Nikkei Foundation, Organized the Since the Hawaiian the Story of Japanese Americans
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2 FEB. 20-MAR. 5, 2009 COMMENTARY /LETTERS PACIFIC E! CmZEN !fila' PAC I FI C ~.CITIZEN L~tters to the Editor· 250 E. First Street, Ste. 301, Los Angeles, CA. 90012 Guantanamo in the mail today. Thank you very much. r Tel: 213/620-1767, eqjoyed reading aU the articles. I am a senior 800/966-6157 An almost unnoticed article appeared in a citizen and I worked in Japantown before Fax: 213/620-1768 recent edition of Newsweek addressing the E-mail: [email protected] issue of where to put the Guantanamo World War II. www.pacificcitizen.org detainees once the detention center is closed. It haS been suggested that these Gitmo prison YUKI KUMAKI Executive Editor: South Holland, JII. Caroline Y. Aoyagi-Stom ers l?e placed in existing federal facilities such Assistant Editor: as Fort Leavenworth. Howling protests arose Lynda Lin Pos,ter Boy for from not only the governor of Kansas but Re: Oshogatsu Office Manager: Member$hip Recruitment from other gO,vernors fearful of having their I enjoyed the column by Margie Yamamoto Brian Tanaka in the special New Year's issue so much I I enjoyed reading the interview ofu' Brian states involved in the move. Circulation: wanted to share my experience with Japanese Eva Lau-Ting Moriguchi in the Feb. 6-20 edition of the The major argument? It would pose a dan Pacific Citizen. The courage Brian dis ger to their community. This argument sounds New Year with yOlL . ~erican Publisher: Japanese Citizens played in challenging his racist superior offi similar to those arguments presented during I am the Italian American spouse of a League (founded 1929) 1765 Sutter Street, cers and paying the price for it these many the intemment of Japanese AmericaiIs during Japanese gentleman who came to the States San Francisco, CA 94115, tel: 4151921- in 1969 to attend university and has been here years was inspiring: wwn. In early 1942, the governors and attor 5225 fax: 4151931-4671, www.jacl.org ever since. We were married in 1976 and, JACL President: Larry Oda I was proud that our then regional director. ney generals of ~veral western states vehe with the exception of New Year's 1977 Nat'! Director: Fk¥l Mori . Beth Au, supported him in eventually getting mently protested and opposed the use of their which we spent with his parents in Japan, my . Pacific Citizen Board of Directors: Margie the County Board of Supervisors to establish states to hold and detain the dislocated J As. husband has prepared osechi every year since Yamamoto, chairperson; Paul Niwa, EDC; a review board to investigate complaints such Their reasoning was the same: danger to their Usa Hanasono, MDC; Kathy Ishimoto, then. as Brian's dealing with county employees. nearby communities. CCOC; Judith Aono, NCWNPDC; Justine Moving to Ohio in 1978 made the annual Kondo, PNWDC; Jeff Itami, IDC; Ted Brian has served for , several years as The U.S. government saw no danger as preparation of osechi challenging to say the Namba, PSWOC; Naomi Oren, Youth. District Civil Rights Caucus Chair, and was perceived by the states and had not intended least. but we always managed to have the recently installed as president of our San to surround the relocation camps with barbed r----------------------------, basics and our jubako has the requisite NEWS/AD DEADLINE: FRIDAY , Femando Valley Chapter. He can surely be wire fences and watchtowers. The War assortment of delicacies. Years ago he made BEFORE DATE OF ISSUE. held up as prime reason for why JACL is still Relocation Authority eventually relented to enough food to last for three days, but now we EditOrials, news and the opinions needed, and he can serve as a serve as a -poster the governors' demands for maximum securi* expressed by columnists other than the happy to finish off all the food by the sec boy for membership recruitment. ty. are national JACL president or national ondday. director do not necessarily reflect JACL Today, the Gitmo detainees may pose a Keeping this tradition has been a joy for all policy. Events and products advertised PHIL SHIGEKUNI national security problem, however the JAs in the Pacific Citizen do not carry the of My only son, who has lived in three Civil Rights Chair from the beginning were not security risks. It us. implicit endorsement of the JACL or Coast states since leaving home, comes this publication. We reserve the right to San Fernando Valley Chapter JACL was only perceived in the eyes of West Coast East edit articles. racist elements and General DeWitt who felt h'Ome for both Christmas and the New Year's l!oliday no matter what other options he has. ----------------------------~ Re: Prop. 8 that all JAs were "disloyal" until proven oth PACIFIC CITIZEN (ISSN: 0030-8579) is Kudos to Han)' Nakata of Kingsburg for erwise. We too were the unwanted, moved I believe the children of bicultural families published semi-monthly except once in benefit greatly from these kind of traditionS his take on Prop. 8. I agree that immoral about to undesirable places and confined December and January by the Japanese and that why I am a member of the behavior should never be legalized. While on behind barbed wire fences. is American Citizens League, 250 E. Rrst the subject, what prompted the Japanese Cincinnati JACL which has broUght us many Street, Ste. 301, Los Angeles, CA. 90012 OFFICE HOURS - Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 American National Museum to host a gay ROY U. EBIHARA good friends and cultural. opportunities over p.m. Pacific Time. ©2009. "wedding"? As a past donor 1'm still shaking Topaz detainee the years. I enjoy Paf;i[Jc Citizen very much, Annual subscription rates: NON my head on that one! Oberlin, Ohio especially reading about people's. life experi- MEMBERS: 1 year-$40, payable in ences. advance. Additional foreign postage per FRED SHINODA Re:Holidaylssue year (1st class) - Canada and Mexico San Leandro, Calif. BARBARA NODA $55, Japan and overseas $60 (Subject I received the Pacific Citizen Holiday Issue to change without notice.) Postage paid Viae-mail at Los Angeles, Calif. Permission: No part of this publication COMMENTARY may be reproduced without express per mission of the publisher. Copying for other than personal or internal reference Masaoka Fellow. Realizes the Power of Politics use without the express permission of exhausted by 12-plus hours of clicking and Doris Matsui, D-Calif., as the JACL's Mike P.c. is prohibited. With Hill experience, I can claim active membership to a community clacking along the marble halls to committee Masaoka Fellow. I didn't know much about POSTMASTER: Send address changes meetings, briefings and coffee breaks - stood politics or policy, but I was eager to learn how to: Pacific Citizen, c/o JACL National of Americans devoted to effecting Headquarters, 1765 Sutter St., San change. comfortably in their flats, watching the third h:ould be a more involved citizen and a more Francisco, CA 94115. and final presidential debate. infohned Asian Pacific American. Although Democrats and Republicans hud Although my time on the Hill was not long By LESLIE K. TAMURA dled in their respective groups, all clutched enough, I discovered an incredible amount JACL MEMBERS bingo playing cards, listening for buzzwords about health care, government and the mean In one of the many local watering holes that like "change," "hope" and "country." ing of public service. Change of Address surround Capitol Hill, young professionals "Bingobama," a voice shouted as Sen. John stood shoulder-to-shoulder in their business If you have moved, please McCain, R-Ariz., said the winning phrase, suits, watching an A Government Education on , send information to: "my friends." lllinois senator and his Health Care and Policy A staffer next to me pointed to his playing National JACL colleague from Arizona Every day I attended briefings, or lectures, card and said, "Joe the Plumber should've 1765 Sutter St. go at it. about the U.S. health care system. I'd check been on here." Ties had been loos my e-mail in the office before heading off to a San Francisco, CA We shared a smile before turning our atten ened. Black, navy and briefing about tax. policy and health care. 94115 tion back to the television as McCain and then gray jackets draped These briefings were meant to educate staffers Sen. Barack Obama, D-ill., dived into a dis Allow 6 weeks tor address changes. chairs and bars tools. about relevant legislation, debates and cussion about the state of American health care Plastic identification research. To avoid interruptions in reCeiving - my legislative baby during four remarkable cards, the distinctive trademark of a govern I met with government affairs representa your p.c, please notify your pa;tmas months on Capitol Hill. ment staffer, swung from belt buckles. tives who made me more aware of the health ter to include periodicals' in your It was September when I came to Some women in their stiletto heels, looked change of address (USPS Fonn 3575) Washington, D.C. to work in the office of Rep. over the heads in the crowd, while others - . SeeTAMURAlPage 13 PACIFIC ~mzEN NATIONAL NEWS FEB. 20-MAR. 5, 2009 3 A Lasting Memorial for Merced Merced Assembly Center evacuees (left) depart the train after arriving in Granada, Colorado on Aug. 30, 1942, to begin their incarceration at the Amac~e internment camp. A bronze plaque (above) explains the former Assembly Center's history at the Merced County Fairgrounds. Now an expansive memorial is planned at the fairgrounds. Local JAs and a politician are this part of Merced history, a story that few the community, many of whom have no idea often tell her internment story to her students.