Newsstand: 25¢ $1.50 postpaid (U.S., Can.) / $2.30 (Japan Air) #30061 Vol. 138, No.1 ISSN: 0030-8579 National Publication of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) JAN. 16-FEB. 5, 2004 First Indian American Sworn Battle Over Affirmative Action Heats Up. in Michigan ' By Associated Press COUlt's decision last June that banning the consideration of race in as S.F. District Attorney and Pacific Citizen Staff upheld a general affirmative action and gender in public employment, By ASSOCIATED PRESS grand jury probe following a street program at the University of education and contracting. brawl over steak fajitas and an LANSING, Mich.-A battle is Michigan law school, but struck Luke Massie, national co-chair SAN FRANCISCO-Kamala alleged cover up. expected over a ballot initiative down the undergraduate school's of the pro-affilmative action group Han'is, a political novice and career Han'is, 39, won 56 percent of the asking voters whether affirmative formula of awarding points based BAMN, By Any Means Necessary, prosecutor, is now San Francisco's vote to Hallinan's 44 percent in last action should stay or go in univer­ on race. said his group filed a lawsuit chief law enforcer and Califomia's month's runoff election. She prom­ sity admissions and government Last month the Board of State against the petition. Massie said the first district attorney of Indian and ised to smooth relations with the hiring. Canvassers approved petition petition is intentionally deceptive black descent. city's police department. Supporters of the initiative say forms for the Michigan Civil and an attack on civil rights. Han'is, swom in here by Chief The district attorney comes from it's needed to eliminate preferences Rights Initiative to gather the 317, If that's not successful and the Justice Ronald M. George on Jan. 8, a diverse family of professionals. based on slGn color and dispel the 751 signatures needed for the measure makes it to the ballot, shares many of the same philoso­ Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, is phies as her defeated incumbent, Indian and a breast cancer specialist. stereotype that minorities always measure to appear on this another suit will be filed, Massie Terence Hallinan. They both have Her father, Donald Harris, is a black need a helping hand. November's ballot. They have said. pledged never to seek the death Stanford University economics pro- Opponents say without affrrma­ until July 6 to get enough signa­ "This is an absurdity. What we penalty. they favor medical marijua­ fesso~ . tive action, equal access isn't a tures. If the issue gets to the have is a teaspoon of medicine for na and would not use the state's Hallinan campaigned as "the guarantee. November ballot, voters will be a problem that is as big as the Great three-strikes law to impose a life nation's most progressive D.A.," "Racial stereotypes have existed asked whether they want to amend Lakes. We need more affirmative sentence for a nonviolent offense. while Harris focused on Hallinan's for 100 years and that's the very the state constitution to prohibit action, we need more active poli­ In a 20-minute speech to hun­ record, including one of the lowest reason you need affirmative preferences based on race, sex, eth­ cies," Massie said. dreds of supporters, Harris said she conviction 'rates in California. She action," said state Rep. Tupac A. nicity or national origin by state Republican state. Rep. Leon would be a "compassionate and criticized Hallinan's contentious Hunter, a Detroit Democrat. ''I'll universities, government and in Drolet from Macomb County's fair" prosecutor. relationship with police and repeat­ support eliminating affirmative contracting. Clinton Township, one of several "It takes much more than building edly slammed him for being soft on prisons and locking away prisoners action on the: day we eliminate The petition drive and - if state lawmakers who support the crime. racism." that's succe.ssful- the subsequent ballot initiative, said the initiative to keep our city safe," said Harris. Harris was a prosecutor in Still, violent criminals, she said, will In a recent poll, 63 percent said ballot measure are expected to isn't against affirmative action, but Alameda County for eight years. meet "the most severe conse­ they would vote to ban the use of draw rafts of opponents. Besides in favor of equality. After that, she worked in San' quences." racial preferences at universities the expected rallies and public rela­ For example, supporters aren't Francisco's city attorney's office. A former Alameda County and and other public agencies. Twenty­ tions efforts, legal challenges also opposed to looking at someone's San Francisco's district attorney San Francisco prosecutor under nine percent of the likely vot­ will be employed. socio-economic situation as a fac­ earns $158,000 a year and oversees 600 Hallinan. Harris was elected follow­ some 250 employees and a $31 mil­ ers polled said they would vote The ballot initiative is being led tor in university admissions, he ing a doomed prosecution of the lion budget. against a constitutional amend­ by the Michigan Civil Rights said. city's top police brass. The 67-year­ Hallinan said he would begin a ment prohibiting racial prefer­ Initiative, with help from the But "looking at somebody and old Hallinan took on the city's private practice .• ences; 8 percent were still undecid­ Sacramento, Calif.-based Ameri­ saying, 'Your skin tone looks right, police department in an ill-fated ed. can Civil Rights Coalition. we're going to give you special Those who want to ban racial The California group is led by preferences,'" isn't fair, Drolet Reporter. Declines to Reveal preferences in Michigan began Ward Connerly, the University of said. "We think everybody should their effort to get the issue on this California regent who successfully be treated equally under the law Sources for Wen Ho Lee Stories- fall's ballot after the U.S. Supreme pushed that state's Proposition 209 regardless of how they, look." • By ASSOCIATED PRESS eventually were dismissed and then­ President Bill Clinton apologized for MORIMEMO WASHINGTON-An Associated Lee's treatment. Governor Appoints State's First AA Judge Press reporter refused to disclose his Lee is seeking reporters' notes ana Movin.g Forward, By ASSOCIATED PRESS sources Jan. 7 despite a federal other documents to argue his case judge's order to do so fot' a lawsuit against the government. The case is Remaining Relevant MILWAUKEE-The state of against the government by Wen Ho seen as a test of a reporter's right to Wiscohsin's first Asian American Lee, a former nuclear weapons sci­ protect sources. By FLOYD MORI judge has a lot of experiences entist once suspected of spying. Last month, New York Times JACL Nat'l President under his belt, including experi­ H. Josef Hebert was deposed for 2 reporters Jeff Gerth and James Risen 112 hours by Lee's lawyers and also refused to reveal their sources. While in San Francisco recently encing racism. repeatedly was asked to disclose Reporter Robert Drogin of the Los to attend a national JACL board Glenn Yamahiro recalls going to sources for stories about Lee, Angeles Times and former CNN meeting, my wife and I ran into Wisconsin Dells with his father as according to Hebert's lawyer, Lee reporter Pierre Thomas gave deposi­ Marshall Sumida as we came out a child and watching as he was Levine. The deposition took place at tions Jan. 8. Both journalists protect­ of Soko told there were no rooms available the offices of Lee's attorneys. ed their sources, according to their Hardware in in a hotel - when there clearly Lee is suing the departments of lawyers. Japantown. were. Energy and Justice, alleging they Thomas is represented by Charles Marshall is an "I understand that sometimes provided private information on him Tobin. Drogin's lawyer is the same old friend people of ·color face additional to reporters and suggested he was a as Hebert's. whom I met challenges," Yamahiro, 43, said., suspect in an investigation into pos­ The reporters could face jail time during the Yamahiro recently became Gov. sible theft of secrets from Los .if th"ey are found in contempt of 1970s while I Jim Doyle's first appointment to Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico. court for not revealing their sources. was serving in the Milwaukee County bench, Glenn H: Yamahiro is married to All but one of 59 counts against Lee the California State Assembly. He replacing Jacqueline Schellinger. Attorney Deborah Vishny and has one child, Hana, age nine. • was and continues to be an impor­ He was sworn in Jan. 9. IDside the tant JACL leader and member in Yamahiro, a Japanese Amer~ Yamahiro has worked for San Francisco. Marshall, 82, ican, also became Wisconsin's Wisconsin Correctional Service Pacific Citizen . remains actively involved in tiy­ first AA judge, said Amanda Todd, monitoring defendants before ing to make a better world for all a spokeswoman for the state trial, worked with the mentally ill Letters to the Editor ...2 of us, young and old alike. He Supreme Court. and taught emotionally disturbed attended the last national JACL To keep the seat, Yamahiro will children for Milwaukee Public National News ....3, 6 convention in Las Vegas and has have to be elected in April. He has Schools. Community News ....5 attended many JACL conventions already drawn 'an opponent, for­ By 1999, Yamahiro was over the years. mer Circuit Judge Robert appointed as a Milwaukee court Year in Review .......7 Marshall was wearing a "Go for Crawford, who gained notoriety commissioner and presided over a Broke" cap and spoke ot his dedi­ for unusual sentencing habits, new domestic violence court that Column, C&rtoon .....8 cation to veterans' causes.