member of the ple's Rights Organization in Los Angeles. A longtime Little Tokyo People's Rights Organization in Los activist in the Asian and Japanese American Angeles, offers her perspective on the Japanese Ameri movements, Alan's experiences have spanned student can movement. She describes the long trek from life activism, working for ethnic studies and Third World after the camps to her current political involvement. student admissions, and community organizing. Happy Lim has been organizing in the Chinese com Wes Senzaki, one of the founding members of the munity since the1930's. Lim, who is 72 years old, is still Japantown Art and Media (JAM) workshop in San Fran working and actively supports the progressive move cisco, describes his development as an artist and exam ment in San Francisco Chinatown. A frequent contribu ines what it means to be a political artist. tor to UNITY newspaper, Lim is a well-known poet and We hope these essays convey the optimism, dedica essayist. tion and determination that are an intrinsic part of the Lori Leong is a member of the League of Revolution A s i a n a n d P a c i f i c n a t i o n a l m o v e m e n t s . . □ ary Struggle (M-L) and has been organizing in New York

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 25 an ad. They said they would pay transportation to go thin sugar beets in North Dakota, so I tried. I only made $35 and could not get Philip back to Spokane, so I went on to Chicago. I was a busboy again. Vera Cruz In 1928, I received a letter from home. My father had died. 1 thought about school again so I went back to Washington, worked in a res Iwanted family didto go notto havecollege thebut money.my taurant and was able to graduate To accomplish my goal, I had two from high school in 1932.1 was both alternatives, I could come to the ered about my brother and sister. I United States or I could stay in the needed to send them money. I heard Philippines and teach in Mindanao from my mother. Someone wrote where I could earn some money to for her because she could not write. go to college. I took the alternative She said that my sister stopped go of coming here. They taught us in ing to school because she could not school about the many opportuni afford it. But my brother was still ties in the U.S. and of equality in the going to school. He was in the U.S. All that kind of talk gives you fourth grade, so I kept on sending enslaved side. I compared myself hope. $25 a month. And this meant that I with the others (whites) to see what My parents had a little bitof land. could not go to school. was going on. You see how they live, My father was sickly and could not and how you live; what opportu take care of the land so I was gradu nities they had and what you did not ally selling it. The money from the receive. They hated us, but they very last part of the property was could not exclude us because of our what I used (to come to America). It ''Equality and freedom political status. The Fhilippines was was not enough either. I borrowed should belong to all" under the rule of the United States. some money from relatives. Then 1 ied. note: As a commonwealth of paid my fare to get to Seattle. When the U.S., the Fhilippines technically I finally got to Seattle, I had only had free emigration to the U.S.) But $25.00 left. Then 1 went to work at a country we were still not eligible for citizen T h e r e w e r e f o u r o f u s w h o c a m e club. I got to play the game. The ship. They could not make a law to to Seattle in 1926. When I was leav people in high places, although they exclude us like they did to the Chi ing our hotel, I met my friend from do not like you, they want you to nese and Japanese, but they did high school. Hesaid, "You know, we serve them. When they called me, something that amounted to exclu were talking about you last night." I I'd run to make them happy. They sion by putting a quota of 50 people asked, "Who?" He replied, "Your think I'm doing my job because if per year to come into the country. uncles. They are in Spokane, work you antagonize them, then you lose So my hope did not materialize ing at the lumber mill. You can find your job. You got to play the game. like I thought. The promises of op a job there." So we left and I got a You can't say the hell with you, or portunities and jobs did not come. job at the box factory. They were you got nothing to eat. W h a t w a s t h i s A m e r i c a n d r e a m ? paying 25

26 EAST WIND Lillian Nakano

Myhusband Little Tokyoand I joined Feople'sthe Rights Organization (LTFRO) quite by chance. Our son came home from college one summer and got us involved in the redevelop ment/housing struggle in Little Tokyo. Though we were openly sup portive, it took some urging on his part to pry us from our apathy and cynicism. The transition from practi cally a lifetime of non-involvement, non-confrontational lifestyle, coupled with a deep sense of inade quacy and apathy developed over the years since the camps, was highly disconcerting to me. I felt some am bivalence in the initial phase of my UFW members and supporters demonstrate for farm workers rigtits involvement. There I was, an aver age, quiet 49-year-old Sansei one month to visit relatives, so I N a t i o n a l F a r m W o r k e r s A s s o c i a t i o n woman, never before involved in went to Delano to visit my relatives. led by Harry S. Mitchum. We tried to any community work, much less I was also thinking that I could work f o r m a l o c a l i n D e l a n o b u t t h e r e w a s from a political perspective, amidst there. So I tried, but it was hard be not yet so much support for the all the young activists in the commu cause I was not really used to work union. Later, the Filipinos formed a nity. This struck me as being so ing on the farm. One time when I union — the Agricultural Workers incongruous. was weeding cantaloupe, the ground Organizing Committee (AWOC). Through my involvement, 1 came was hard and it was so hot, I hurt my They were the ones that initiated to know "J-Town" beyond its glitter back. I couldn't straighten it. So I the grape strike. Cesar Chavez was of touristy shops and restaurants. As stayed until my back got stronger. 1 organizing Chicano/Mexicano I walked by the old shops and hotels decided that I didn't want to live in w o r k e r s . L a t e r o u r t w o u n i o n s where our Issei had lived and toiled the city any more. merged to form the United Farm decades ago, I felt proud to be part I could not be concerned just W o r k e r s O r g a n i z i n g C o m m i t t e e , of this community. It seemed rightto about myself or my family but also taking part of the name of the union join LTFRO, an organization which of the people who are like me. Chavez was organizing and taking was fighting so hard to preserve that That's why I got involved. It was the "organizing committee" from the heritage. union that really brought me about. AWOC. At the same time, it made me re If you are alone, what can you do? Despite my disappointments, I'm flect on my own past and how the When you build unity, you cannot optimistic. The union is the only deprivation and alienation caused build unity without others. You way. Without that, you got no by the dispersal of Japanese Ameri can't just think about yourself. power. You can have power if you cans after the camps had affected You'll be too weak. You're not big get together. But, of course, you got us all these years. By re-examining enough to carry the load; you need to start as Filipinos. Organize your the past, all that was in the "Nisei ex everybody. selves. Then get together with other perience" — oppression, fear, alien The unions were coming to the groups. The Filipinos need organi ation, the question "to-assimilate- fields. In Stockton in 1948, we were zation and unity. You need to know or-not," and Gaman (to accept and supposed to cut asparagus but all your principles so that when you get endure) — which was forever sup the Filipinos went on strike. Again in together with other groups, you are pressed came back out of the mire. 1950, when we worked in the vine not left out and can build stronger Slowly the jumbled pieces of the yards, the union came again — the unity. □ puzzle began to fall into place one

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 27 [Left] Lillian Nakano, lower right, at jerome Concentration Camp, 1943. (Right) Lillian at 1979 Tule Lake Pilgrimage.

by one. What I share is only a small on to Minnesota, back to Hawai'i, to stay "close to home." In the com facet out of 110,000 Japanese and finally to Chicago. ing years, we always went through A m e r i c a n l i v e s w h i c h w e r e i n e x o All adults leavingthecampswere Japanese American employment rably altered in that one instant — given an insulting orientation which agencies rather than to face job Pearl Harbor, December 7,1941. to my mind was also an "admission hunting on our own, for the ordeal My father was arrested by the FBI of guilt" forced upon us. We were to of humiliation and demoralization on December 7, 1941. One year avoid large groups of Japanese, hardly made it worth the effort. later, on Christmas Day, we were re avoid use of our language, to de Those who hired you expected united and boarded a ship bound velop "American habits" to be 200% effort, for "to prove our f o r S a n F r a n c i s c o . D e s t i n a t i o n : come accepted, to conform to the worth" was the by-word. Jerome, Arkansas, Concentration norms of the outside world and, fi M a n i f e s t a t i o n s o f r a c i s m c a m e Camp, USA. nally, to behave in a manner reflect out in different ways. Onesuch inci I was born in Hawai'i, raised in a ing all that is "good, reliable and dent simply started with my asking middle class Japanese fashion by honest in Japanese Americans." We for a transfer to another depart N i s e i p a r e n t s w i t h fi v e c h i l d r e n . were fresh out of the camps, bur ment which lead me right to the C h i l d h o o d w a s a l l c a r e f r e e i n n o dened with this "parolee" mentality manager's office instead. He pro cence and boisterous fun. Having and left high and dry in the face of ceeded to berate me in a manner so shown a knack for music at an early out-and-out racist hostility and demeaning that I'll never forget it. a g e , m y p a r e n t s p u t m e t o t h e exploitation. The gist of it was that I should have shamisen when I was eight. Music At 17 and ill-prepared for the ad been overcome with gratitude that was a great part of my growing up justment, I was bound for some real they hired "our people" and to until the war. Suddenly after Pearl problems in coping. But mine some begin with, affording us the luxury Harbor, my Japanese instrument h o w s e e m s s o m i n u s c u l e n o w w h e n of a nice modern office with a among all the other paraphernalia compared to the situation of those a reputable firm. To add insult to in were hidden from sight for the few years older who already had jury, he offered me a piece of "good duration. children to raise and jobs to advice" before suspending me and We were abruptly taken from our establish. that was to say "be grateful." What home to the camps. I was 14 years My brother had moved out to Chi stuck in my mind was the fact that old. Being herded off at gun point, cago ahead of us and found a job at at such an opportune moment, I three mindless years behind barbed a huge wholesale bakery. On the was struck absolutely speechless wire fences and cut off from main very next day, he was fired and run and I despised myself and the lot of stream society all had to have deep out of the company by a hostile a "Jap" all at once. negative impact on our lives for management and union, and even Apartment hunting too was a years to come. Today, my sister still today, he will not buy that par hateful task. The expression varied says, "As kids, we were so robust t i c u l a r n a t i o n a l b r a n d o f b r e a d . f r o m t h a t o f s h e e r d i s b e l i e f t h a t w e and uninhibited. It seems every Thus when my parents first started "Japs" would have the gall to ap thing went wrong since the camps." out with a small restaurant to keep proach them to one of fright as in When the camps closed, we moved the family going, I was only too glad encountering someone totally

28 EAST WIND alien. There was the usual smug pro Tokyo and Yokohama for six months in Los Angeles, 300 people of three nouncement that the apartment as "expatriates" of sorts, but as Jap generations of Japanese Americans was no longer available while the anese Americans we felt we were for marched together through Little vacancy sign stared blankly at you eigners there. After our return and Tokyo chanting, "Justice Now, Rep for weeks after. Or a small town res move to Los Angeles and over the a r a t i o n s N o w ! " taurant that had a sign in the win years, we settled down in a lifestyle 1 feel overcome with pride and dow, "NO JAPS ALLOWED." I was quite mundane and peaceful as we strength in the realization that we stared at out of open hostility and came to accept things as they were. Nisei are coming out of the camps plain curiosity and cursed at. Today, our lifestyle again has at last — no longer fighting "one's These thousand and one inci gone through drastic changes. Ap own battle" in isolation, but looking dents had a most insidious effect of propriately for us, this was the final to each other for support and to gradually chipping away what self- but crucial step which was so neces gether building a vision. There is a worth and pride you managed to re sary to make a breakthrough in resurgence of Japanese American tain. Even worse was when you what seemed a lifetime of futility. pride and a fighting spirit. It means begin to believe that you must in As issues upon issues filled the void that we are concerned about the deed be inferior. endlessly, this path continues to il things that are happening around us In the midst of this, I was married luminate a relevant part of our life. and that we intend to act upon it. It at 21, and suffice it to say, it only means that we are inspired by the complicated matters. In a sense, "young people" and that we in turn this was the catalyst that began the must inspire them too! As I join in process of changes I was to un " w e N i s e i a r e the fight, drawing from and sharing dergo. Like Ibsen's Nora, part of it in our strength, organized and un was a personal rebelling of sorts coming out of the afraid, I feel liberated at last. Above against the old order of things. That all, there is now a clear purpose in aside, an array of emotions — camps at last." my life — a striving towards a vision mainly frustration stemming from of a society in which we, our chil this racist environment — merged dren and our future generations can into our relationship and as such fully realize what it means to live brought on the inevitable tumult. Nor do I think I am alone. The re with pride, dignity, equality and Despite it all, we both recognized it dress/reparations issue, which hit at self-determination. □ to be an intrinsic part of the whole the heart of every Japanese Ameri "learning" process and strived to can in the nation, began to cause a maintain a relationship as long as r u m b l e i n o u r c o m m u n i t i e s , a n d we seemed to be growing and mov long suppressed anger and bitter Happy ing in the same general direction. ness were finally articulated by all I had begun teaching shamisen — Issei, Nisei, Sansei and Yonsei Urn after vacillating between that and alike. Eiundreds of Nikkei testified art school. At 27 our son was born, at the hearings and organized and I enjoyed the pleasures and around the demand for reparations. pain of parenthood. Soon after, I be This was truly a turning point in the gan teaching again, which entailed history of Japanese Americans, a Timeyearshas slipped in theby blink— of 40 an or eye.50 recitals and other performances in beginning of a movement encom The U.S. society of the '30s was addition to classes. As a mother, passing every generation and all one of economic depression. Con feelings of remorse around my split sectors of our community! The fronted by this hard fact and living devotion brought on a new series of Nisei are involved now. We are not in a grey social atmosphere, strug- guilt feelings. Around this time, we only sharing our past camp experi glingtomakealivelihood, I became were very much into Zen Buddhism ences, we are supporting and spur tempered. Some of my childish for several years, but we then came ring each other on to fight for what dreams were shattered, but a vision to realize that what we sought was we feel is right and just! Could this of the future lent an incandescence n o t w i t h i n t h e r e a l m o f r e l i g i o n . be the time for all to dispel the to the era. Other distractions in the way of enigma of the quiet Nisei" — a time The Chinese community of the sports, plays, concerts were pleas when Sansei need no longer treat us '30s was one full of economic op antries we shared in, but a sense of with deference or awe, a time to pression. It was a hard time to find a truly "relating" to things as Asians bridge the generation gap and fight job and it was a time of racial dis was always the missing link and together as one strong community crimination. Many of the scenes of seemed almost a lost cause. Per for redress/reparations as well as that time still stir up strong feelings haps a final "grabbing at straws" at other issues? The answer is coming within me. My strongest impression tempt was the basis for our packing through action. This year at the Day is one of many people out of work up and movingto Japan. We lived in of Remembrance commemoration and little shops unable to survive.

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 29 Even for myself who was single, I did not know where I would stand from one day to the next. It was this kind of hardship that threw me into Chinese Workers' Mutual Aid Association storefront on Stockton St., S.F. — 1941 struggle and led me to follow a revolutionary path. Under these conditions, many d i d r e fl e c t t h e b a s i c d e m a n d s a n d mass organization. With this collec progressive-thinking young people aspirations of the masses. tive power, it started to engage in stood up to the call of the times and The corrupt society brought propaganda and education for Chi became staunch fighters for the bet about those who would rebel nese workers. terment of society, although there against it. Thus, the birth of the The Association, at the same were also those who were confused C a l i f o r n i a C h i n e s e W o r k e r s M u t u a l time, kept close connections with and unclear. And there were even a A i d A s s o c i a t i o n w a s l i k e a c l a r i o n t h e m a i n s t r e a m o f t h e U . S . l a b o r few who strived to step on top of call in the darkness. It was the sum movement, through groups such as others for their own gain and op mer of 1937. A group of fishshop t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l D o c k W o r k e r s pose the great tide of social workers returning to San Erancisco Union, the Seafarers Union and the transformation. from far away Alaska discussed D i s h w a s h e r s U n i o n . Those revolutionary-minded how to organize a Mutual Aid Asso The Association assisted workers youths who were advanced in think ciation. Life up North was so ex of all trades to get organized. It can ing had an unshakeable determina t r e m e t h a t a f t e r a f e w m o n t h s ' s e a b e s a i d t h a t t h e A s s o c i a t i o n w a s i n tion and faith. They provided a solu sonal work, Chinese workers felt the forefront of bringing the Chinese t i o n t o t r a n s f o r m t h e s o c i a l s e r v i c e s their lives were without purpose. w o r k e r s i n t o t h e l a b o r u n i o n s . of the Chinese community, to fight Without being united, the Chi B e c a u s e i t m e t t h e n e e d s o f t h e against poverty, and to answer "the nese workers would never be able to times, it rapidly expanded its mem problem of starvation." improve our livelihood and fight for bership to over 600 within two These were the youths who estab rightful treatment. So when we got years. lished a new and broad ideal. Dur back to San Erancisco, several of us The Association held regular ses ing these times, they worked with C h i n e s e w o r k e r s r e s o l v e d t o f o r m s i o n s t o t e a c h C h i n e s e w o r k e r s others in the labor sector to organ t h e C h i n e s e W o r k e r s M u t u a l A i d about the new world view and to i z e t h e " A f t e r w o r k C l u b " w h i c h Association, which was founded on help them to establish the neces staged frequent propaganda for October 9, 1937, at a storefront at sary ideology for the modern-day u m s o n t h e s t r e e t c o r n e r s t o e d u 1038 Stockton Street, and later working class. cate people about exploitation, op moved to 947 Stockton Street. There were many educational ac pression and the unemployment From the very beginning, the Chi tivities like English class. Mandarin suffered by workers. They even or n e s e W o r k e r s M u t u a l A i d A s s o c i a classes and singing classes for work ganized demonstrations and peti tion called for the unity of workers. ers to learn songs of revolution and tioned to the Chinese Six Compa Many workers from the restaurants, a b o u t t h e W a r o f R e s i s t a n c e . M o s t nies demanding unemployment laundries, sewing trades, farms, importantly, there was the Workers assistance. Even though they were seafaring workers and longshore Movement Study Group, where unable to get definitive results, they men joined. It became a workers people with experience in labor or-

30 EAST WIND ganizing strategies and general free, just and equal society become At that time, the Viet Nam War basic knowledge talked to the a reality. I will follow the ad was a very big issue, and whether workers. vanced youths of today and keep on you wanted to or not, you were af The Association published the fighting. □ fected by it in one form or another. "Cooperative Pamphlet" from the very beginning. It was a quarterly, which, other than reports of the or ganization's work and the labor Lorl movement, had political view "Asian sisters really points and analysis on the current helped me express my situation as well as cultural pieces. Leong In 1938, Mao Tse-tung published ideas for the first time the reknowned articIe"On Pro in my life." tracted War" which greatly armed the thinking of the broad masses in Igot earlyinvolved '70s whenin the I waslate a'60s freshmanand C h i n a a n d l a t e r l e d t o t h e h i s t o r i c in college. v i c t o r i e s o f t h e R e s i s t a n c e Wa r a n d Whataffected my involvement in the War of Liberation. It also helped the Asian Movement was being in a I began to work with a group of progressive people overseas by relationship with an Asian guy who students at Columbia University. I deepening the understanding of the was active on campus. But 1 was an had come in touch with people from significance and strength of ideo oppressed woman in that relation Triple A [ed note: Asian Americans logical work and pointed out that ship. I went to meetings with him, for Action) who were pretty active only if we persist in struggle will but I did notfeel I could participate. in the Viet Nam War issue as well as we overcome any weaknesses and He didn't encourage me to express with other students from a couple achieve final victory. my ideas nor did he seek them out. of campuses around the city. We Looking back, the path we Then I met other Asian sisters in the talked about how we felt as Chinese treaded was an extremely difficult Movement, and they really helped people as well asthediscrimination one. As for the future, 1 feel that the me express my ideas for the first and problems of Chinese people in tasks we are facing are tremendous. time in my life. I could actually feel this country, and we began to think We have to unite more people and that I had some ideas to contribute about doing work among the poor raiseour ideological level. Based on to building something. But at the est sectors of Chinese. And looking my experience as a revolutionary, I same time that I began to express at it realistically, the people who believe that this is what we have to my ideas, I had a very difficult time suffer the most are working people, c e n t e r o u r w o r k a r o u n d . with my boyfriend. He resented my people who are in the Chinatown participation and closeness with community, people who are gar o t h e r A s i a n s i s t e r s . ment workers, restaurant workers. For a long time, I subjected my They suffer extreme problems of " . . . m o r e a n d m o r e self to a lot of physical beatings by basic living from jobs to education. him. Looking back on it from where So even though we were students on progressive youths are I'm at now it's hard to see why I campus, we felt it was very impor would subject myself to that kind of tant for us to go out into the Chinese springing up." treatment by a man. Like a lot of community and begin to work down other women, I was brought up to there. So we went to Chinatown one accept your place in society — to summer as a collective and began get married, listen to your husband, to work particularly among youth. The rise of the Black Panther Comparing the conditions of the basically get a man and hold on to '30s to today, I feel that the situa him. Getting the courage to break Party had a very big influence on my tion now is better than before. With out of that kind of relationship own understanding of what we the reactionaries weaker and the in didn't happen overnight. It only should do. The Panthers pointed a spiration of new China, more and happened when I began to under certain direction which was basi more progressive youths are spring stand what was going on, and with cally that the system in this country ing up, although there are still some the support of people around me, perpetuates and controls the lives people who cannot rid themselves particularly Asian women. ^ of the people in the communities. of the need for self-indulgence and I had led a pretty sheltered life. They took up work in their commu thus cannot depart from the realm My father was a restaurant worker, nity through Serve-the-People pro of being above the masses. and my mother worked in garment grams and actually tried to organize Only if we take reality as it is, do factories. I was a shy person not people to fight the government. I mass work, persist in the correct really feeling or knowing that I had think this really helped me see that line and struggle relentlessly will a to deal with the world situation. we should also take this up in a very

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 31 pany which was trying to evict and unite to stop the war. basically closedown and drive out a Looking back, I would have to say couple thousand tenants from their that there have been a lot of homes in order to build a switching changes and development in the s t a t i o n . W h a t c a m e o u t o f i t w a s a last 12 years in the Chinatown com very big organization of tenants munity. The most noticeable change called the We Won't Move Commit is that the problems of working peo tee. Basically we united not only ple have gotten worse. C h i n e s e b u t a l s o a l o t o f I t a l i a n s i n In the last few years, we have the area. Eventually, Bell Tele seen the rise of the New York strug phone had to drop the plan and gle of Chinese restaurant workers move out of Chinatown. f o r u n i o n s . C o n d i t i o n s s u c h a s Another issue we were trying to 15-hour work days, 6-day week, no a d d r e s s a t t h e t i m e w a s h e a l t h c a r e sick pay, no benefits are being chal in the community, because there lenged by the workers. Uncle Tai's was a very serious health problem, w a s t h e fi r s t C h i n e s e r e s t a u r a n t i n t h e i l l n e s s o f t u b e r c u l o s i s . W e f e l t N e w Yo r k t o u n i o n i z e e v e r — b a s i that it was important for us working cally the first in the country. The i n t h e c o m m u n i t y a s r e v o l u t i o n workers stood up and said, "We're s e r i o u s w a y . a r i e s t o u n d e r s t a n d t h a t w e c a n ' t not going to take this any more" and At that time, I was also influ just talk about a long-term solution went on strike. They wanted a enced by the situation in China. I and justwaituntil it happens. Ithap- union. They wanted a basic mini saw how a country like China where pens through a long, hard process. mum wage and to be given humane my parents came from was able to Part of the process is to fight for a c o n d i t i o n s t o w o r k u n d e r. really change something. Socialist way to improve people's lives now. After Uncle Tai's was able to gain China was actually beginning to So we took up a campaign to do TB success, it snowballed. So presently deal with the problems of the Chi testing. Wewentout in the streets of in New York City you have up to 10 nese people. Itgave metremendous Chinatown every weekend and gave restaurants, which are unionized inspiration. If they could do it, then free TB tests. into the American hotel/motel res we could certainly do it in the U.S. taurant union, and this struggle has no matter how long it takes. had a large impact. I Wor Kuen (IWK), a revolution A l o t o f t h e r e s t a u r a n t s t h a t d i d a r y o r g a n i z a t i o n , w a s f o r m e d i n ''It was only through unionize were outside of Chinatown, that year, 1969. it formed from the but itdoesn't matter whether you are collective that went to the commu revolution^ the basic i n s i d e o r o u t s i d e o f C h i n a t o w n . nity during the summer and winter You're Chinese people with the same of 1969. We also began to put out a changing of this whole working conditions, and that had a newspaper called Getting Together. system, that we could big impact on the situation for work We took the paper out at 6 or 7 e r s i n s i d e o f C h i n a to w n . o'clock in the morning and tried to really solve the prob lems of our people." In 1979, the Silver Palace workers sell it to high school students, and i n C h i n a t o w n w e n t o u t o v e r t h e we sold it on the streets of China issue of tips and basically pulled a town. There was a very, very big walk-out and fought real hard in a response to it, and I think this was mass way, taking it out onto the v e r y e n c o u r a g i n g f o r u s . I t c o n S o m e o f t h e o t h e r w o r k w e d i d street and calling for community firmed our belief that what we were was to show movies every weekend, support. They were able to get re doing was right. including films from China. Even h i r e d . T h i s i s a n i s s u e w h i c h i s a It was only through revolution, though the KMT had a lot more con burning issue for the Chinese com the basic changing of this whole sys trol at that time, people would munity now, and I think it is a very tem, that we could really solve the come to our office and sit through important one in the future strug problems of our people, because those movies knowing thatthe KMT gle, for the livelihood of Chinese basically this system does not want would try to intimidate us. We also people. to help poor people. That was our participated actively in coalitions I have been involved in these and ideology, and we would take it with existing in the Asian movement at other struggles through my work in us into the work we did in the next the time. We did work among Asian the Progressive Chinatown People's period of time in Chinatown. women, students and other sectors. Association (PCPA) which is a mass One of the biggest issues that we For example, we participated in the community organization of Chi got involved in was the struggle Asian Coalition, formed to bring nese workers, students and other around the Bell Telephone Com Asians together to take a stand and progressive Chinese. We formed

32 EAST WIND - -^yVS- !•:

Rent strike by Henry St. tenants — 1980

PCPA in 1977 - people from IWK, because the whole question of The fight against gentrification is community workers, residents, Lo these speculators coming to dis going to take a very big effort, not Wah Que and students — to fight in perse Chinatown is one way to only among the tenants themselves, an organized way for the rights of break the fighting ability and organ but I think it's going to take a very Chinese people. izing potential of the Chinese Na broad united effort of the different A n o t h e r i s s u e w h i c h P C P A h a s tional Movement. The community sectors of the Chinese community. been actively involved in is housing. a n d i t s f u t u r e s h o u l d b e c o n t r o l l e d The different agencies that do a lot C h i n a t o w n s i t s n e x t t o t h e fi n a n c i a l by Chinese people. of community work, the businesses district which is Wall Street, the The sentiment to oppose gentrif i- and family associations need to sit largest financial center in the whole cation is there — in the struggle of down and say, "Wait a second, what world. Chinatown is basically six- the tenants all around the SMBD, is going to happen to Chinatown? story buildings which are totally un Henry Street, Market Street and W i t h t h i s m o v e , w h a t d o e s t h i s profitable for builders in the city. Madison Street. This is capsulized m e a n f o r a l l o f u s w h o h a v e d i f Right now, there's a big move in the struggle at 109 Madison ferent interests?" ment in New York City overall to Street where we are fighting the In one sense, the Chinese busi target certain communities to "gen- largest land developer in the whole nesses, restaurant owners, for in trify" the community. What that of New York State, Helmsly Spears stance, have slightly different inter means is to basically allow land Corp., which is going to build a ests from Chinese working people, developers to go into certain poor multi-million dollar condominium b u t t h e r e i s a l s o a c o m m o n i n t e r e s t communities, develop for profit in the middle of Chinatown. when you see the government mov and bring back capital to the city. I think the mass movement of ten ing in to destroy the community. Last year, the city was able to se a n t s a n d t e n a n t s ' a s s o c i a t i o n s i s a Then, the primary question be cretly pass the Special Manhattan very important step in the fight. The comes, "What are we going to do? Bridge District (SMBD) plan which issue also has a broader impact. Are we going to take this on in a basically sectioned off a whole How will the community as a whole united front kind of way, deal with piece of Chinatown for land spec b e a ff e c t e d i f t h e t e n a n t s a n d w o r k this and see how to stop this ulation and to give incentives to ing people are driven out? The soar dispersal?" large developers to build high-rise ing rents caused by land specula I think one thing I have learned condominiums. tion will drive Chinese businesses working in Chinatown for the past This is a very important struggle and grocery stores to bankruptcy. 12 years is that it is not easy. It's not

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 33 soul searching. something that happens overnight, I was among 3,000 students in the and when there is a success, and there have been numerous ones of college football stadium holding a May mass meeting to vote about going them, it sets the conditions for what on strike, closing down the whole is possible in the future. Chen school in support of students killed The housing struggles at 54-56 by the National Guard at Kent State Henry Street, 22 Catherine Street . . . Black armbands, and red fisted and 109 Madison Street have been strike symbols filled my graduation successful. And that success comes from college in 1970! from what went on 12 years ago It was during this time that 1 first ican born, raised, and educated with the Bell Telephone struggle. Iam an East Coast Chinese Amer met and worked together with "po in the suburbs of Boston, Massa One of the key questions is how litical" Asians. In fact, it was during chusetts. I have been living and to work toward building some kind this time that I related to fellow working in New York City for two of unity among two people, two or Asians more broadly and deeply and one-half years. However, I had ganizations or among 10 or 20 or the invaluable and unforgettable than ever before. Socially, I stepped ganizations. We put on a health fair beyond the CSA (Chinese Student ten years ago. It took a united effort experience of living for almost a decade (1970-1979) in Los Angeles, A s s o c i a t i o n ) " m i x e r " i n t o m o r e of over 20-25 organizations and C a l i f o r n i a — b e i n g p a r t o f a liberated and equal relationships that wasn't easy. It was a very good with Asian men as well as lasting dynamic Asian movement, attend feeling that we could put something ing graduate school at UCLA, work friendships and solidarity with on like that. In the process of ten Asian women. Culturally, I wasshar- ing in the Chinese community, mar years it has not been easy to pull ing and part of building a new those things off again, but we have rying another East Coast Chinese American and having two babies be perspective on Asian experiences in to be able to learn from this. fore moving to New York. the U.S. which integrated the You have to start from what is the cultures of Asia and America. Every best way to help the situation; what struggle and issue in the Asian is going to make the best gains for Movement gave me new and deeper whatever you are fighting for. It opportunities for meeting and may not be just your way. It may be "I am a product working with Asian people of dif a combination of people sitting in a of the 1960s. . ferent backgrounds and situations. room thinking about what is best. The fight to build and stabilize It is important to listen and learn t h e L i t t l e F r i e n d s C h i l d c a r e C e n t e r from each other to find the best way in Los Angeles left a lasting impact to solve a problem. That's what has Culturally, socially and politi on me. It started as a weekly play helped the movement in Chinatown cally I am a product of the1960's, a group of young and married Chi to grow as long as I have been '60s person — as we are coming to nese American women and immi involved. be called — who attended high grant mothers and children. We Thequestions nowfacingtheChi- school and college during that tur shared common aims of providing a n e s e c o m m u n i t y a r e m a s s i v e . bulent decade and became politi service to liberate women from the There's been a huge influx of immi cized by the massive, anti-war, civil sole, solitary task of housekeeping grants from Southeast Asia and rights, student and women's move and childrearing, to socialize and Asia. There's a large population, yet ments of those times. In '60s lingo educate our children in Asian cul needed services are being cut and there was a slogan, "If you're not tural traditions with non-sexist, non- people are losing their jobs. I think part of the solution, then you're part racist values. When I first worked in this period of time there has been of the problem." Broad conscious with the Little Friends Playgroup, I a resurgence of the desire for unity ness was developed about funda was an intellectual, middle class, in Chinatown, of people seeing that mental problems of the system of single Asian woman and ajjproached we just can't sit in our little holes U.S. capitalism, of the need for the project with the perspective of feeling comfortable with ourselves. every person to be involved in solv college idealism, feminism, and a There's got to be a way to build ing these problems. People who did touch of a missionary attitude. I was the movement so we can fight to not or would not get involved were studying to become a public school gether as Chinese people and as "copping out" or just wanted to teacher. Marriage and children A s i a n s i n N e w Y o r k t o d e a l w i t h work "in the system" — actions were completely outside of my im problems. I think there is a natural which ran against the social and mediate plans and imagination. At feeling of Chinese people wanting political currents of those times. I 23 or 24 years old who wanted to be to band together to fight. It's there. first got involved because I was " t i e d d o w n . " W o m e n i n s u c h s t r a i t s The potential is there. It's a ripe young and everyone was involved in had to be "saved." Also, 1 was con situation. □ marching, petitioning, teaching and vinced that young Asian boys abso-

34 EAST WIND lutely had to be educated in a non- in many ways. New York City is a sexist curriculum so they wouldn't pace setter for political struggles in make such backward husbands as cluding many aspects of the Chi their fathers who left all the chores nese American movement. Life and of housekeeping to the women! w o r k i n N e w Yo r k h a s b e e n i n t e n s e Such was my mentality in those for us, especially compared to the days. The Chinese immigrant moth relatively mellow pace of Los ers who joined Playgroup with their Angeles. pre-school children taught me more I rememberaboutawholeyearof than words can describe and deeply East/West Coast culture shock changed my perspective and rela when I moved to Los Angeles. tionship to the Chinese community. Where were the people and the These women were not '60s peo street life? What happened to the ple but they shared a sense of sis seasons — the hot, humid summers terhood and conviction about and the blustery blizzards of women's equality and the Chinese winter? Even the language in Cali community that paralleled ours. f o r n i a w a s d i f f e r e n t — s l o w e r, Though not much older than me, simpler and sprinkled with strange they shouldered a lot more "real idioms which people used seriously, world" responsibilities and pres like "off the wall" and "far out." But sures than I did and on top of this, it was wonderful to see so many they made time in their busy sched orders to close us down because we Asians in all parts of the city doing ule to help fight for child care and lacked a "licensable facility." all types of things. I loved Hermosa other community needs. In a very Though very diverse, our group was Beach, Floliday Bowl, a rock band concrete, personal way, they strongly united and we fought over called Hiroshima with Atomic showed me a completely new several years to defend and stabi Nancy, and fast food stands where model of women who worked, re lize our small program. With thou you could buy a teriyaki burger. You lated to husbands, and raised a s a n d s o f w o r k i n g w o m e n i n L o s could buy packaged tofu at Ralph's family — women who had a lot of Angeles Chinatown, the available and Safeway, the big supermarket independence and personal integ child care services were pitifully c h a i n s t h e r e . rity but weren't striving for a career few. We told the City, "Child care is o r s e l f - f u l fi l l m e n t i n a n i n d i v i d u a l our right!" And the government of sense. Instead, their background re ficials responded, "Child care is the flected struggle, survival, and step- mother's responsibility." Or even by-step progress contingent upon worse, "If you Orientals can't take "New York City is a care of them, why do you have so the collective experience and ad pace setter for v a n c e m e n t o f t h e i r f a m i l i e s a n d many!" It was a real version of the people's status in the U.S. In other "Yellow Peril" mentality with a sex political struggles in words, they wouldn't advance un ist slant and it taught me a lot about cluding many aspects less everyone else in their situation where government officials were did and progress did not mean being coming from. I revisited Los Ange of the Chinese "saved" by idealist college stu les in 1981 and went to see Little American movement." dents. It made me realize that in Friends in a bright, renovated build order to truly fight for Chinese peo ing with some of the original moth ple's rights, I could no longer see e r s s t i l l i n v o l v e d i n t e a c h i n g o r myself as separate from the overall advising the group. Moving back to the East Coast I community, as "exceptional" or Leaving the people and struggles was feeling the same cultural shock some kind of trained technician in the Asian Movement in Los but in reverse. The regional differ operating above the working peo Angeles was very hard but with two e n c e s b e t w e e n C a l i f o r n i a a n d t h e ple and immigrants. small children very close in age, we East have an enormous impact on Through knowing, understand began to miss families and relatives Asians in each area. The sheer pace ing, working together with the peo back East. So we relocated to New and population density of New York ple at Little Friends, I got an educa York closer to parents and grand makes people constantly hustle and tion in how struggles and politics parents and are still deeply in struggle, sometimes together and o c c u r i n " r e a l l i f e . " A s w e d e v e l volved with Asian communities and sometimes against each other. The oped the Little Friends Playgroup people. street life and relationships among into a fulltime day care service for A lot of people think the Asian people are intense and exciting. working mothers, we confronted a Movement is centered exclusively And the potential for people com h o s t i l e c i t y g o v e r n m e n t i s s u i n g i n C a l i f o r n i a o r t h e We s t C o a s t . Ye t ing together, organizing around any

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 35 (HI. ple's experiences. To know and ' IfllttUTY understand me is to learn about one small part of the dynamic and pro gressive trend among Asian people — sharing experiences, uniting together, standing up and speaking up for dignity, political power and equality. □

Alan Nishio

was born in an American-style r concentration camp called Manzanar on August 9,1945 — the day the U.S. government decided to Demonstration to defend public social services — 1978 drop an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. The concentration camps a n d t h e A - B o m b — t w o a c t s o f kind of issue exists right in the paranoia and provincialism. genocide against people of color ra streets. New York is a very literate For this reason Asian organiza tionalized under the guise of "na and cultured city — people read a tions on campus and in the commu tional security." The circumstances lot even in the subways. There are nities serve as a focal point for our and timing of my birth have since h u n d r e d s o f s m a l l t h e a t e r s a n d a r t dispersed population. More and caused me to do a great deal of c e n t e r s . N e w Yo r k ' s C h i n a t o w n h a s more. New York Chinatown remains reflecting on what it means to be a more Chinese language daily news and grows as a center for Asian Japanese American. papers per capita than anywhere American groups as well as for Chi Like other Nikkei (persons of e l s e . A n d t h e r e a r e d o z e n s o f A s i a n nese immigrants. There is a strong Japanese ancestry), the concentra bands, martial arts, operatic and s e n s e o f n a t i o n a l i s m i n t h e A s i a n tion camp experience had a signfi- musical ensembles in the city. Movement in New York which brings cant impact upon my life and iden T h e s e c o n d i t i o n s m a k e A s i a n s a n d together people of many back tity. Prior to the imprisonment of the Asian Movement in New York grounds around common issues. I my family, my parents owned a City sophisticated and lively. Yet in love the discipline, character, and small grocery store. The store was contrast to the density and street drive of Asians on the East Coast. It is purchased after years of saving life in New York Chinatown, many exciting and challenging to live and enough money to make a down pay Asians in the East Coast, especially work here, to revive and realize the ment. The store was doing well until Asian Americans, are dispersed, training and cultural inclinations of Executive Order 9066 was issued on i s o l a t e d a n d a l i e n a t e d f r o m A s i a n my youth. Yet, I dearly appreciate February 19,1942. culture and community. Asians are the sense of experimentation and When E.G. 9066 was issued, all perceived by others to be scattered tolerance I learned in mellow Los was lost. With the expulsion from i n d i v i d u a l s r a t h e r t h a n a c o h e s i v e Angeles. I like to look at the Chinese our home, our family was forced to e t h n i c p o p u l a t i o n . W e a r e n o t movement as national in scope, sell the store and other goods at a recognized as a disadvantaged drawing the best from the experi tremendous loss. Other valued per minority group in most East Coast ence and lessons of each specific sonal possessions thatwere not sold i n s t i t u t i o n s a n d e v e n T h i r d W o r l d area. It's also important to look at to were stored at a neighbor's house. groupings often overlook Asians. day in the context of Asian American This property was later all stolen S t e r e o t y p e s a n d m y t h s r a n g i n g history — some recent history ('60s while we were in camp. What f r o m " s u c c e s s s t o r y " t o C h a r l i e and such) back to the old days. Some money that was available was spent Chan are rampant and the Asians in young students today look at people to help other relatives or was spent these situations are forced to assim like myself as something of a living while in camp in orderto providefor i l a t e o r t o f e e l s t i fl e d o r f r u s t r a t e d historical relic. Now that I've written the daily needs of the family. because they have never known any so many papers I almost feel like The camp experience made my v a l u e s o t h e r t h a n E a s t C o a s t s t a t u s one. I don'tthink I'm very unique but f a t h e r a b i t t e r m a n . W e l e f t M a n z a consciousness, competitiveness. my experiences are part of our peo nar after three and one-half years of

36 EAST WIND imprisonment with little with which American. What began as a move to start a new life. With the pres ment for civil rights in the South sures of supporting a family, my quickly spread throughout the na father was forced to take up garden tion with demands of political ing. My father hated gardening, but p o w e r a n d s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n f o r his pride would not allow him to oppressed nationalities. The urban consider a job where he had to work revolts of the '60s and the fight for for the people who had imprisoned justice brought home the fact of in him. Besides, he considered garden stitutional racism and that the U.S. ing only a temporary occupation was a society where the benefits until he was able to save up enough and privileges were divided by money to buy another store. color. My father died twenty-three The issue that most affected my years after the close of the camps. political development during the He died as a gardener — never real 1960's was the struggle against the izing the aspirations that he had war in Viet Nam. It was the war that once held. His death was attributed brought out the most blatant forms to alcohol which he had consumed o f t h e c o n t r a d i c t i o n s w i t h i n t h e s o in large quantities as a means of ciety. It was racism that sent a dis dealing with the anger and frustra p r o p o r t i o n a t e n u m b e r o f T h i r d t i o n s h e f e l t . World people to fight and get killed It was not until I was in college in a warkillingotherpeopleof color that I learned about the camp expe to defend profits for the few. There r i e n c e . P r i o r t o t h i s t i m e I w a s t o l d was the contradiction of seeing bil t h a t M a n z a n a r w a s a s m a l l t o w n i n lions of dollars being spent each s t a n d s w i t h i n t h e A s i a n A m e r i c a n California where Japanese people month to maintain a military ma community — stands in support of lived. When I learned more about chine while at home there were o t h e r T h i r d W o r l d m o v e m e n t s , the camps, many aspects of my life claims of not having enough money stands against the war in Viet Nam, and identity as a Nikkei person to feed, clothe, and house the poor. and stands in favor of developing began to fit into place — the family u n i t y a m o n g s t A s i a n A m e r i c a n s . pressure to "blend" into the society While AAPA took up a number of and not rock the boat; the pressure issues, its existence was short-lived. The organization was made up pri to act the right way and the stress "The issue that most upon education as a means to over marily of young activists arising out come racial hostility. affected my political o f th e mo ve me n ts o f th e '6 0 s. Acti v It was while I was in college that I development... was ists who were not rooted within the became politically involved in the community. Thus, the base of sup movement for social change. Dur the struggle against port for AAPA's efforts was narrow, ing my first year in college, I was in the war in Viet Nam." and the impact upon the broader volved in the Free Speech Move community was limited. ment (FSM) at UC Berkeley. The With the realization of the short FSM challenged the right of the col comings of efforts such as AAPA, lege administration to determine The student movement. Third many began to become involved in what could be said on campuses. World movement, and anti-war efforts to integrate within the com Today, much of this freedom of ex movement all helped to crystallize munity. I was involved in the efforts pression is taken for granted. This f o r m e t h e n e e d f o r a f u n d a m e n t a l of the JACS-Asian Involvement of was largely a result of students and basicchangewithinthesociety. fice in Los Angeles. We rushed head organizing a campus-wide strike to There is a need to change a society long into Serve the People programs shutdown the campus until conces that valued profits over people, and created a number of social serv sions weregranted. This was my first material goods over human life, and ice programs dealing with drug experience in understanding the elitism over equality. abuse counseling, food co-ops, power and potential of people act From my initial involvement in child care programs and welfare ing together in a common effort. the struggles of the '60s came the rights. Many activists became com While my identity as a student realization of the need for organiza munity workers in collectivizing was affected by the Free Speech tion. Thus, many of us worked to t h e i r r e s o u r c e s a n d e f f o r t s i n o r d e r Movement, it was the movement of gether to form the Asian American to better serve the community. Blacks and other Third World peo Political Alliance (AAPA). The pur As with AAPA, these Serve the ple for equality and justice that af pose of AAPA was to form an organ People programs met with initial fected my identity as an Asian ization that would take progressive success but were short-lived in their

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 37 impact. Much of the work was At the same time, LTPRO has ex today: full equality for Japanese based upon idealistic notions and panded its political scope to de Americans and other Third World was divorced from the reality con mand Redress and Reparations, un and working people, full rights for fronting most people in the commu conditional residency and full workers and immigrants, and reli nity. Many of the services and pro rights for Japanese immigrant work ance upon democratic principles grams initiated were taken over by ers, and no human service cuts in and mass participation. government-funded agencies. o u r co mmu n i ty. The effort to build a better future F r o m t h e l e s s o n s l e a r n e d f r o m The issue of Redress/Reparations will be a long and arduous one. It the work with AAPA and the JACS- has come to symbolize the growing will require a long-range view of Asian Involvement office, came a strength and maturity of LTPRO. A achieving social change and a com recognition of the need for an or few years ago, the fight for repara mitment to political principles and ganization that would combine tions was but a dream in the minds perspectives. As I look back at the politics with integration within the of a few people. Through the work '60s and '70s, I remember many community — a mass-oriented and efforts of LTPRO and other indi idealists who thoughtsocial change politically progressive organiza v i d u a l s a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n s , w e would come about quickly. These tion that would people soon take principled _ b e c a m e d i s c o u r and consistent aged or "burned s t a n d s o n b e h a l f ^>08104 out" and left the of Japanese movement. I also A m e r i c a n s a n d remember many other oppressed individualists nationalities. who tried to go In 1976, the it alone in cre Little Tokyo Peo ating social ple's Rights Or- change. These ganization people soon ( L T P R O ) w a s found that they formed to fight could not against the change the sys forced destruc t e m a s i n d i v i d tion and disper uals and became sal of the Little cynical and de Tokyo commu feated. nity of Los Ange There are les. We wit m a n y o t h e r s , nessed Japanese however, who corporate busi have persevered n e s s e s i n c o l l u in the struggle, sion with the who have inte federal gov Members of LTPRO protest destruction of community — 1979 grated their po ernment and l i t i c a l i d e a l s a n d local poli principles into ticians taking over property held by helped found the National Coali their lives, who have continued to long-time residents and small busi tion for Redress/Reparations and w o r k i n a c o l l e c t i v e m a n n e r i n t h e n e s s e s . LT P R O w a s f o r m e d i n o r d e r w e h a v e s e e n h o w t h e d r e a m s o f a fight for equality and democratic to facilitate the participation of as few have been transformed into a rights. We, in LTPRO, recognize that many people as possible in defend vital movement that has brought to Nikkei people all across the country ing Little Tokyo. We won some con gether Nikkei people from through share a common history, a common cessions that helped preserve our out the country. We have also seen bond, and a common destiny. We community, but more importantly, the power and sense of pride that are working to unite and organize LTPRO provided a long-range strat h a s a r i s e n f r o m t h i s m o v e m e n t . for the long-term fight against na egy for such protracted struggles. The development of LTPRO has tional oppression. As a Japanese in Eight years later now, we are still come to reflect the continuing ef America, I stand proud because by working for more housing, and we fort to build a progressive move participating in a broad, progressive continue to uphold the rights of ment for change. The principles and organization like LTPRO, I'm taking s m a l l b u s i n e s s e s a n d c o m m u ideals held by many of usduringthe a stand for justice and equality, nity/cultural groups in Little Tokyo. ' 6 0 s a n d ' 7 0 s c o n t i n u e t o h o l d t r u e pride and dignity for our people. □

38 EAST WIND became involved with the Commit tee Against Nihonmachi Eviction (CANE) and joined their newsletter Wes committee. I started doing illustra tions. From that it progressed and grew. I started doing things for the Senzaki October First Celebrations, for nor m a l i z a t i o n o f r e l a t i o n s b e t w e e n t h e U.S. and China. That's when I was in troduced to the Kearny Street Work After highcollege school, and studied I went biochem into shop which was flourishing. istry. I was into a hippie stage ... I I felt there was a real need on the was an idealist; you know, "peace, cultural level to develop skills and everyone should love one another promotea Japanese American com and everything'll be alright." I went m u n i t y a r t . A c o u p l e o f u s o n to U.C. Santa Barbara in 1968 when C A N F ' s n e w s l e t t e r c o m m i t t e e f r e the first Third World strikes started quently talked about art. We used happening. We were demanding our t o t a l k w i t h o t h e r s t o o a b o u t t h e rights to an equal education, one need for some place, a facility we that dealt with our people's histo could work out of. A place where ries rather than just falsified Euro we could develop politically con pean male history. That was the s c i o u s a r t a n d o ff e r a r t c l a s s e s t h a t was formed to get funding for com crystallizing thing for me. I took people normally could not afford. munity art programs. We got use of p a r t i n a n t i - w a r a n d a n t i - d r a f t They wouldn't get the same per theemptyspaceat1852 Sutterfrom marches. I had watched the Civil spective going just to an art school the Redevelopment Agency. There Rights Movement and ghetto riots like the Academy of Art in San Fran were people interested at that time, while growing up. It brought cisco. We wanted more of a grass m o s t o f w h o m a r e s t i l l i n v o l v e d ; changes on and that's when I de roots thing basically. So the idea of Doug Yamamoto, Rich Wada, Mitsu cided to drop out of biochemistry to having an arts workshop in the com Yashima, Gail Aratani and others. re-think my direction in life. munity came about, and we were So we began in early '76 to rehabili I got a job in a factory and got in able to get some seed money from tate the building. By early 1977, volved in my first unionizing effort. the Japantown Art Movement, a around springtime, itwasstartingto Later on, and it took a while, I real coalition of community groups that take shape. We put the word out ized that peace and justice don't a b o u t t h i s a r t w o r k happen by just waving the peace shop in the commu sign, smoking dope, kicking back nity. We had a formal and being good to your friends. Be organizing committee ing good to people is basic but the and started dealing only way to stop oppression and ex with what we were go ploitation is by fighting actively ing to call ourselves against it in whatever way you can. and where we were • a c o m i n g f r o m . W e Seeing people not only in the U.S. but around the world struggi ing and ft opened on October 1, dying fighting for liberation made 1 9 7 7 . T h a t ' s h o w t h e me realize that the oppressors will Japantown Art and never stop exploiting people be M e d i a ( J A M ) W o r k - cause you ask "Please stop . . . J shop came into being. gimme a break." It ain't gonna hap When we first pen. I know we have to actively started, there were ba struggle to make progressive sically just classes. We changes, and I feel that everyone started doing silk- has a skill or talent to give tojjiaking screen posters and that positive change. For myself, I've en evolved into graphic joyed artsince I was a child, so I felt services. It's expanded that's something that I should beyond posters to leaf pursue. l e t s , b r o c h u r e s a n d I really started to make a serious o t h e r a r t s e r v i c e s t o e f f o r t i n t h a t d i r e c t i o n a f t e r I c o m m u n i t y o r g a n i z a moved to San Francisco in 1974. I tions. There are special

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 39 young. It's been progressing all along; it's been expanding. At the beginning, it was almost exclusively a political movement and it's ex panded in the last few years by rec ognizing the role and power of cul ture. That's real encouraging. W h e n e v e r o t h e r a r t / c u l t u r a l groups like the Asian American Re source Workshop in Boston or Thousand Cranes in New York City are in the area, they stop by JAM and we have some really good dis cussions. We keep in contact; we send each other literature. It's funny because you can get the feeling that you're alone, that no other artists out there know what you are doing. But when other groups start popping up, there's a sense of a movement hap pening. It's encouraging for us, so at JAM we try to be as supportive and helpful as possible.

''My art will always get better as I practice it, but the same holds a r t p r o j e c t s s u c h a s t h e A s i a n S . F. ' s C h i n e s e C u l t u r a l C e n t e r i n Women Artists Project, Senior Cit March, 1982) is all about. We're not true for my politics." izen Art Project and Nihonmachi working in isolation. We're working Garden Project, We're also involved with other artists and organizations i n e x h i b i t i o n s a n d c u l t u r a l e v e n t s in the context of a community and like the Oshogatsu Festival and it's a process of constant sharing. I Though social and economic con Nihonmachi Street Fair. learn much from other people as I ditions are deteriorating, I have When we first started we were hope they learn from me. hope. On an important level, things t o t a l l y v o l u n t e e r. W e h a d s o m e Up 'til now, I've been focusing are getting better. Better because funding from private foundations. more on my art in terms of develop people who have progressive politi At one point we had state money ing craft and skills. I think at one cal consciousness, their conscious and paid peopletoworkatJAM. But time my political understanding ness is deepening, and for those who there have been cutbacks. It just was at a much higher level than my didn't before have that conscious means that we will rely more on vol technical artskills. I've been feeling ness, they're beginning to get it. u n t e e r s a n d c o l l a b o r a t e c l o s e r w i t h though that my art skills have come There's also a growing sense of unity other progressive art groups. up to a level pretty much on par among the Asian nationalities. I feel fairly comfortable with my with my political understanding. In That's one thing I'd like to point out work now. As the years have gone order to get any further, not only in about JAM. Even though we focus by I can see the improvement in my my art but in my politics, I have to on the Japanese community be work and hopefully that'll con do more study to get a deeper cause we're located in Japantown, tinue. Not being formally trained, understanding of what's going on we work with and for groups of dif the only way you can do it is to keep and what needs to be done. My art ferent Asian and Third World nation- producing. I think the greatest leaps will always get better as I practice alities around the Bay Area. Our I have made in the quality of my art it, but the same holds true for my staff isn't just Japanese. In the fu have been since working with JAM. politics. It will only get better as I ture, we want to get more in touch This is what PROGRESSIONS (an ex practice it. with other Asian/Pacific nationality hibit of posters and drawings by The Asian Movement, if you look communities and build a stronger We s S e n z a k i a n d R i c h a r d To k e s h i a t at it historically, is still very, very network of progressive artists. □

40 EAST WIND Choi Sod Lee Retrial

Ranko Yamada

orry. We need something ^ newsworthy/' say the city news editors. "Innocence and death row just aren't novel enough. Can you people burn an effigy?" Thus, the stage is set for Choi Soo Lee's retrial of a 1973 murder he didn't commit. Lee, a Korean immi grant whose murder conviction was overturned by an appeals court, will once again face trial on May 24 in San Francisco. During the last nine years of his in carceration, the prosecution and po lice have repeatedly been given sub stantial evidence that someone else committed the murder. Yet they have never shown the remotest interest in finding out who really killed Yip Yee Tak. Of course, to admit interest in the real killer has serious drawbacks for them. The public would then know how the prosecution has groomed wit nesses, suppressed exculpatory evi dence, falsified evidence and allowed perjured testimony to condemn an in nocent man to die. The prosecution is determined to continue the deadly hoax, in hopes that by repeating a lie often enough, it will become truth. And this is where Choi Soo Lee stands today, facing trial by a court that is just as anxious to maintain this status quo. By carefully sifting F R E E D O M F O R through the evidence, deciding what a jury can and cannot hear, the courts can almost insure the outcome: con CHOL SOO"LEE viction of murder one. Already in pre liminary hearings, the court has ruled against defense motions to introduce evidence of a major eyewitness, po body. We are the countless Korean Join us in May at the San Francisco lice misconduct and Choi Soo's poly and Asian immigrants who find our Hall of Justice. For more information, graph test. selves here, stripped of language and contact the Bay Area Committee to Truth is no gift in Choi Soo Lee's culture. We are the American born Free Choi Soo Lee, 827 Pacific Ave., case. It is hard fought, impatient and Asians who have lived through the No. 122, San Francisco, CA 94133. □ expensive. Choi Soo literally fights double standard charade of discrimi for his life in this case. As supporters, nation and racism. And we are the we fight also for the right to define many progressive and dedicated in Ranko Yamada is a Contributing o u r s e l v e s a n d t o a s s e r t o u r d e m a n d s d i v i d u a l s c o m m i t t e d t o w a r d s a m o r e Editor to EAST WIND. She is an attor for justice and equality. We face the just society. ney and has been active in the Choi court as an enemy, and whatever is Choi Soo can win if we are there. Soo Lee defense movement for many w o n f r o m t h a t c o u r t r o o m i s o u r d o The court may manipulate the evi years. She is also a member of Nihon- ing. Fortunately the "we" in the sup dence, but it cannot control commu machi Legal Outreach, a community port movement is also an awesome nity sentiment or stifle our demands. legal services group.

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 41 NOT ON THE MENU Visions of an Unofficial Photographer Laureate

Photos by Corky Lee

Sidewalk jewelry — 1976

S t r e e t F a i r — 1 9 7 5 T u g - o f - w a r — 1 9 7 5

42 EAST WIND Tenement couple — 1979 As Corky and 1 made the final choices for the photographs on these pages, I asked him, "So what about the essay part? This is a photo essay." He quipped, "These pictures tell a story and they say one picture is worth a thousand words'" Corky Lee started taking photos around 1970 through his involve ment in Chinatown housing strug gles and tenant organizing. He wanted to document the ojective c o n d i t i o n s t h a t e x i s t e d . When I asked him why he still snaps what he does, he replied that he photographs "things that need to be corrected, highlighted or remembered . . ." Corky is self-taught. He would welcome any comments and inquir ies about his work. Send your letters to Corky Lee, 32 E. Broadway, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10002. Sasha HohriD U n t i t l e d - 1 9 7 5

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 43 Asian Americans in

"Asian American theater expresses the Asian American consciousness." — Tisa Chang

Tisa Chang is the Artistic Director of the Pan-Asian Repertory Theatre in New York City. She founded the company in 1972 after a decade of work as a singer, dancer and actress in several Broadway theatrical productions. She is married to Filipino actor and playwright Ernest Ernestabuba. The interview was conducted by Ered Eloun, a musician, poet and writer for UNITY newspaper.

EAST WIND: What is your back talent. People say there are no super ground and theatrical training? A s i a n A m e r i c a n s t a r s . T h a t ' s n o t t r u e . I believe they have to be found; they Tisa Chang: I came here when I was h a v e t o b e n u r t u r e d . T h e r e ' s a w h o l e six years old from China, I studied dance and piano when I was seven. I suppository of energies, creative energy and talent but if they don't got my Equity card in 1962 and have any place to utilize, manifest started working for the American and implement that talent or energy, like a workshop where we are colla m a i n s t r e a m . . . I k n o w h o w f a r a n well then, of course nobody's going borating ratherthan anyone teaching Asian American can go in that main someone else. stream . . . how limiting it can be. to have heard of them. There are just not enough roles. The EAST WIND: What training does Pan- EAST WIND: What advice do you mainstream today is old fashioned, Asian Rep offer? have for someone who wants to get limited in their enlightenment and into the professional theater? Tisa Chang: We have a workshop pro progress. It's extremely racist and Tisa Chang: I would definitely sug sexist. I mean, they don't even think gram. It's not that far-reaching at this one iota more. It just takes a little to gest that the professional should go point. Above all, the workshops are and get all the training possible. If say, "Hey, stretch your imagination. geared to the needs of my actors and you want to write or if you want to Can't you see a Chinese or Japanese productions. Firstly, I do not try to act, go to the best places. It doesn't in such and such a role, maybe just as duplicate courses given in New York necessarily mean that that name a s m a l l e r r o l e . " T h e y d o n ' t t h i n k City. For instance, the Japanese school is going to ensure you of the movement class that we had taught a b o u t t h a t . I l o o k a t t e l e v i s i o n a n d I talent to be a success, but it is good to see all men in all these traditional by Cheryl Ito, that was absolutely, getthefundamental discipline. Then, roles or they have very stereotyped directly tied to the fact that we did a I would also suggest work, actual on- images of the Asian man or woman traditional Japanese play. Well in ad the-job, in-the-field work. and that can be harmful. Pan-Asian vance of that, we provided the class That's again where Pan-Asian Rep Repertory Theatre exists to combat so that people could get a little un ertory comes in ... . It's still very hard and to dispel these stereotypes. I do derstanding .... This is where you finding work all the time, year round n o t w i s h t o e v e r b e o f f e r e d a n o t h e r really get people working together work just to practice your craft. This is role as a sneaky, beautiful Oriental consistently and having some Asian why people who work 9 to 5 come in to femme fatale or bar girl. I mean I've tutelage .... We're going to have a rehearse with us in the evening. had enough of those and I think I can S h a k e s p e a r e c l a s s w i t h N a s h i k o Okama. A lot of people say, "Hey, They're very proud to take seven play roles other than those. weeks out of their I ives so to speak, be I f o u n d e d P a n - A s i a n R e p e r t o r y Shakespeare and Asian actors, they cause a true artist is a dedicated per Theatre in 1972. The founding con don't really jive." They say we don't son who is not counting pennies and I have the training. We try to provide cept of Pan-Asian Rep is to mainly am so much gratified by people like showcase ... to search, nurture and an atmosphere where everything is showcase Asian American and Asian possible. It's very relaxed. It's more continued on page 47

44 EAST WIND Theater — East and West Coast

"The industry treats the actor's ability as the last item. We want to reverse that at East West Players." — M a k o

Mako's accomplishments as an actor and director-have brought him inter national praise. Nominated for an Academy Award for his work in The Sand Peb bles, Mako has appeared in 20 films. In 1979, he won acclaim as The Reciter in Pacific Overtures. He recently starred as Oda in Visual Communications' feature film, Hito Hata — Raise the Banner. One of the founding members of the East/West Players, Mako continues his in volvement today as the company's Artistic Director. The interview was conducted in February 1982 by Alan Kondo, a member of Visual Communications.

EAST WIND: I think a lot of people about directing. know about your current work, but EAST WIND: Between then and now, they don't know about your history what were some of the major deci and how you got started in this sions you had to make for yourself business. that brought you to where you are There's a strange double standard Mako: Well, I came to this country now? that exists when it comes to an ethnic when I was fifteen. . . My parents had M a k o : N u m b e r o n e , I l e a r n e d t o role. They become so sensitive to come to this country before the war, understand that an actor has a right ward ethnic origin. For instance, if so I came to join them after the war. too. In other words, the choice is his the role is for a Malayasian, they Both of my parents are painters, and or hers. If the role is demeaning to want to find a Malayasian actor. But when it comes to the leading char my father in particular was heading a you or your people, or people in gen young artists' movement. They were eral, the actor has a right to reject. acter, they go from the list of stars the very involved in the artists' move networks will accept — 102 or 103 ment to prevent Japanese people Many times an actor is so eager to work, upon reading a script in which names. If you're on that list, origin from going into war, into Manchuria. the role that he is to play is demean doesn't matter. Consequently, they were arrested But when it comes to us (Asians), ing, you justify it to yourself by say many times. After I was conceived, ing, "I think I can rectify the situa they become overly sensitive. That my mother vyas jailed, and she spent tion." But if it's written in that vein, kind of double standard just doesn't the next nine months in jail. They had even though you may try it, it's diffi make sense. When they made Roots, to let her go because I was due. Since cult to change it. they didn't use any African actors. I w a s r a i s e d i n t h a t k i n d o f e n v i r o n For me it came by way of bitter ex They used Black actors from this ment, bothof my parents were totally perience, by having done one of country. But when it comes to Sho- supportive of anything I chose to do those roles. It's like it goes on record gun or Marco Polo ... In Shogun as a profession in the creative line. . . . stays on record and somebody there was only one (Asian American), At the time, my ambition was to be will identify you with that role. Emiko Taka, who functioned as inter come an architect. So, I enrolled in preter for Mifune. The Toho people the school of architecture at the Pratt E A S T W I N D : F l o w a r e A s i a n s t r e a t e d wanted to push their people into an Institute. I got involved with a couple in Hollywood when you go see the international market, and Asian of friends who were building an off- casting director? A m e r i c a n s w e r e l e f t i n t h e b a c k s e a t Broadway stage set, and they asked Mako: Basically, it boils down to you although NBC was co-producing. In me to help them. That's how I got in being a piece of meat. I mean that Marco Polo, it was different. Bulah volved in theater. Since I knew noth they're always looking for a type — a Quoh, Jimmy Hong, Soon Tek Oh ing about theater, I wanted to learn physical aspect. If anything, the last worked in it. But I wasn't Chinese. It's something about acting, something criteria is talent or experience. kind of strange, the kind of shit that's

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 45 going on. We're constantly shoved wereMomoko Iko with "Gold Watch" terials were written by non-Japanese into the corner, the secondary posi and Frank Chin with "Chickencoop Americans, and usually had a very ex tion. Ultimately where we want to go Chinaman." Through that playwriting otic theme imposed upon the real is to be recognized as actors in any contest, we came in contact with issue that affected us. Sowedidn'tdo production. The industry treats the those two gifted writers. those materials. We just didn't feel it actor's ability as the last item on the was right. EAST WIND: How would you One season is really not enough to agenda. What we want to do is re characterize where the Asian verse that order at least at East West talk about what happened, so we A m e r i c a n t h e a t e r m o v e m e n t i s a t Players, hope to continue to pursue this sub now, in relation to the development ject matter. But material has to be EAST WIND: What brought about you've seen in the past? w r i t t e n f o r u s t o w o r k w i t h . W e c a n ' t East West Players, and what dif Mako: I can only speak in behalf of improvise out of thin air. ficulties did you have? Fast West Players. I think we're at a A number of people were very con Mako: The environment in which we very good place, meaning that people cerned that the concentration camps were functioning wasn't satisfactory who joined our company ten years experience would create a downer of to many of us, Asian American ac ago are beginning to make a liveli a season. But I said, well, maybe so, tors, at that time, and we wanted to hood as actors. Therefore, they can but it's something we must do at this do something about it. Do produc a f f o r d t o w o r k w i t h u s . B o b I t o i n point. And it so happened that the tions of our choice; hire a director of "Quincy" is one example. When he w h o l e i s s u e o f r e d r e s s a n d t h e h e a r our choice who had our point of view. fi r s t c a m e h e r e f r o m C a n a d a w i t h h i s ings happened this year. It wasn't by People who started East West Players family, he couldn't even pay member design, but it coincided. were Beulah Quoh, James EJong, Pat ship dues. Realizing his situation, we E A S T W I N D : T h e f e d e r a l c u t b a c k s i n Lee, June Kim, Yet Lock and myself. said, "Maybe you can teach move artand culture fundingseem to be af Shortly after, Soon Tek Oh joined us, ment" because he was a dancer. He's fecting minority culture the most. and Alberto Issac. They're working in s t i l l o n o u r r o s t e r a s a n a c t i v e m e m How have they affected Fast West the industry but not so much working b e r . O n e o f t h e r e a s o n s F a s t W e s t Players? directly with East West. For example. Players succeeded to the point it is Soon Tek has come back many times now isthateveryonewhocould afford Mako: So far, not much. We've heard to do productions, but he is trying to $10 a month, paid that $10 a month. statements from people like Charle- create a Korean American theater Our company is a membership- ton Heston that "minority arts should company. It's needed. supported company, although we've belong in the Dept. of Health, Educa At that time, there was funding gotten numerous grants to balance t i o n a n d W e l f a r e . " I t h i n k w h a t h e available, but we didn't want strings our budget. Hundreds of people have said is purely a reflection of the Presi attached, so we didn't apply for fund paid $10 a month in the past. Our dent's opinion, and I think it will af ing for a long time. Finally, the Ford c o m m u n i t y s u p p o r t h a s g r o w n fect us next year. But we have been Foundation gave a two-year grant to tremendously. preparing ourselves for that sort of develop actors and materials from our This current season, we have dedi cutback. I n order for us to survive, we own community. That's when we de cated the whole season to the camp cannot rely solely on funding. We cided to have a national playwriting experience. It's something I wanted have to develop means to survive, a contest, and two of the applicants to do for a long time, but the ma business that can bring revenue to

46 EAST WIND our company. And we can't keep our Make: Well, actors' work is very personal history. When I first came theater dark. We have to have more tedious. It requires dedication and here, I worked in Harlem, in China productions, whether it's a theatrical commitment. Unfortunately, the art town, in various kitchens in New York production of a music culture or of acting is not as scientific as say, City. At that time, there were still a lot whatever. We have to have people studying to become a doctor, but in of Issei working as cooks, dishwash coming into our theater. Small thea essence it's just as tedious. ers, pantrymen, what have you. I ter companies like ours, every little It's not glamorous at all. Starting came into contact with so many of bit counts. By keeping our doors this summer, we're going through in them. I was glad to be able to build a open, it means more work for us. Like tensive summer training workshops positive composite of Issei, an the Issei philosophy, unless you as opposed to weekly sessions. This accumulation of imagery that I col work, you can't bring a dollar home. intensive workshop will keep stu lected. Also, the sound from those dents busy for six days a week, ten people — the Japanese they spoke E A S T W I N D : I n t e r m s o f a r t i s t i c hours or more, for five weeks. That's was very provincial, archaic and they direction, what's the next step for how long it takes to mount a produc Americanized. It was a unique lan Asian American theater? tion. They'll be working on a real pro guage. In that sense, through HITO Make: East West Players must make duction as well as going to classes, re- HATA, I wasabletodocumentasmall a t r a n s c o n t i n e n t a l t o u r t o t h e E a s t hersal, voice production, movement, portion of the sound I have come to what have you. We're talking about love. We all felt good about taking a Coast, mainly to New York to gain na tional recognition. In some ways, 300 hours of work, but that's part of part in that project. What has been what we go through as actors. we're more known outside of Los rewarding is people's response dur Angeles. New York is where the big ing those premieres around the coun EAST WIND: What did you think ger corporate headquarters are, so try that Visual Communications has that becomes a must for us if we are about your participation in HITO been holding. When I was in Washing to survive. HATA^ ton, D.C., there was a lady from The main positive thing is that more Kagoshima who was 84. She came up Make: Being able to participate in to me and said in Kagoshima dialect, people are writing. And more Asian the project has been a very positive American writers are writing for "What province are you from?" theater. Which is great for us, because experience. Although in looking S o m e h o w s h e b e l i e v e d I w a s f r o m without them, we cannot survive. back, there was a problem with the Kagoshima. I spent some time there project in terms of collective writing. when I was two or three, but I don't EAST WIND: What sort of advice But knowing that, I enjoyed working remember anything from those days. would you have for someone just with it. I was able to use a lot of com People coming up and saying those starting out, and interested in Asian posites I had drawn for myself in things is the highest form of reward American theater? terms of Issei, drawing from my own that an actor can ever get. □

Tisa...

continued from page 44 sive and should reflect all of these EAST/WEST PLAYERS that because we are a col lective work that I've mentioned, because these SUMMER WORKSHOP '82 ing together. We are professionals. are all valid experiences. Asian Amer ican theater must above all promote EAST WIND: What's your definition a certain kind of thinking and atti of Asian American theater? tude. It must reflect truthfully Intensive Training Program Tisa Chang: Well, Asian American whether in a pretty light or not, some on all phases theater is very different from theater of these experiences, whether they companies that produce traditional are struggles or joys. of professional theater Asian works. An Asian American We do four productions a year, t h e a t e r h a s t o d o w i t h w o r k s t h a t e x usually tied to a theme. For instance, July 27-August 31 press the Asian American conscious one year we do new playwrights. ness. There's a very distinct differ Another year will be classics. One Application Deadline: June 25 ence between the Issei and the San- year we'll concentrate on the Japa sei, the first and third generation nese American ethos. Contact: Japanese Americans. There is a very E A S T W I N D : H a s A s i a n A m e r i c a n Diane Kobayashi distinct difference between the new Chinese immigrant and the Chinese t h e a t e r u t i l i z e d t r a d i t i o n a l C h i n e s e Summer Workshop Program and Japanese techniques? 4424 Santa Monica Blvd. American who has been here three, Los Angeles, CA 90029 four, or five generations. There are ail Tisa Chang: I would say so, yes. I think that there's no way that you can (213) 660-0366 these differences . . . and they form a d i ff e r e n t c o n s c i o u s n e s s . I t h i n k A s i a n divorce and cut yourself off of cer American theater should be respon t a i n t i e s . I h a v e f o u n d r e f e r e n c e s i n

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 47 Carol Rosegg Tisa Chang [bottom left) and the cast and crew of Momoko Iko's play Flowers and Household Cods.

our plays to Kabuki or Noh. There will ten years since I've been directing Tisa Chang: I wish there were a better b e r e f e r e n c e s t o c e r t a i n f o o d s o r Pan-Asian Rep, there is now a swing working relationship and immediacy tastes, words, or phrases in that cer to recognizing one's roots and not be among the companies, but there are tain language. Asian American thea ing ashamed about it. I think there three to four in the country. There ter must draw upon the techniques of was a real danger for a while. I was s h o u l d b e a n e t w o r k t o s h a r e our roots and of our heritage when it the class of '63 so that will give you information. is appropriate. In "And The Soul Shall some time reference. Some Asian Asians in the performing arts don't Dance" by Wakako Yamaguichi, she A m e r i c a n s w h o w e r e b o r n h e r e t r i e d have clout in Washington, D.C. We wrote a play about immigrant Japa very hard to totally deny what their don't sit on panels at NBA (National nese farmers struggling in the '30s. names and faces say they are. They Endowment for the Arts). More of us This Issei couple who came abroad don't want to acknowledge that their who are experts in our field in the per certainly had points of reference parents don't speak English very well. forming arts should start getting into with the language, music, songs and They wanted totally to be so Ameri positions of some clout. I wish I dances of their old Japan. So much so can, to be absorbed and assimilated would be invited to sit on more pan that the young wife at the very end of into the melting pot. You can change els. Therefore, I would have a direct the play in order to symbolize her in your name, but you can't change effect on the emphasis of funding. sanity, her total breaking down and your face very much short of surgery. We need more clout and we have to her inability to cope with the pres I don't think anybody is that des band together to get that. sures of this new land, at the end of perate to do that. What I'm getting I feel very positive and optimistic the scene, she puts on her old kimono from young people, and when I say about the collective and creative a n d d o e s a t r a d i t i o n a l d a n c e . young meaning 32 and under, is a energies. This is very different from I have used a story from Peking sense of real pride in who they are. my period . . . where some people Opera; I've used certain traditional They understand what it means to be were a little diffident and sitting rhythm and certain aspects of the 1 St, 2nd, or 3rd generation Chinese in back. I'd really like to impress upon movements, but I inserted the folk America and they go with that. They young people who have aspirations, songs that people of my generation accept (it). They dare to be different d o n ' t s h i r k t h e w o r k b e c a u s e b u l l s h i t would know .... Now a Chinese . . . . We have common experiences doesn't get you anywhere. Do the American who is born here may not and sentiments and that's very help work! 1 don't mind working longer or have the advantage of growing up ful so we can band together. harder. The nice thing is that we with certain songs and melodies as 1 ought todowhatwedo. □ had, and I think that is a very big loss. E A S T W I N D : W h a t k i n d o f l i n k s e x i s t I'm pleased to see that in the almost among Asian American theaters?

48 EAST WIND I'mthougha Sansei, I've neverthird generation, had any "formal"Oakland, trainingCalifornia. of anAl art school, I feel I have something better. I have the influence and inspiration for my art from my parents and a rich cultural her itage and history to take pride in. Before the turn of the century, my grandfather first went to Vancouver, Canada from Japan. With forty dollars saved from salmon fishing, he decided to move to San Francisco in the early 1900's. He survived the Great Earthquake of 1906, but promptly moved to Oakland. My father was born in Oakland. He is Kibei (born in Amer ica, raised in Japan) and is an extremely talented artist with the gift of being able to create beauty in everything he does. Even of such a dismal place as the camps he did beautiful watercolors and sketches of the train ride to Topaz. But once he was out of camp he had to work many jobs to rebuild the lives of his family again. As far as I can remember, he was always too busy working day and night, sometimes two jobs to be able to sit down and best. And even though I will always remember her constantly paint. But even in his dry cleaning business his creativity came working, at the cleaners and raising five children, her strength through — it was called "the Artistic Cleaners," and he hung comes through the fact that she has maintained her outlook his paintings up around the cleaners. Today, you can see his by such kindness, gentleness and grace despite devastating artistic talent in many beautifully landscaped gardens around experiences like the camps. the Bay Area. Through his work you can see his understanding My parents fought extreme racism and oppression, and of Japanese culture and the intense strength and pride he has worked hard from sun up to sun down to make better lives for in himself. Another evidence of his eye for beauty is my Mom. my brothers, sister and me. And, they have a pride in who they My mother is Nisei (second generation), born and raised in are so strong that it has influenced and inspired me to take Oakland Chinatown. She has a unique talent of her own. She pride in who I am. If ever it is said that children are most like has the ability to see the beauty of life, always making you see their parents, I wish it to be true for me. I hope you can see this the best in things and making what you have seem like the in my art.

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 new year it is customary to place a winds. Instrength Japan, there called is a kimdchi. spirit of inner For pair of Kadomatsu (gate pines) be everyone who has a dream in life, fore every gate or door. The trees are kimochi is the spirit that gives you the paired, one rough and prickly (male), Bai,(ume sideredin theJapanese) "Elder Brotheris con of strength and determination to strug the other softer and more graceful one hundred flowers" and the plum gle for it. Symbolic of that strength (female), male on the left, female on blossoms fall before they wither and spirit is the Sh5-Chiku-Bai, also the right. With these are placed bam rather than cling rotting to the tree. k n o w n a s t h e W i n t e r F r i e n d s . S h o - boo cuttings and plum branches. Chiku-Bai appear throughout Asian art, literature and folklore and are Forternedthe Japanese in concentrationAmericans campsin held in the highest regard as the sym Chiku,staff(take of in lifeJapanese) to the peopleis the of during World War II, the Sho-Chiku- bols of resistance to hardship. Sho A s i a . I t s u s e s i n A s i a n c u l t u r e s a r e Bai spirit strengthened their will and (pine), Chiku (bamboo)and Bai(plum) endless, from being a religious sym determination at a time when all grow wild in Asia and their beauty is bol in the remotest area to building looked very bleak. Made to leave all appreciated by everyone. But for the skyscrapers in Hong Kong. Besides earthly possessions behind, herded poor, whose survival is hard and fu being so gracefully beautiful, it is into race tracks and made to stay in tures are only of hope, the Sho-Chiku- tough, strong and flexible, bowing filthy stalls, then taken by train with Bai is symbolic of an outlook on under the heavy snows of winter and shades drawn to unknown destina life. bending but never breaking in harsh tions, many felt their lives were d o o m e d . F o r t h e Japanese, whose cultural heritage al WinterAsia is in the ways held nature in worst time of year, with heavy snows were stripped of burying everything even that and and bitter cold sets dumped in the mid in. Itisatthistimeof dle of the deserts year, however, that and nowheres where the pine and bam little existed. Not boo stay green and knowing whether beautiful which sig they would spend n i fi e s t h e i r s u r v i v a l the rest of their lives despite insufferable there or not, they be conditions, and the gan to gather what plum which blos l i t t l e b i t s o f n a t u r e s o m s w h i l e w i n t e r Ithe highest regard they could and be s n o w s a r e s t i l l o n gan to fashion them the ground indi into the images of c a t e s t h a t w i n t e r i s the nature held so a l m o s t o v e r a n d dear. Bamboo and spring is on its way. p i n e t r e e s w e r e This reminds one to carved out of left l o o k f o r w a r d t o a o v e r w o o d u s e d t o b e t t e r f u t u r e . build the barracks, plum blossoms were made out of tiny Sho,Japanese) (matsu in shells. They made whose needle bonkei and did ike- shaped leaves are bana with desert believed to drive weeds and sage away evil demons, brush. Their strength fl o u r i s h e s i n t h e and determination, poorest of soil, the Sh5-Chiku-Bai clinging to rocky spirit made the J apa- c l i f f s b r i n g i n g nese American cul beauty where no ture survive despite other living thing the oppressive con can survive. At new ditions.

50 EAST WIND "TSURU SEN-NEN, K A M E M A N - N E N "

"As the Crane one thousand years, the Kame ten thousand years."

... is an old Japanese saying describ ing the symbols of youth and old age (long life) the Tsuru (crane) and the Kame (tortoise).

Thesupernatural Kame is one animals of the (tiger, four dragon, ho, tortoise) of Chinese mythology. Symbolic of long life, the Kame is said to live 10,000 years. The minokame, or long tailed kame (also c a l l e d " r a i n c o a t " t o r t o i s e b e c a u s e his tail resembles the old Japanese peasant raincoat made of straw) is said to grow his long tail in his old age of 10,000 years.

ThecommonlyTsuru is one used of symbols the most of long life in Asian legends and art. In Japan, the Tsuru is a sacred bird which is said to live 1,000 years. If it lives 2,000 years it then turns black. T h e r e i s a l s o t h e M a n c h u r i a n C r a n e which is characterized by its black tail feathers and red cap. At weddings it is customary for family and friends to fold 1,000 gold origami (paper) cranes and hang them together for good luck, fortune and long life to the bride and groom.

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 51 ^

/

BEWILDERED

by Louis H. Chu

Illustrations by Leon Sun The huge man pushed a button on the edge of his desk and a man, presumably a guard though un- uniformed and in shirt sleeves, appeared in no time. "Take them upstairs for chow. Stay with them until they're through and then come down with them." We followed the man to the bottom of the stairs, where he unlocked the door. Upstairs on the thir t e e n t h fl o o r w a s t h e m e s s h a l l . When we returned from chow the fat man gave each of us a tag of identificaton — our name and a number — and directed us to our respective quarters. A matron appeared and took my 7-year-old daughter and me to the thirteenth floor, where Introduction female detainees were quartered. My husband went with the guard. One week. Two weeks. Two months, maybe — we Chinese American novelist Louis Chu [1915-1970] would have to be detained here, I told myself. The left behind a rich legacy for future generations of quiet and spaciousness of the corridor through which A s i a n A m e r i c a n w r i t e r s . I n h i s n o v e l E a t a B o w l o f we now passed seemed to convey a loneliness found Tea, published in 7967, Chu portrayed the conflict only in a darkened and deserted tunnel. In China we between a father and son in New York Chinatown with had heard stories about the "Wooden House," where great insight and feeling. Recreating in English the rich newcomers to the shores of America are detained. textures of his native Sze Yup dialect, Chu captured C o u l d t h i s b e t h e " W o o d e n H o u s e ? " W e h a v e f r i e n d s the vitality of Chinese people and made his characters who had proceeded us to the United States who had come to life as real, three dimensional human beings. remained one or two months as detainees of the im Chu's sensitive handling of characters and situa migration authorities here. Detention of any length tions can be seen in this earlier work, ''Bewildered," of time is an unpleasant thing. And because it is which is being published for the first time. unpleasant and undesirable — yet so unnecessarily "Bewildered" conveys an experience common to necessary — we were drawn to it in frequent conver many Chinese immigrants — the anxiety that builds s a t i o n s w i t h o u r r e l a t i v e s a n d f r i e n d s i n C h i n a . W h e n while waiting for reunification with one's family. people asked me how long I expected to be detained We would like to express our gratitude to Mrs. Kang I usually replied, "I don't know," or "One month," or Louie for allowing EAST WIND to publish "Maybe two months." Related questions on the same "Bewildered." subject included; What will your husband do in the meantime? Will he wait for you in San Francisco or * * * will he proceed to New York? Now I was here in person — a detainee. It is a funny sort of feeling to have — like, perhaps, the bride who had dreaded her wedding day, now found Theupfat, round as we steppedmanat offthe thereception elevator.desk His desklooked was herself sobbing softly in her bridal sedan chair, on diagonally opposite the elevator we just used, and her way to the bridegroom's. Or like the student who directly opposite another that was not being used. had worried about his mid-terms, suddenly found His hugeness and the big desk made the hallway look h i m s e l f f a c e t o f a c e w i t h a s t i ff e x a m . T h i s w a s n o more crammed than it actually was. idle talk. I was going through it. The California "You people are out of luck," he bellowed. His weather, the gaiety of San Francisco, the fascination tone was without emotion. "Have you eaten yet?" of Chinatown, held no reality for me. My tired and "No," my husband answered. "All we had all day confused mind refused to let in the sunshine. Only was a couple spoonfuls of corn flakes on the plane." shadows creeped in. Stories of those who hanged He looked at the slip of paper handed him by our themselves because they were refused admittance custodian, who had met us at the airport and brought now sent a chill up my spine. The vivid newspaper us here in a big, red limousine with a U.S. govern account of the Chinese woman detainee who threat ment tag for a license plate. Beside his desk was a ened to jump from the ledge of this building not so bench, and presently the rotund man directed us to long ago tugged at me, making my steps unsteady. sit down. At our feet lay our baggage — a duffel bag, Its ugliness seemed to dim the lights of this very hall, two suit cases, and a zipper bag, with the Honolulu this very building. We followed the matron de custom inspector's yellow seal still on them. He jectedly, with misgivings, with no self-assurance picked up his phone. Before some one answered at whatever. Only one thing was certain: detention. My the other end he turned to us, "The cooks are off little girl kept on asking, "Where is Daddy? Let's go now." He checked his watch again. "It's after five." and find him." "Bill, I have three who just came in. Can you fix We c a m e t o a h a l t i n f r o n t o f r o o m 1 3 7 8 them something to eat?" As soon as the door swung open, greetings were in

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 53 order, "Look. Another crazy one!" turned I found that the matron who brought us here A middle-aged Chinese woman, dressed in a two- had already left, leaving us to this strange piece Chinese blue, detached herself from a gather hospitality. ing around the table and came forward. "Why are What is your family name? How old is your you crazy enough to come here like the rest of us?" daughter? Where are you from? When did you leave she demanded. Hong Kong? What plane did you take? Did anyone Another, "Why did you come?" come with you? Is your husband a veteran? Where is "Yes. Why? Why?" chorused several. The gang your husband? What city are you going to? around the table had dispersed. Everyone was in a Aside from these personal questions they clustered jovial mood. They seemed glad to have us. around us for news of China. How much is pork per "Look, No. 1 aunt, we have been here for two catty? How much is chicken? What is the present black market exchange rate for Hong Kong dollars? What is the black market rate for Gold Yuan? How much is rice per picul? How much is oil? How is the N o v e m b e r r i c e h a r v e s t ? They all wanted to know. Even the two babies, slung on their mothers' backs, seemed to wake up and take notice. They wailed and they waved their tiny hands. Children were just as eager for news of China. Off-handedly, I should say there were about thirty of us, including children, in the room. After the first excitement, as if of things new, the questions gradually dwindled down and we finally managed to take a shower. Night came and I tossed all night in bed. I knew my husband was in the same building but aside from that, I had no idea where he was. When I mentioned that my huiband had come in with us, the old de tainees all asked me why. He had his passport, hadn't he? Yes. Then why? The old-timers painted a dark and dreary picture for me. Something was wrong with the passport, they conjectured. Something was wrong with the records. Something was wrong with the whole thing. They knew so and so with a passport and he and his family were admitted immediately upon arrival. They knew another veteran and his family were admitted without having been detained. 1 tried not to think of these ugly things but they kept tearing at me. It got so that I even asked myself why my husband was detained. In fact, I did ask him. He had said he didn't know. The custodian who had brought us here said he didn't know either. Mindful of my anxiety, my husband had told me not to worry, that everything would be all right. "They'll have to admit you under Public Law 271," he would say when he saw worry creeping all over my face. "However, if Uncle Sam wants to house you and feed you for a year before he'd release you, that's all right with me." months." The room was warm. It was quiet after lights out. I " L o o k a t m e . I h a v e b e e n h e r e f o r t h r e e m o n t h s . " got the impression that everybody was asleep except "I came only yesterday," laughed another. myself. Each time the matron came to make the bed- "Don't you believe her. She's been here for a check, I was awake. Every time someone entered or year." left the washroom, I knew. I watched the shaft of A l l w a s c o n f u s i o n . I d i d n o t k n o w w h a t t o b e l i e v e . light that shone on the several bunks, permitted by I n o t i c e d t h a t d o u b l e - d e c k e d b u n k s w e r e l i n e d the half-open door of the washroom. The night everywhere in the room, a dismal reminder that this became an endless journey. I thought of home, of my was not a social gathering in spite of its superficial mother and my husband's mother. They had said, gaiety. Some empty bunks here and there. With some "The moment you land, wire us." Thinking this over, help from the old-timers we soon found two lower I was now self-reproachful for not having done just berths together and put our beddings down. When I t h a t — t o l e t t h e m k n o w t h a t w e h a d a r r i v e d . To o u r

64 EAST WIND mothers in China the airplane was something new, something fine and mysterious, something for some one else but not for us. They were very much con cerned about the possibility of our air-sickness. They were particularly worried about May Jean. They asked many questions about the plane. They had much admiration for it but obviously, not much con fidence in it. The morning we left the village for Canton, they made us promise them that we would sit in the middle of the plane. I thought of the many times our mothers had gone to the temples and prayed for us. They had painstakingly explained to the gods that due to the prevailing shipping strike, we were going to take a plane. They had asked for guidance, for protection, for a safe arrival. One' thing they had forgotten: To ask that we not be de tained upon arrival. My tossing continued. I guessed at the time. I stole a glance at May Jean on the next bed. She was sound asleep. I watched her for a while. There's nothing so peaceful as a child asleep, I told myself. She was breathing normally, naturally. A sleeping child is a beautiful sight! Involuntarily a fond, proud smile came to me. Enviously I wished I were a child once more. I looked toward the window and vainly wished for a gleam of dawn. The window. This reminded me of the long line of cars parked on the street below. The relative quiet of the streets was almost incredible. Canton, Hong Kong, Shanghai were not like that. Where are the people? San Francisco is supposed to be a big city. After five or five-thirty there were no more cars parked on the streets. I couldn't under stand this. So this is America. There are more cars on the streets than people! fashion, would smile and answer, "We like you too Lunch came and our names had not yet been much here to let you go out. You stay with us." And called. They call two or three names a day, someone the room would echo with laughter. Then came the told me. Today was Friday. If our names were not next name and the same, boisterous conversation called today, we would have to wait until Monday. I would take place all over again. wondered if my husband had been let out in the I did not participate actively in the fun. The morning. I wondered about the questions that the in general uproar cheered me up a bit but not enough spector was going to ask me. There had been stories to make me forget my own plight. The funsters went that they even ask you how many bricks there are in even further with their sinister humor: "It you want the wall of your house. My husband had advised me: to "Kai-fo," go get a rope and start hanging Tell them what you know. If you don't know, say you yourself." don't know. Last evening, in preparation for our hear "That's the only way to get out," put in another. ing, I had refreshed my daughter on her birthday, so No one paid any particular attention to these self- that when the inspector asked her, she would be able offered panaceas. Certainly no one took these ad t o a n s w e r h i m . vices seriously. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many I kept looking at my watch. It was now ten unwilling guests at 630 Sansome Street. minutes past two. Almost another day was gone. May Jean and I remained in our bunks most of the Tomorrow, Saturday. Then, Sunday. This waiting, this time, resting. I was thinking incoherent thoughts. anxiety was unbearable. But in the midst of this ob May Jean was forever asking childish questions, a jectionable atmosphere laughter prevailed and trait so becoming of children. served to break this endless monotony. Every time Suddenly, unexpectedly, above the pandemonium the matron came in to call someone to the office, in of the detainees, a voice called out: Wong Gim Kang variably someone would yell "Kai-fol, ' meaning "Go — Wong — I jumped out of bed. The room seemed to the city." The old-timers whose names were not to have been lit a hundred times its normal voltage. I called would complain loudly to the matron, "What's thought it might have been a dream. Unmistakably, the matter with me? Why don't you call me?" the matron's voice came again: Wong Gim Kang. The matron, who speaks some Cantonese after a I did not know how to answer her. 1 opened my

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 55 mouth but no words came out. Someone else wanted to sit on my lap but I wouldn't let her. So she answered for me, "Here she is." Timidly I moved for turned and buried her head in my bosom. ward toward the matron. "Louie May Jean?" she The inspector returned with an interpreter. The asked. latter wore a brown suit with a discharge lapel in his I pointed to my daughter beside me. button hole. I thought he was pretty big for a We followed the matron to the elevator. She Chinese. He was about twenty-six or twenty-seven. brought us to the eleventh floor, to room 1157. "Who was that man who was here before?" asked The unexpected sight of my husband in the room the inspector and the interpreter repeated it gave me some sort of relief and some degree of in Chinese. confidence returned to me. I thought that he must "My husband." have fixed up everything with the inspector. Then Then some more questions. My name. My hus after some hasty reflection I chided myself for band's name. Date and place of our marriage. Date having such a thought. He's going to be questioned and place of birth of May jean. My husband's like I am, I told myself. present nationality. May jean nestled closer to me as I sat down on a Next the inspector brought out some pictures — chair along side the long table. My husband was pictures we had sent to my husband when he was in sitting opposite me. The inspector remarked to my New York some years ago. I was surprised at them husband that he thought the little girl was scared. and I assumed that the inspector had gotten them The secretary, in a smart green dress, thought May from my husband. Several pictures were taken jean was scared too. recently in Canton, China. The inspector shoved an "Say, how old did you say she is?" asked the old picture in front of May jean and asked her to inspector, curiously, unbelievingly. identify the individuals therein. "She could be seven and she could be eight," my I coaxed her to answer, "Be a good girl and tell the husband answered. "She was born on July. . . ." man who it is." The inspector, still smiling curiously, as if S t i l l n o a n s w e r c a m e f r o m h e r. W e w a i t e d . T h e accepting a friendly challenge, got up from his chair inspector asked again. The interpreter repeated and walked around the long table to May jean. He the questions. extended his hand to the girl but she recoiled from "Tell the man who this is or we won't get out of him. My husband and I coached her not to be afraid. here," I chided her. I was finding it hard to resist the "Hello, May jean," the inspector began slowly. He irritation that her stubbornness was rapidly stirring h e l d h e r h a n d s a n d s e e m e d t o e x a m i n e t h e m t o within me. I could appreciate a little more now what determine whether or not she was really seven years my husband meant when he used to say, "Chinese old. I wondered if he could really tell by looking at a mothers don't know how to bring up children." child's hands. A thought flashed to my mind: Maybe At last reluctantly, poutingly, she mumbled, "My they will get a doctor to examine her teeth. I grandmother." envisioned days of delay, of red tape, of nonsense. " A n d w h o i s t h i s ? " My daughter is a little too big for her age, I admitted "My mother." to myself — but. . . . The inspector pointed to the baby in the picture. As the inspector bent and continued to examine "Me." my daughter's hands, I noticed his thinning brown That wasn't hard, was it? But that's our May jean. hair, with most of it around his head and very little Fortunately the inspector was through with her over it. He had a high, intelligent forehead. His now. He turned to me once more. gray suit — carelessly hung about him, his white "How many times have you been married?" shirt, and his blue tie added, I thought, a touch of I couldn't understand this question and I asked the homespun quality to his already disarming, friendly interpreter to repeat it. I heard the words but smile. A welcome ally to any stranger. I couldn't understand the meaning of such a The inspector finally let go of May jean and, cock question. ing his head, said to my husband, "Say, is she really "You have been married once, is that right?" yours?" "Yes." "My wife said she is," snapped my husband. Some more questions. How long I lived with my And we all laughed. Well, except May jean h u s b a n d b e f o r e h e r e t u r n e d t o t h e U . S . o n h i s f o r m e r and me. visit to China. What is the name of our village? The inspector led my husband out of the room. For What district? My age. My father's name. the time being the secretary. May jean, and I When it came to my father's name I balked a little. were the only ones in the room. The secretary got Father had died when I was a baby and my husband up from her desk, which formed the lower part of an did not know his full name. I was afraid the inspector L-shaped desk and table arrangement and opened the would ask my husband what my father's name was right half of a large window. She looked at May jean and he wouldn't be able to give it. I tried to circum and smiled. "Hello, May jean. I like that name. vent the question. May jean is a very nice name." "My father died a long time ago, when I was All this time May jean cuddled closer to me. She little."

56 EAST WIND "Still, he had a name," insisted the inspector, smil wondered what had happened to my husband. Is he ing. He looked like a young professor of sociology still being detained? Was he let out? Had he been arguing on a question of economics with his student. questioned by the inspector already? "But," — I groped for words. I found myself re Our roommates bombarded us with many ques peating that he had died a long time ago. But this t i o n s . O u r r e t u r n t o t h e r o o m w a s l i k e n e d t o t h e r e t u r n was not satisfactory to the inspector. of a long-lost relative, if the amount of attention given "My husband does not know his name," I finally us could be used as a yardstick. Are you getting out? admitted. What did the inspector ask you? What happened to "But I am asking you, not your husband." your husband? Did you have a lawyer? Which inter Reluctantly I told him my father's name. Next preter did you have? What room were you in? came questions on the allotment money, whether or They gathered around us. They offered advice. They not I had received any while in China. Whether made predictions. They seemed ready for farewells as or not we plan to apply for the accrued payments well as for consolations, whichever the case may be. n o w t h a t w e a r e i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . I t o l d h i m w h a t The clock ticked slowly, too slowly. Then it was I k n e w. ticking too fast. The interval between our return to "Who is this?" The inspector pushed in front of me the room and the time our name was called again a picture which we had taken in Canton, China. was half an hour. But it seemed like a lost hope, as if "This is my husband. This is me. This is the sand in the hourglass had passed and there was Mr. Eng Chong." no hope of it returning. It was a long, drawn-out The inspector made a fuss over Mr. Eng's name. He Friday afternoon. It seemed to have slipped under us kept on asking about his name. What is it in and Saturday was rapidly descending upon us before To i s h a n e s e d i a l e c t ? W h a t i s i t i n C a n t o n e s e ? H a s M r. we knew it. Time is that way sometime, like an Eng any other name? optical illusion. If you want it to move fast, it will go I could not think of any other name except his own slow; if you want it to move slow, it will go fast. Chinese name. So I insisted that he was Mr. Eng After we returned to our room after the hearing I Chong. And he was. If the inspector thought he was wanted the watch to stop altogether, so that hope somebody else, that's his business. It was only a snap would remain a little longer, so that dusk would be shot. At the time we took it, little did we think that delayed. some day it would be the subject of conjecture be "Wong Gim Kang .... Wong .... Eouie May jean tween several people in a room on the eleventh floor . . . . Louie . . . ." in a building on Sansome Street, San Francisco. It was four-fifty-five. My daughter and I were led back upstairs to the " K a i - f o , " s a i d t h e m a t r o n . C D thirteenth floor, and we reentered room 1378. I

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 57 abc: a poem in three parts to my parents: Jook sing. "Empty bamboo," my mother called me, and my face turned hot with shame. "Nothing personal." I open my mouth, unable to defend myself, wanting to say No nothing personal, something historical, to my h.k.-arrived friends that you, my parents, Empty bamboo would not pass on they call us, your people's tongue, hollow and dry. your culture's pride Like the rasping in your own children. whisper of my throat Hoping to avoid (for them) when I strain to discrimination and abuse speak with you. and Ching Chong Chinamen We break our silence, jokes (it didn't work). shyly at first, Now here we stand eyes reaching before you, a c r o s s t h e r o o m trying to understand i n a w a r m e m b r a c e . the words you spoke You find me when you did not want strange sometimes, very u s t o u n d e r s t a n d . American. So that you must speak to me in English as you would a foreigner. And I — to my fellow abc's: ashamed to cause you Empty bamboo, so much trouble, let us be embarrassed to say empty no longer. the few Chinese words L e t u s fi l l o u r s e l v e s I k n o w — with the fluttering beauty I would tell you of the butterfly harp, in my heart the gentle flow of a brush stroke we are one family. pouring out the heart. With the bitter strength of our forefathers, backs glistening with hard work, dry bones in an unmarked grave. With the pride of Wah Sun, Chinese American poet, carving words with calloused hands on the walls of the immigration prison. Let us open our minds, loosen our tongues, soothe our touchy tempers. Learn to speak the words of our parents, reach out to our brothers and sisters, that our people may come together and win happiness one day. Lydia Lowe

58 EAST WIND living in the world my mother thinks undaunted it's a Vietnamese family you reach for a talk show that lives in 2 B alone in room b u t t h e b l a c k c u r t a i n s of the same city fading to gray voices come together around a radio haven't opened once in a chain letter of call and response not even voices of ghosts when the signal fades are heard t o s t a t i c s n o w a m a n d o w n t h e h a l l the hum of a heater employed with sorrow lulls you to snoring scoops up empty time outside a n d k n o c k s o n t h e d o o r the moon fades once a week into a 7/11 with watchtower the only light on the block a magazine he says will save the world Alan Lau the manager copyright 1982 wants to give your 12 year old shooting demonstrations coos about his gun collection l i k e t h e n a m e s o f w o m e n he can fondle and touch "i usta be a salesman for remington rand it's the jews and the niggers And There Will Be Good People i c a n ' t s t a n d but orientals are good people" One gold umbrella in a crowd of black Will make a different rain. a week ago One sincere kiss on a knife-frayed back you turned down his invitation Will help sea-soothe rue's pain. to hear george Wallace records over morgen david Though night raves mad, heaven vaunts stars; Faith, though shackled, shall crack fear's bars; sprawled on a couch Hope shall shield flesh from poignancy's scars. but tonight And there will be good people. a l l i s c a l m And good people shall hold back darkness. the american Flowers of courage shall blow on a path has not locked his korean wife Scourged by trojan sands. out of the house Spat fires shall sneer winter's wicked wrath t h e s i l v e r s k e l e t o n s A n d w e l c o m e v i r t u e ' s n u m b h a n d s . of shopping carts Death, though monarch, must bow to spring's blood; drowned in the swimming pool Wisdom shall singe through hell's bitter mud; have dissapeared Fierce lips shall not drown in tyranny's flood. in the laundramat And there will be good people. n o c i r c u l a r b a l l e t o f d u s t And good people shall hold back darkness. fi n d s m u s i c And perhaps they will deliver light. b e c a u s e n o o n e f e e d s i t c o i n s Though silence blunts reason a voice will sing o r x r a m s i t s o v e r f e d m o u t h Of morning's magic indulgence. with a week of sweat and diapers When evil is kingdom one sword will swing so we talk into the night To d e f e n d d e a r D e c e m b e r ' s b l u e i n c e n s e . until the star spangled banner When dandelions snap, its roots hawk the soil; f a d e s f r o m v i e w a n d Where guns glare, entrenched, mercy shall toil; a white blip burns Love shall rage proud-fisted into hatred's embroil. the heart of the tube And there will be good people. And good people shall hold back darkness.

G.T. Wong copyright 1971

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 59 Dream of a River

I go around a sparkling river Stand by its side and look afar. The bright sunlight of California The clean sky of America. Your maple red skirt I c r a v e t o r t h e f u t u r e Waving in the breeze Beautiful imagery carved in my heart Reflecting the river With energetic liveliness Like strings of mild ripples. You swiftly dashing toward the light of the future The bygone days to us were so full of happiness A society of freedom and equality As I look back I recall the feelings of those days Is when my dream comes true How energetic and active you were in your work for In all my sweet dreams The supreme ideal is the direction I'm heading for progress And 1 will always hold this impression. You deeply care for the sorrow of the destitute The period is truly harsh and bright Truthful feelings spill from your heart We incessantly tread on the path ahead On the path to go forward Deep in the night of severe starkness I recall the wave of your red skirt With wind, rain and sorrow Happy Lim In days now Translated from Chinese by Y.M. Chan We rapidly develop our friendship You consecrated your kind truthfulness to the destitute We all feel the enjoyment as partners through struggle. You pursue the high ideal In peoples' revolution Criticize certain rotten stuff Strive for a bright future. With the humane search for perfection at heart And that unshakable strong will You tried all that you can Okayu To alleviate the oppressed at loss. In these sorrowful days When we were ill during the wintertime My eyes glitter with tears My singing filled with sympathy toward the destitute my mother would cook a large bowl of okayu people My verses will tell you that I still yearn for the sun. the soft rice Even if suddenly clouds and rain should emerge from gruel dotted with a few umeboshi plums staining the sky the white red This will not change my praise for truth c o l o r o f b l o o d o n s n o w. Even if the big earth should be covered with dust The steaming okayu tasted bland but good This will not blind me from the hope of promoting w h i l e t h e u m e b o s h i w a s s o u r brightness. terribly sour in Quietly witnessing the ever changing situation of the its dark redness west my tongue tingling and eyes squeezing shut against Facing a sparkling river the sharp taste. Deep in thoughts never subdued My desire to search for ideas often pulsates like I spit out the pit. fantasies. Goddamn, it was sour. Okayu, our chicken soup, our juk. (Note: juk is a Chinese rice porridge.)

Richard Oyama

60 EAST WIND Warrior: T h e Wo m a n F a r m Wo r k e r

T h e w o m a n f a r m w o r k e r sister wife mother, fighter H a n d s a n d f a c e b r o w n a n d f i r m — like clay hardened in the sun Red, with blood R e m e m b e r h e r a s a s o l d i e r which splattered thru the fields honor her in her fight. . . wetting the Earth The farm worker's days were long staining the grapes in fields White scorched by the heat t h e c o l o r o f t h e s t r i k e r ' s f a c e And if the dust as she paled before didn't choke her the nightmare of then the lack of water would children sprayed with mace Labor bought cheap and Racism, racism . . . the Blue tinge just part of the job o f a f a r m w o r k e r ' s s k i n as a billy club Early last decade the grapes rotted on forced t h e v i n e s a n d against his throat denied him air lettuce wilted in the fields A r r e s t e d l i k e c r i m i n a l s — Sacrificing to make the union real Threatened with death — T h e f a r m w o r k e r s w e n t o n s t r i k e . W h e n t h e t h r e a t s b e c a m e r e a l T h e w o m a n f a r m w o r k e r When strikers began to die

spent those days T h e f a r m w o r k e r w o m a n sweating while picketing Unleashed her tears . . . leafleting while N o t t e a r s o f s a d n e s s gathering support n o t t e a r s o f f e a r Working hard B U T T E A R S O F R A G E to make the union real H e r t e a r s to gain dignity in the fields were the moisture S o h e r l a b o r which solidified wouldn't be cheap her strength And her family wouldn't starve The picket sign became S H E S T O O D F I R M h e r b a c k b o n e It made her strong even when a n d e n a b l e d h e r t o t a s t e The police joined ranks sweet victory with the growers W h e n h e r u n i o n d r e a m b e c a m e r e a l and the scabs T h e w o m a n f a r m w o r k e r Moving from racist jeers sisters to physical attacks wife The cries of "Huelga!" mothers, fighters mingled with cries of pain H a n d s a n d f a c e The growers, police browned and firm a n d t h e i r s c a b s like clay Held up the American flag hardened in the sun . . . And the flag became a collage of Luna RED, WHITE AND BLUE Copyright 1979

SPRING/SUMMER 1982 61 Alan Lau is co-author of Buddha Bandits Down Highway 99 and his own book of poems, Song for Jardina. Along with Miyumi Tsutakawa, he is co-editing Turn ing Shadows into Light: Art and Culture of Asian Americans in the Early Northwest, to be published in Spring, 1982. For more To a Beloved Friend, on Parting information, please write the editors do The International Examiner, 318 6th Avenue South, No. 123, Seattle, Washing Flow lonely it is, ton 98104. The harbor lights Shimmering on the dark waters Happy Lim was a leading member of the As our boat drifts slowly away. Chinese Workers Mutual Aid Association which was active between 1937-1950. He Beloved friend, is still active in the San Francisco Chinese B e t w e e n u s l i e community and is a member of Local 2 of A million harbor lights the Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Shimmering the years Bartenders International Union. Out of sight. But the salt water sprays my cheeks Lydia Lowe is a student at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and is active in And I am brought to life. the East Coast Asian Students Union — Cherished comrade, New England. In my mind's eye The fishermen's boats dotting the harbor Luna is a "short order" poet based in the Their low, mysterious lights San Francisco Bay Area. She began recit ing her poetry at political events in 1977. Bringing glad tidings Luna describes herself as a "short order" To an angry, expectant people. poet because participating in those events We shall fight. has taken her throughout California, giving On so many fronts her the opportunity to talk [andshare) with We shall arm our people to fight. activists inspiring her to write made-to- order poems relating to their particular Beloved comrade, cherished friend. struggles. Though a million harbor lights Divide us Richard Gyama was coordinator of Base We shall be together. ment Writers Workshop, an Asian Ameri can community arts organization in New As every night in the years ahead York from 1974-1978. He was an editor of I n t h e d a r k c o v e s American Born and Foreign, an anthology O f i s l a n d a f t e r i s l a n d of Asian American poetry, published by A thousand mysterious boats land Sunbury Press, and his work has appeared in Y'Bird, Quilt, Br\6ge and other publica Bringing glad tidings tions. He is a Master's candidate in English: To an angry, expectant people. Creative Writing at San Francisco State Creating trails longer University. Than any trail has been. Clarita Roja is a former professor of litera — Clarita Roja ture in the Philippines. Currently in hiding Manila, Philippines from the Marcos dictatorship, she con t i n u e s h e r r e s i s t a n c e a c t i v i t i e s .

G.T. Wong is co-founder of Dragon Thun der Arts Forum, an Asian American multi- arts organization in New York Chinatown. He has written for UNITY newspaper and is currently working on an Asian American novel.

62 EAST WIND CHINATOWN PEOPLES Congratulations PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION SoutH9$OB J P e o p c c ' s i 27 BEACH STREET BOSTON, MA 02711 e e s r i m / s a c s East Wind Amt f AND Telephone 338-7436 Coct-ccr/ref MUCH success! Magazine SACR^MSNTO, CA Chinese People Unite I!

Asian Student Union ■JOIN THE 1982 PILGRIMAGE TO , X U . C . B e r k e l e y 4%l(3n\I \ Berkeley, Eshleman Ca. Hall 94720 tUdCnt 642-6728

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5TH ANNUAL ASIAN AMERICAN Toofttortti0 GRAND RAFFLE by F I L M F E S T I V A L J U N E 1 8 , 1 9 . 2 5 , a n d 2 6 a t imll: $5.00 (cljcck or money order, N e w Yo r k U n i v e r s i t y KINENHI: payaHe to VisoatCoaiaamKations) to C H I N E S E C A B L E T V P R O G R A M VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS M-F. 8pm, Cable Channel M Heflectitms teluteLake GRAND RAFI LE B R I D G E M A G A Z I N E : A S I A N 244 So. San l»e^o. Rut 309 AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES A 96 page book Los Angeles, CA 90012. ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE with 75 photos Be sore to tneliide your name and address. Video programs Available June, 1982 Your ticket will be sent to you. ASIAN AMERICAN VIDEO ARCHIVES tbe drawing will be beld Aug. 21, 1982. Write to: VIDEO TRAINING WORKSHOPS (Winner need not be inesent.) Bilingual production courses The Tule Lake Committee To qualify for tbe Bonus Prize, the 1 8 5 8 S u t t e r S t .

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