Pacific Giflzen [

îr0btatoal>ie —p.6 Pacific^k]tkxx]l F^jblcotion of 11^ JapaneseGiflzen Amertcon CtltzsTtt L [ Mineta criricizes health care for Asian Americans Nikkei iose 1st battle but Speakingb • Sub- cammittee on Health and Envi ronment, Kep. Norman Mineta June 9 stroD^y critidzed the re sponse of the federal government vowto change ‘Jap Road’ to the health care conoems of Asian Pacific Americana. JACL members Sandra Tanamachi Nakata and Betty Waki fight *Ihe Asian Padfic American community continues to mcoun- Texas townspeople who believe 'Jap' is inoffensive ... ter ignorance and outri^t ^^>osi- tion within the publichealth com The Jap Road iaaue is over, the road will By GWEN MURANAIVk "Many of us see' Jao’ for Japanew as Tex’ for munity when our health care con keep its name, said Mark Domingue, cem- Taxan. If someone found offenaein the phrase cerns are raised,* Mineta said: missioner, Jefferson County, Texas. In a Assistant editor Tex-Mex would we have'to ^han^ it also? ‘Those ottitudesare pervasive and report in''the Beaumont Enterprite, Howfarmustwe go before enough isenough? clearly represent a pattern whidi Domingue, speSkingatameeting June 18 of Speaking to Pacific Citizen, David the community will no longer tolr more than 100 local resdents, said, *When In defense of Jap Road, Denise Broussard, Baueriein, staff writer for the Beaumont erate and can no longer ignore. * ^8 meeting is over tonight the issue is dead. whose mother is Japanese American, said, His .comments came at a hear The name is not gmng to change.” But ac *Tf it was discrimination and meant to be ing to review the health status of cording to Betty Waki, president, Houston offensive, then yes, it would be bad. But it^s I going to have a meet! ngo radal andedinicminoritypopula- Chapter, JACL, the ,, m m » not It (Jap) was a bed phrase during and Wednesday (June 23), but I don’t know if any tions. fi(^t ie far from over. after the war, but th? war is formjtten and of the cotnmisaioners are even going to at Minetalevdled apedal eri tidsm we’ve beocane educated agam. It’s a good tend. The sentiment is that there is no incli- atseveralagendeewithintheUjS. “One mistake weVe made is to tell people word again, unless it’s used in a bad way.* nation>> change the road's name.” Department of Health and Hu At the meeting, different residents spoke Despite local opinion, Waki said, “We what we’re going to do. man Services: spedfically, the of how the name had historical rignifi<^ce havent given up.* Prom the beginning, she Agency for Health Care Policy They were able to pr^v> emptus,*eaidWaki. and tiiat the farmers «ho .lived on the road told chapter members that changi ng the road Research (ACHPR), the Office of wouIdcalVtiwmaelvei the *Ji^ of Jap Road.* name would take about five years, nothing Minority Health (OMH), and the Neither Sandra In a Beaumont Enterprite letter to the that has happened recently changes that Bureau of Health Care Delivery Tanamachi Nakata of\ editor. Candy Thornton Melancon writes, estimate, she added. Assistance (BHCDA). Beaumont or Waki, Among the spedfic examples both members of the dtedbvMneta: Houston Chapter, • After consulting with Asian JACL, were present at Padfic American heuth ernmiza- Vthe meeting, fearing tions, Mineta’s office could iden they would be over JAPL Texans say they gotlittle help tify only one project focusing on whelmed by protesters. ' Asian Padfic American he^th Earlier, they had called from National Director Hayashi ' funded by AHCPR during the pe^t for a meeting for June three years. That $400,000 grant 23 at the Jefferson Tbetwomembers oftbe Houston Chap get calls back.* While the foriner na to UCLA accounted for one-tenth County Courthouse, ter, JACL, who have stepped forward to tional director wouldn't say wbetlw he of one percent erf* ACHFR's total but the members of the . ebaagt tile name of Jap Road in Beau made any of tiie caDs peraonally, he in- fiinding over that time period. recently formed “Keep mont, Texss, said th^ the battle has been BStad tiiat, “Calls were plaoed mun our •The Office of Minority Health —Jap Road Committee^ WAN difficult because they have gotten littie at the Departaent of Health and informed Tanamachi support from National JACL. Waki said she tried to can Hayatiii «> Human Services was ordered by Nakata through a certified letter that they Since the fall of 1992, Sandra at leasffive separate pceaaioni and while she spoke to intermediariee, induding the Disadvantaged Minority wouldn’t be attendii^ her meeting and in 'TVnamodu Nakata and Betty Waki both Health Improvement Act of 1990 assort tiiat they have made numerous former staffer Cheryl Kanwa and vited her to their June 18 meeting instead. Jandle Sasaki, at national headquar- to establish a grants program to The chapter has since cancelled the June 23 attempte to contact fonnar national di assist public health agendes and meeting. i rector Uenms Hayashi fer help, but with tm ebc never spoke with him directly. no success. “ne^xui/BBiu/iAnuuiiavvab>aB»vjtauHe (Hayashi) could have at least private non-profitagendes in hir Waki said the next step is to let things ing bilingual health care workers. Padfic Cidzen reached Hityashi at the courtesy to call and give Sandra a simmer ^wn. She said the chapter was Health and Human Soôee in Wsidung- Jittie encouragement,* said Waki, pres- Mineta audiored that provinon of working on its options and that Efraim the Act. OBdH announced the first too, D.C. where he is now tiie director of"' dent, Houston Oiapter. They have to Martinez of the U.8. Department of Justice the agency’s Civil Rights Division, understand in San Francisco that we’re Bolidtation for ^s program eight Civil Rights Services, and the chapter days befcm Ae heaiîg—and thm Hay^ said he could n<^ comment^ baaicallyalonehere.WhenIrecnntibr areplanning to meet with small groups of lengthonWâirdTanâchiNakata’e our dutyter I siy, We’re here, weVe years after the Act was pasaed. local people. • The Bureau of Hemdi Care complaints, but he denied their gUega- ' , Delivery Assistance (BHCDA) From the local perspective, the word “Jap” tions saying, “We did call them anddiSit Sat TEXANS/pogt 6 which administers the Commu is not ^porently offensive. nity and Migrant Health Centers program has adopted polides which have the effect of locking out Asian Padfic American com munityorgamzationsfrom apply ing for funding tinder the Act. Chapter opposes Pearl Harbor Highway name .*BHCDA will not consider a In aMsy26 letter to CaHfomia Much of this was doi of Japaneee Americans.- funding^licatioofflranewdinic have occurred in Central (^for Sute Senator David Roberti, “SCR 13 is geographicallyinac- in the same geographic area as position Amdd^ Miyamoto, member, San ms, predsely along the site of ad- that served by an existing center, dressed in SCR 13.* curate, histmically deceiving and that would rename segments of Femai)do Valley Chzq)ter, JA(X, blindly ignorae tte facts of the even if the target population is Hi^wity99tiie*PsariHS^Sur- said, “8CR13 is poorly timed and different, * Mineta noted. The proposed name change events in California immediately vivors Memorial IC^way.* Ac insults the integrity of American* *However, neither will BHCDA ofJopanâncestry throughout would occur on Ifighway 99 be followi^tiie attack on Pearl Har cording to Elisa Kamimoto, re bor. SC^ 13 will do more to con take action to ensure that existing gional director, Central CaHor- CalifomiaandparticulailyinOn- tween Tulare and Fresno. centers provide eervicee to el! of Uiting the internment ofJapa- done radsn and greed and very niaDistrict,thebnipassedthrou^ tral California.* ' the populatitms within their ser neae Americans during World War little to memorialize the dedica the full Senate and now goes to the “As a result of the attack on tionofAmericancitizensinfacing vice areas,* Mineta said, ^his is PieariHari)or,Japaneee Americans n, the chapter said that azning Aassmbly Tranîortation Com theroadafterPearl Harbor would adversity (ia. 442nd, 100th and the kind of Catch-22 the Asian mittee, witii a hearing before the wrongfully suffered due to igno Padfic American community can rance, racial intolerance and greed. perpetuate negative — the MIS),* said Miyamota no longer tolerate. committee scheduled for June 28. 'Asian Padfic Americans pay taxes in this countiy just like ev- etybody else,* Min^ said. *We have ^ right to know that gov ernment programs, pardculariy those desired to reach the'most Cleveland, Ohio i Mh. ® August 19-22, 1993 vulnerableinour communities, ore reraonding to our concerns.* The hearing was held as the Subcommittee on Health and tiie Environmentprepares to reautho 1993 TRI-DISTRICt|AGt CONFERENCE rize the Community and Migrant Healtii Centers Act and the IXs- The Real World Of Americans advantagad Minority Health Im provement Act. 2—Vadllc ddu. Eildar, June 25,1993 N0.S.7U Calciicl.il *HUieie In. Join the group Chicago Saturday. July 1»-Brinjing EvytiodyaStungthTogu(hur(BEST) FrL-6um Sept 88-Sixth National JACL Singles Convention. Chicago ■iddi'^'RlmaaJ?ValL'^^ aS Su/UauSc Tâe^Cc C^SUfen, Mwriott HoIbI. 540 N. hleNgwi Ava.. Chicaoo.lLe0611.8anquetanddBnee 976t orJoeObata,------ - 40a«42-33«. Qlita- CM>.<<2fr< Qlufiouka Blvu. Gat d A* Mwt end teohras from ocfots Ihe counhy PaoeMia. 9:30 ajn. Intormation; ei& on Set. n^ ID feature UfanWim Selonley. Sept . ................................... d enwJbN.^ JACL. sponsors tf» toorti 8968261. tfyouîrish to subscribe or have moved JACL nationd presMsnt and i Adele Arakawa. Wior WBBM-TV. C^no NpW °«- aalufday-Sitnder, Ady 10-11- OUow « WMlM to Import ocfrlwn chotiB* «lm tab«l on front page) Cost;$125before July t;$145ditir July CiiyDepLofRac 1.

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