Newsstand: 25¢ $1.50 postpaid (U.S., Can.) I $2.30 (Japan Air) #29951 Vol. 137, No. 1 ISSN: 0030-8579 National Publication of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) JULY 4-17,2003 2003 JACL Nat'l Youth/Student Conference Draws Supreme Court Preserves Affirmative Large Number of First-time Participants Action in Narrow' Ruling on College ByTRACYUBA obviously for Japanese Americans day early, so they all flew out here Admissions, JACL Hails Decision to the but for everyone, is really impor­ together to St. Louis and saw the Special Pacific Citizen Staff ties." tant." sights. So all the kids know By Pacific Citizen 1DC and Associated Press Court's deciSion once again ST. LOUIS-Although turnout "The in general is very sup­ each other," said Yamazaki, who is ''The 1DC reinforces what the military, institu­ was slightly lower than in previous portive of their youth," said Maya a student at the University of WASHINGTON-In its most tions of higher education and corpo­ years, the 2003 JACL National Yamazaki, JACL national youth Washington in Seattle. ''They've significant statement aboutrace in a rate America have been living for Youth/Student been slowly building generation, a divided Supreme. decades - that diversity on cam­ Conference (NY/SC) up, and it's really nice . Court on June 23 upheld the puses and in the workplace builds drew about 100 atten­ to see that, especially University of Michigan Law strength and benefits not only the dees, including a for them to come all School's affirmative action pro­ students but also all Americans," large contingent from the way out to St. gram, which considers an appli­ said Floyd Mori, JACL national the Intermountain Louis." cant's ethnic backgroundas one fac­ president. District and many First-time partici­ tor in its admissions process. The Supreme Court voted 5-4 in first-time participants, pant Eleen Trang, 21; a But at the same time the Court the Grutter Bollinger law school to George Wash­ member of the v. also struck down the university's case and 6-3 in the undergraduate ington University Honolulu JACL, trav­ more rigid, points-based admissions case of Bollinger. In their June 20-22. eled the farthest to Gratz v. policy for its undergraduate stu­ decision the Court upheld the 1978 The 1DC drew over attend the St. Louis dents. landmark Bakke ruling that the gov­ one-third of the total conference and said In the two decisions, the Supreme ernment has a compelling state participants, with her trip was funded by Court underscored that racial quotas interest in promoting diversity in many students com­ her chapter. are unconstitutional but left room education and the workplace. ing from Utah and "This is my first for the nation's public universities The University of Michigan's law Idaho in particular, PHOTO: TRACY UBA JACL youth conven­ - and by extension other public school uses an inexact admissions according to confer� Vicky Nam, Joy Bisco, Maya Yamazaki and Josh Mizutani tion, so it's kind of and private institutions - to seek formula that gives extra considera­ ence co-organizer Spry dressed to the nines at the Vision Awards banquet. interesting. I wanted to ways to take race into account. tion to blacks, Hispanics, and appli­ Josh Mizutani Spry, see what it was like "Although we were disappointed cants from other groups the school JACL national youth council rep­ council chair. ''They throw a lot of becauseI'm on a committee work­ that the Court did not fully uphold says have historically suffered from resentative and a student at George money into the program, and so it ing on the national JACL conven­ the undergraduate admissions pro­ discrimination. Washington. shows. It shows that if you throw' tion in Honolulu next year," she . gram, this decision does reaffirm The program has produced "This is the first conference I've enough money in there and you said. that aff.... rmative action programs are minority enrollment of between 12 been to of this kind," said Nick make theeffort to reachout and find "Being from Hawaii, I get such· a valuable tool, through which edu­ percent and 20 percent over the past Ushio. 20. of Salt Lake City. the youth, they're there and they're an isolated viewpoint fromAsian cators and employers can build a "My mom was really involved willing to participate. Americans and Japanese decade. competent, diverse pool of talent," In the university's handling of its and that's how I heard about it," ''They had a big get-together bar­ Americans in particular abouttheir said John Tateishi, JACL executive undergraduates 150-point grading added Lindsay Mueller, 22, of becue, They had three pre-confer­ experiences, �nd I think by com- a director. ''The message is clear: system was used. Minority status Bountiful, Utah. "I just think what ence getting-to-know-each-other affirmative action programs pro­ the whole cause is for, civil rights, [gatherings]. They came here one See YOUTH/page 12 mote, rather than deny, opportuni- SeeAFFIRMATlVE ACTlONlpage 12 OBITUARY Clothing Retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Randy Senzaki, Former JACL Accused of Discriminating Against Minorities National Director, Passes Away By ASSOCIATED PRESS Mexican American Legal you because there's already too Former JACL National Director "I'm deeply saddened by Defense and Educational Fund, many Filipinos working here," and community leader Randy Randy's passing, as I'm sure any­ SAN FRANCISCO-Clothing one of the attorneys for the plain­ said Ocampo, 21. retailer Abercrombie Fitch tiffs. "It is difficult to understand "I was pretty appalled and for a Senzaki passed away June 13 at one who knew him is by this trag­ & the age of 60. The cause of his ic loss," said John Tateishi, JACL hires a disproportionately white why, given that their target age good amount of time I was just death is still executive director. "He was a sales force, puts minoritiesin less­ demographic is even more heavi­ real angry," Ocampo said. Johan Montoya, another plain­ being deter­ good· person with such a good visible jobs and cultivates a virtu­ ly minority than the "rest of the mined. soul, and he seemed to reflect so ally all-white image in its cata­ population." tiff, alleges a Canoga Park store Senzaki much the goodnessof [his mother] logues and elsewhere, a lawsuit The New Albany, Ohio-based refused to hire him because he is was discov­ Miyo. My prayers are with Miyo charges. company, which targets college Hispanic, even though be had ered dead in and the rest of her family." The federal lawsuit, filed June 9 students with its upscale casual retail exoerience. e s his Richmond Senzaki served the JACL from by nine Hispanic and Asian plain­ clothing, has about 600 stores and "It's o� of tho e things I never tiffs,alleges that Abercrombie dis­ about employees nation­ thought would happen to me," District apart­ 1993-95 during a difficult period 22,000 ment by the for the organization that was strug­ criminates against blacks, wide. said Montoya, a student at the building's owner on the afternoon gling with the same-sex marriage Hispanics and Asians by enforc­ Spokesman Tom Lennox said . University of California, Santa ing a nationwide corporate policy Abercrombie has not received a Barbara. of June 13. The owner had appar­ issue, a budget crisis, and its future ently been trying to contact direction. of preferring white employees for copy of the lawsuit, and declined The company has been accused Senzaki to move his car that had Senzaki enjoyed a distinguished sales positions, desirable job comment on its specifics. of racial insensitivity in the past. been blocking his vehicle. career in higher education.' In assignments arid favorable work "However, as a company that Last spring, it removed T- shirts schedules. prides itself on diversity we are from stores after Asian American 1972 he worked as a career place­ ment advisor at Cal State Los "If you lookat the material they dismayed by the lawsuit and take groups complained about depic­ put out, they are cultivating an all­ this matter very seriously," he tions of two slant-eyed men in See SENZAKUpage 11 white look," said Thomas Saenz, said. "Abercrombie & Fitch rep­ conical hats and the "slogan vice president of litigation at the resents American style. America "Wong Brothers Laundry Service is diverse and we want diversity in - Two Wo ngs Can Make it Inside the our stores." White." NATIONAL JACL Lennox 'Citizen said the company does According to the lawsuit, which Pacific GALA DINNER not discriminate and that "our pol­ is seeking class certification, the icy is to have a zero tolerance for company has a policy that· . ... September National News . 3·4 13 discrimination in hiring or requires all sales people to exhibit Wilshire Grand Hotel employment on the basis of race, look." Posters .' an all-white "A&F Youth Conference .. 5·6 Los Angeles national origin, ancestry" and and a television program in stores other characteristics protected by display models who are mostly Sports .... ..... 7 state and federal law. white, as does the company's cat­ Honoring: Anthony Ocampo, a Filipino alogue, the lawsuit alleges. The Columns, Norman Mineta American who recently graduated company also encourages recruit­ .... ...... ... from Stanford University, said he ment from overwhelmingly white Cartoon 8 Daniel Inouye applied for a job at a store in fraternities and sororities, it says. Matsui .. .. .. .. Robert Glendale When it does hire minorities, it Calendar . 10 where he'd previously Mike Honda worked. After speaking with a channels them to stock-room and . ........ manager, a salesperson told him, overnight shifts and reduces their Obituaries .