THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER of the JACL Aug
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THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF THE JACL Aug. 26-Sept. 8, 2016 Representing the senior attendees at . ~ the P.omona Assembly Center ~ ,- , • dedication l ash ASanO. I » PAGE 6 » PAGE 8 Manzanar holds its 71 st reunion in Saburo and Ann Sasaki are honored Las Vegas. by the National Park Service. #3283/VOL.163, No.4 ISSN: 0030-8579 WWW.PACIFICCITIZEN.ORG 2 Aug. 26-Sept. 8, 2016 LETTERS/SPRING CAMPAIGN PACIFIC. CITIZEN Dear Editor, HOW TO REACH US LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Email: [email protected] I felt compelled to write in response to the Online: www.pacificcitizen.org Dear Editor, two letters in the July 29-Aug 11 edition of Tel: (213) 620-1767 Somehow, the statements "Blue Lives the Pacific Citizen that were angry about the Fax: (213) 620-1768 We were appalled and angered to read in the }..htter" or "All Lives 1-iatter" have grown as National Youth/Student Council awarding Mail: 123 Ellison S. OnizukaSI., July 29 issue of the Pacific Citizen two Letters opposition chants to those working to uplift their Vision Award to the Los Angeles chapter Suite 313 Los Angeles, CA90012 to the Editor protesting the awarding of the the African-American community. Blue Lives of Black Lives 1-iatter. Vision Award by the National Youth/Student }..htter is a sentiment supported by our media, I, forone, wasveryproud of the youth notonly STAFF Council to Black Lives 1futter Los Angeles lawmakers, justice systems and pension plans Executive EditCf for having a passion forthe civil rights of other Allison Haramoto and branding Bhek Lives 1futteras promoting in a way that makes itan obvious statement. communities besides ourown, but also thewill violence against police across America. There Busin ess Manager In contrast, Black Lives 1-iatter is a mantra ingness to take a stand. The only way that our Susan Yd<: oyam a was an array of frightening, unjust and untrue that we, as thoughtful and caring community organization can remain relevant is to actually sentiments that were expressed in those letters Production Artist members, and JACL as an organization, must speak out decisively against the actions of those Mari e Sammte that needed to be responded to. As dedicated repeat because of the consistent lack of reper individuals who do not respect the civil rights Circu lat ion and proud members of JACL, the oklest and cussions for police officers who have over of every person. Eva Ting largest Asian American civil rights organiza stepped their role as keepers of the peace and tion in the United States, we are writing this sworn upholders ofthe Constitution and instead » See LETTER 2 on page 12 The Pacific Citizen newsp8.pef (ISSN 003[)'8579) is pJljished letter to speak out against this divisive and perpetuate a state of fear and violence within s em~ m mt hl y (exce j1: once in racist rhetoric by members of JACL against the black community. The shooters in both Dear Editor, Decem ber and J anu ary) by the our black brothers and sisters, and frankly, Baton Rouge and Dallas were killed and later Japanese American atizoos During the WWII incarceration, seven Issei the white supremacy and entrenched racism found to have no connections to Black Lives LeagJe. Pacific Citizen, and Nisei men who were hekl behind barbed 123 EllisonS Olizuka SI . Sui te 313 in them. }..htter. I n fact, 71 percent of the police who wire without charges or trial were shot to death Los AnQ9es. CA 9)]12 There is a huge misunderstanding of the goals have been shot and killed so far in 2016 have by Army sentries. In each homicide case, the Pe"" icdcal pJstagepaid at LA . CA sought out by BLM leaders. Phrases like "cop been shotby white men. To attributetheactions POSTMASTER: Send aOJess military police were acquitted or the cases not haters" and "criminals" are not accurate de of single gunmen who have no affiliations with ch anges to Natimal JACL. 1765 brought to trial. scriptions of either BLM activists or the many Black Lives }..htter is dangerous, incorrect and Suite"" Sl . San Frand sco. CA 94 115 One can imagine that the camp inmates at A frican-Americans who are now dead after completely undermines any progress we have JACL President: Gary Mayeda Topaz, 1-ianzanar, Tule Lake, Lordsburg and interactions with police. Black Lives 1-iatter made th us far to end violence against the bhck Interim Executive Director: furt Sill must have felt powerless in the face of Bill Yosh ino is not an anti-police organization. It does not community in this country. Black Lives 1-iatter these violent tragedies in which inquests were Interim Assistant Executive promote violence against the police. It is an is something that still needs to be enacted to not performed, open trials not held and shooters Director: Step'1ani e Nitahara anti-police brutality organization. The move make All Lives 1-iatter a true statement acq uitted and allowed to go free. RC. EDITORIAL BOARD ment has made it very clear in its actions, web Although JACL was formed in 1929 to ad To the imprisoned people, it must have felt Leooa Hiraoka. EDC; Jc:>dJ Mitai. site, protests and rallies that they are calling dress discrimination against our own com MDC; Joy Geto. ceDC; Ji m Duff. like their lives had little value in the eyes of the for an end to the injustices perpetrated by law munity of Japanese Americans, the current NCWNPO C; S'leld:xl Arakaki. U S. justice system. They must have wanted to enforcement on communities of color. mission of JACL is to safeguard the civil and PN WDC; Rh anna Tani gJdli. IDC; say to the military and civilian authorities who Miche lle Yam ash iro. PS WDC ; I n manyofthesecases, black men enter inter human rights of Asian and Pacific Islander took them from their homes and confined them, Nicole Gactle an d Keta Mizutan i. actions with police for nonserious/nonthreat Americans and all communities who are af "Our lives matter, too" - or, perhaps, in today 's yooth relX ening reasons and end up arrested, severely fected by injustice and bigotry. It has expanded parlance: ''Yellow Lives 1-iatter." SUBSCRIBE injured and, in too many cases, dead. Although its scope to fighting for the civil rights of Asian Such a view doesn't mean that "all lives" don't GEt a me-year SLbsc ri j1: ion ct the it may be illegal, changing lanes without a American and other minority communities. It n ew ~ aper matter. It doesn't mean that police or sentry Pacific Citizen at turn signal does not carry the death penalty, was one of the first organizations in 2001 to www.pe.cificcitizen.org Cf call lives don't matter. It asserts that society is not although it was enough to kill Sandra Bland protest the surveillance of Muslims after 9/11 (21 3 ) 620- 1767 upholding equal justice for all its citizens. in Texas. Selling loose cigarettes should not and has continuously fought for LGBTQ rights. I support the National Youth/Student have killed E ric Garner in New York. Slashing Have we somehow forgotten that during World ADVERTlSE Council's decision to award the Los Angeles tires should not have killed laquan 1-kDonakl War II, Japanese Americans saw themselves To adverti se in the Pacific Citizen. chapter of Black Lives }..htter and thank them call (213) 620-1767 Cf e- mail in Chicago. And carrying a plastic gun most the target of horrific racial profiling, very simi for joining in solidarity with BLM, one of the pc@ pacifi<Xit iz8ll.Cf g certainly should not have killed 12-year-okl lar to the racial profiling bhck men are facing urgent and necessary civil rights movements LEGAL Tamir Rice in Cleveland. Chiming that these today, which resulted in the unconstitutional of our time. No part ct th is PJ ljicatioo may be men, women and children could have avoided rep-cdi ced withoot the exp-ess incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans? Sincerely, their deaths by obeyin g the law su ggests that pe..-m issioo ct the Pacific Citizen. justice was appropriately served in each of Nancy Ukai, Edtorials, letters, news and the opni oos » See LETTER 1 on page 12 eXlXessed by cd umnists ether tha n these situations. Berkeley JACL the natioo al JAa.. lXesicie!lt or natioo al d rector do net necessaril y refi ect JAC L pu icy E\Ie!lts and IXcdicts advertised in the P.C. do net carry the The P.Co's mission is to "educate on the past Japanese American experience impi cit oorusemoot ct the JAG.. or th is PJ blicatioo. We reserve the ri !ilt to edt CITIZEN and preserve, promote and help the current and future AAPI communities." artid es. c02D 16 Period cals paid at Los An~es , Calif JACL MEMBER? IYl [NJ 0 $50 0 $100 0 $150 0 $200 o other_ an d maili ng cffi ce NAME: ______________________________________ 4r-ttl«t«.- ,,,"",,,,>",,JACL MEMBERS Change of Address ADDRESS: II you've mCNed, please send new CITY , STATE, ZIP: inlormaiion to: National JACL 1765 Sutter St. PHONE: San Francisco, CA94115 • (415) 921-5225 EMAIL: ______________________________________ ~ ext. 26 Allow 6 weeks lor MAIL PACIFIC CITIZEN FOR MORE INFORMATION: address changes. 123 Ellison S Onizuka St Phon e (213) 62'0-1767 avdd interruptions Suite 313, Los A ng eles , CA90012 TO: Web W'NW.pacificcitizenorg in delivery, ~ ~p:'~e:~a~":;~",oI~:i;I~ to includeY your More than ever, your tax·deductible funds will help preserve the legacy of the Pacific Citizen.