~PACIFIC Voting Power Asian Pacific Americans ~ ~CITIZ EN make a significant impact in the 2008 elections. JACL challenges U.S. detentions. - p.\(;E 3 Equality. Lost: Same-sex Marriage is ~ Civil ·Rights Issue of the 21 st Century The elections are over, but workers return to their nonnallives, Tun for many couples the battle and Larry need to fight on towards an JACL to Continue to Press has just begun. uncertain future. To illustrate their cause, Aaron's color­ for Marriage Equality By LYNDA LIN ful crayon artwork urging people to vote Following passage of Proposition 8 in Assistant Editor "no" on Proposition 8 still hangs in the California, the JACL has joined with other civil front window of their home. rights groups to subrnit an amicus brief in sup­ It's been a painful few weeks for For them and many other same-sex port of the Petition for Writ Mandate in the case Tim Ky and his husband Larry couples, Nov. 4 marked both a major of Strauss, et al v. Horton, et al. Riesenbach. After California voters milestone in the fight for equality with the The Writ requests that the Calif. Supreme reinstated the ban on same-sex mar­ election of the nation's first African Court issue an order invalidating Proposition 8 in riages, their six-year-old son Aaron American president and a major setback its entirety. asked, "Will you pretend you're not with the passage of Proposition 8 in As an amici, JACL supports the petitioners' gay?" California and similar constitutional bans claim that no Californian should be denied equal "No," Tun responded. ''We need in Arizona arid Florida. protection. to live proudly." "It was such a bittersweet moment," "The JACL supports the invalidation of And so the small family from said Tun, who is first generation Chinese Proposition 8 because it effectively eliminates South Pasadena is maintaining a PHOTO: P. c. STAFF American. After over 11 years of dating the protections of the state's Equal Protection brave front despite their heartbreak. JUST THE THREE OF US: After the elections, Tim Ky and domestic partnership, Tun and Larry Clause for same-sex couples with regards to their Because long after the new U.S. (left) anq L.my Riesenbach (right) told their son legally married June 17 in a small West president takes office and campaign Aaron , 6, to continue living proudly. See SAME-SEX MARRIAGE/Page 6 See MARRIAGE EaUALITYlPage 6 ALove 01 Science Breeds a Lile 01 Humanity Philly's Chinatown Who Killed Florida's Amendment 1? Fights On To Stop Dr. Gordon Sato DECLARATION OF RIGHTS with some of the Casino Development ic rights.--All natural Eritreans he has helped through By MIYU KATAOKA Reporter ar ~ the right to e n joy and his Manzanar Project. ·41ness, to be rewar d ed for Many of the marchers held signs prot ect His next project is that read, "No Casino in Chinatown" in Mauritania. and "No Casino." Another sign read, "Foxwoods says: 'You call it an KAMIYA FAMILY PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MORIKAMI MUSEUM AND JAPANESE GARDENS Dr. Gordon Sato has invented a pioneering cancer drug, addiction. I call it a customer base. ,,, Despite the efforts by several The Kamiyas, of the Yamato Colony, are a part of Florida's APA legacy. but much of his life has been dedicated to helping the peo­ organizations to prevent a slots par­ ple of Africa through his Manzanar Project. lor from being built just blocks away In the Sunshine State, the motto 'we'll get them next time' By CAROLINE AOYAGI-STOM from Chinatown, a Philadelphia City may not be good enough. Executive Editor Council committee recently voted unanimously in favor of a zoning By LYNDA LIN Ever since he was a child, Dr. Gordon Sato has loved science. He's always change. Assistant Editor believed that science could be.used to help people all over the world. The five-hour hearing ended in It's a belief he carried with him to outcries by community residents In an election for change, old racism has stayed the same in Florida with the Manzanar Intemment Camp, a who oppose Foxwoods Casino from the defeat of a ballot initiative .!hat would have ended a legacy of anti-Asian desolate area near California's Death building the casino in their commu­ sentiment. Valley where he spent two of his nity. "It would have been an ideal time to close this dark chapter in the nation's teenage years. "We definitely did not get a fair history," said Dennis Murasaki, a longtime Miami resident and JACL mem­ At the age of.80 today, Sato is a process," Helen Gym, a board mem­ ber. "But it didn't happen." world-renowned cellular biologist, an ber of Asian Americans United, said. If passed, Amendment 1 would have removed a 1926 provision from the inventor of the cancer drug Erbitux. ''There was no acknowledgement of state's constitution barring Asian immigrants who were op.ce labeled as He's also single-handedly helping the Chinatown's opposition to the casi­ "aliens ineligible from citizenship" from owning land. impoverished African peoples of no." Instead, voters at the Nov. 4 general elections reaffinned Florida's status as Eritrea and Mauritania through his Before the hearing; about 600 the only state in the nation with a racially discriminatory law of a bygone era aptly named Manzanar Project. people, many of them children, still on.. the books. Amendment 1 failed with 52 percent voting "no" and 48 See MANZANAR PROJECTlPage 12 See CASINOlPage 10 See AMENDMENT 1IPage 11 Q&A Tule lake Bill JACL urges support of an Community................. 5, 11, 13 Oscar nominated film­ omnibus bill that would Voices .................................... 8 maker Renee Tajima­ authorize a Tule Lake study. Calendar ........... .... ....... 14 Pena talks family and film. Obits .. ..... ... ............... 15 ENTEIlTAlN;\U:NT P\GE ') NATION<l.L P.\GE 4 2 NOV. 21-DEC. 18, 2008 COMMENTARY/LmERS PACIFIC ~ CrTlZEN COMMENTARY =",IIiiPACIFIC ~"CITIZEN JACL Investments Decline Inline with Market 250 E. First Street, Ste. 301, By JOSH SPRY ures. budgets for the fiscal year '09 and '10 based Los Angeles, CA. 90012 Nat') JACL Sec.trreasurer The investments held in the JACL portfolio on this review. There are programs that are Tel: 213/620-1767, are based on principals of conservative market dependent on investment income and unless 800/966-6157 Recent world economic conditions have return detennined by our Investment Policy, 'we can find alternative funding sources, these Fax: 213/620-1768 sent uncertainty and volatility into the invest­ which is overseen by the Investment Policy may be at risk. E-mail: [email protected] ment markets. According to the Yahoo! Committee and ultimately the national board. These are extraordinary times, where insti­ www.pacificcitizen.org Finance, the Dow Jones Our professional money manager has been tutions are closing because of crises of their Executive Editor: Industrial Average, a directed to invest the organization's funds in a own making. One of the world's oldest invest­ Caroline Y. Aoyagi-Stom measure of the value of tnanner that provides a consistent level of ment banks, Lehman Brothers, closed because Assistant Editor: 30 large American com­ inflation-protected income over the long-term. their investments were too speculative, and Lynda Lin panies, has declined As such, the portfolio consists of cash, equi­ large retailers are in great difficulty because Web Reporter: approximately 30 per­ ties, and fixed income in the amounts of 26 their business models were based on unending Miyu Kataoka Office Manager: cent since the end of percent, 43 percent, and 31 percent respective­ growth. Brian Tanaka • 2007. ly. JACL learned from our '2000-2002 expe­ Circulation: Eva Lau-Ting From Dec. 31, 2007, "At this time, it is the recommendation of rience with a declining market and devel­ the Dow has ,dropped the Investment Policy Committee to continue oped a policy that would protect our invest­ Publisher: Japanese American Citizens League (founded 1929) 1765 Sutter Street, from 13,264 to 9,336 as of Oct. 31, represent­ to inyest conservatively and prudently in the ments in market conditions such as the San Francisco, CA 94115, tel: 4151921- ing an approximately 30 percent decline. The market under the long-term guidelines' estab­ world is experiencing now. We acknowl­ 5225 fax: 4151931-4671, www.jacl.org decline in value of financial investments is lished in the Investment Policy," said Jeffrey edge that our investments are not for imme­ JACL President: Larry Oda impacting not only corporate America, but Hattori, chair of the IPc. ''The JACL is fortu­ diate use, but for long-term stability. The Nat'l Director: ~d Mori nonprofit organizations with money invested nate to have !PC members who are well decline in the market demands our attention Pacific Citizen Board of Directors: Margie in the market, including the JACL. versed in the market and are dedicated to pro­ but is not cause for alarm. Members can be Yamamoto, chairperson; Vacant, EDC; Lisa Market declines discussed in most head­ tecting our investments during these turbulent assured that JACL's investments are in safe Hanasono, MDC; Kathy Ishimoto, CCDC; lines, describe stock indices, such as the Dow. times." Judith Aono, NCWNPDC; Justine Kondo, hands .• PNWDC; Jeff Itami, IOC; Ted Namba, The JACL's portfolio includes stocks, but also , Going forward the !PC and national board PSWDC; Naomi Oren, Youth. includes cash and bonds, which are generally are closely watching our investments and The JACL Investment Committee mem­ r----------------------------, less volatile than equities. As such, the JACL's overall [mancial position as there are immedi­ bers include: Jeffrey Hattori, chair; Doug NEWSfAD DEADLINE: FRIDAY investments have not declined as much as , ate consequences for our operating budgets for Urata, secretary; Richard Yada; James BEFORE DATE OF ISSUE.