Pacific Citizen

Co Since 1929 France honors JA vets with Knight of ITIZEN Legion of Honor The National Publication of the Japanese American Citizens League Buddhist Temple Remains Heart of Community Through peace, war and redevelopment, Nishi Hongwanji has sur mounted all obstacles, but now faces challenge of attracting younger members. By LYNDA LIN Assistant Editor Hawaii's Waimea Bay. LITTLE TOKYO-Reverend TV Networks' Current Fascination Fumiaki Usuki starts his Sunday morning sermon with a simple With Hawaii Often Doesn't question, "It's June 27th, do you· Translate Into More Roles for APAs notice anything different?" There is a pregnant pause until he jokes that By CAROLINE AOYAGI "North Shore" which. recently he's tired too because it's still really Executive Editor began airing. The show is set at a early in the morning. "Do you five-star Hawaiian resort and fol No one can blame the big televi lows the intrigues and romances of notice any changes?" he asks again and then volunteers his own answer: sion networks for their love affair the hotel's employees and its guests. with the beautiful islands of Hawaii, "North Shore" has only one part· inside the walls of Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple nothing may but as several new shows are set to Hawaiian actor in its cast, Jason change, but the world outside is con launch or are already on air, the lack Momoa of "Baywatch Hawaii," and stantly in flux. of Asian Pacific Americans in the the two leads are played by Brooke shows' casts have many APAs won Burns ("Baywatch") and Kristoffer His words are met with a handful dering: what Hawaii i this? Polaha ("Birds of Prey"). of acknowledging nods from his In a state where Asian Pacific Interestingly, Polaha's character is congregation, a sampling of individ uals, young and old with different For Whom the Bell Tolls: Reverend Fumiaki Usuki calls Islander Americans make up more suppose to be a "Hawaiian native." backgrounds, but who all gather at Buddhism a way of life. Here, he stands on the historic temple's than 80 percent of the population "It feels like someone is saying, bell tower, overlooking Los Angeles' Little Tokyo. and whites are considered the 'Asians are not as interesting to the oldest Buddhist temple in Little Tokyo to sing, chant and celebrate in minority, a look at the new line-up watch as white people, so we're changes. When fedora hats gave the entrance to Little Tokyo stretch an enduring tradition. of shows for FOX, the WB network, going to pretend there aren't any in way to bell-bottom pants and poly ing its cultural roots deeper through Indeed, the world outside has and NBC show no APIA lead actors Hawaii,'" said Vic Chao ("Pearl ester suits were retired in favor of out the city and whispering histori changed dramatically since Nishi and only one or two APIAs in sup Harbor"), an actor based in Los aerobic-chic tights and leg-warmers, cal secrets to all who will listen. Hongwanji first embedded its roots porting roles. Angeles, after watching a recent Nishi Hongwanji never went out of But for a temple that waited and into the local Japanese American ''I'm really appalled;' said New episode of "North Shore." "I can't style. persevered even when its members community in 1925. Through the York based actor Triple Edwards, imagine setting a show in say, El The temple did, however, shed its were relocated to internment camps, turbulent internment era and the who has been working in the indus Paso or Harlem and not casting peO: skin once in 1969 moving from its Nishi Hongwanji faces new and post-war revitalization of Little try for 10 years now. "In a state ple of color." original location to its present-day possibly more daunting challenges Tokyo, the temple has bore witness where 80 percent of people are Other shows scheduled to be address at 815 East First Street today on the cusp of its l00th birth- to many social and political APA, they still don't use us. These . released this fall or early next year where it sits ornately and serenely at See TEMPLE/page 12 shows fail because they lack authen are: "Rocky Point" from the WB ticity." channel and "Hawaii" from NBC. "It's a form of apartheid to contin "Rocky Point" is set in Hawaii's Muslim Chaplain Makes First Public Appearance Since Exoneration ually sh~w the 30 percent that live in North Shore and is a coming of age By MADISON J. GRAY James Yee, originally from Yee was then found guilty of the the 50th state (whites) and ignore story about 19-year-old Cassie Associated Press Writer Springfield, N.J., was arrested last non-criminal Army charges of adul the majority," said Columnist .Guy Flynn who heads home to her birth year in a probe of suspected espi tery and downloading pornography. Aoki. "To ignore us is to deny any place only to be confronted by her NEW yoR1<:.-In the first public onage at the U.S. military's deten The reprimand he received was positive contributions we make to estranged father played by Billy appearance since his exoneration, a tion facility at Guantanamo Bay, thrown out by an Army general a society." Campbell ("Once and Again"). No Muslim Army chaplain who had Cuba. He was imprisoned for 76 month later. The alarming lack of APA actors word yet on supporting cast mem- been suspected of espionage days before all charges against him Yee's case has garnered nation is illustrated in FOX's new show See NETWORK TV/page 6 thanked supporters of civil liberties. were dropped. wide support, particularly among He appeared June 25 at a the Asian American and Muslim Chinatown benefit to raise money American communities. JACL Launches for his legal bills, although a gag "James Yee would not have been Midyear Campaign order limited his ability to talk about targeted if it were not for this height the case. ened hysteria against Muslims," said By JOHN TATEIsm "I'm not here tonight to talk about Wayne Lum, an · AA community JACL Executive Director my case, but to thank those who activist. stand in support of civil liberties," Queens City Councilman John As you read this issue of the Vee said. "I thank everyone for their Liu called Vee's case "another chap Pacific Citizen, you'll see that we've patience, and God willing, they'll be ter in the long history of persecution embarked able to hear my story." of Asian Americans." once again on Vee, 35, ministered to prisoners at Several members of Congress, our annual Guantanamo Bay, where the mili including Democratic Sens. Carl Mid-Year tary is holding suspected Muslim Levin of Michigan and Edward . Fund Raising terrorists. He was arrested in Kennedy of Massach\lsetts, have Campaign. September carrying what authorities called on the Pentagon to investigate I've some said were classified documents. the Army's treatment ofYee. times been In March, Army officials dis After he was exonerated, Vee asked why we missed all criminal charges against returned to his home base of Fort began a mid-year campaign and him, saying national security con Lewis, Wash., and resumed his how important is it in the overall cerns prevented them from seeking duties as chaplain.• See TATEISHllpage 2. a court-martial in open court. _ .' 2 LEITERS· PACIFIC CITIZEN, JULY 2-15, 2004 TATEISHI summer months, we're generally at a keep the campaign going, we could -goes to a good cause in helping this trickle, which of course affects our put out the call to our membership organization doing the great job it PACIFIC CITIZEN (Continued from page 1) cash flow. and we could always depend on sup always has done. 7 Cupania Circle, the overall budget. For decades, we So we began the mid-year cam port. A fact: whether we raise $35,000 Monterey Park, CA 91755 paign to bolster our finances, and it's I could write volumes about that or $100,000 in our direct mail Tel: 323f725-0083, 800/966- did a year-end direct mail fund rais now become a regular part of our 6157, Fax: 323f725-0064 er, but because of increased costs in and about how so many of you car efforts, it's generally the same group E-mail: [email protected] running the day-to-day operations of budget. The mid-year campaign is ried the redress campaign for the of people who contribute, some [email protected] the organization, and without the especially critical because it helps entire Japanese Americail communi times reaching deeper into their reserves we could always fall back offset the trickle in membership rev ty. But that's for another time. pockets to help out. So beginning Executive Editor: on in the past, we began the mid-year enues. It helps enormously to add to For now, we're asking all of you this year, we're asking everyone to Caroline Y. Aoyagi the badly needed flow. Assistant Editor: campaign to get us through the year. to contribute what you can to this take part in this campaign by con Lynda Lin As I've noted previously here, our . When the call goes out to JACL critical fund raiser, whether it's $25 tributing whatever you can. Office Manager: prinlary source of funding comes members, we've always found our or $100 or more. Anything you can Thanks in advance for your con Brian Tanaka from membership revenues.

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