Pacific Citizen, Feb
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PACIFIC A Texas Tribute Jefferson County, Texas unveils a plaque in honor CITIZEN of the Mayumi Family. UW and UO to honor former JA students. - I 'A ( ~ E 4 The National Publication of the Japanese American Citizens League Shedding Light On Little Known Hawaii Internees' Stories After Criticism Waned, a Controversial Philadelphia Steak Shop Expands The number of JAs Former incarcerated during WWII internees Harry 'Chink's Steaks' is set to open in a new, more prominent is small compared to the Urata (right) area just in time for the start of Major League Baseball. mainland, but just as and Chojiro important to history. Kageura gather By LYNDA LIN flower petals to Assistant Editor By LYNDA LIN throw into the Assistant Editor site of the WWII "Chink's Steaks" is growing. camp during a Four years after Asian PacifIc Shozo Takahashi started writing pilgrimage. American groups launched a cam his autobiography in the 1990s paign to urge the owner of the before his memory began to fade. PHOlO: JCCH Philadelphia steak shop to change In his life story, the Kibei Nisei its racist name, "Chink's" is still included his experiences returning means "peace child." shaped him. It's a part of who he "Chink's." The only difference is to his native Hawaii to be interned In early March, his ''peace child" is." that now another "Chink's Steaks" during World War II. was able to walk in his footsteps at Takahashi is one of about 1,400 is opening a new location later this In 1943, Takahashi spent over a the fIrst ever pilgrimage to Japanese Americans living in month. year behind barbwire at the Honouliuli, one of Hawaii's intern Hawaii during WWII to be interned Everything from the original Honouliuli internment camp in rnentcamps. in temp~rary camps scattered Wissinoming eatery will be avail- The original eatery sparked a name Central Oahu. He missed the birth ''I am so glad I was given the across the , islands including able at the new take-out only loca- change campaign in 2004. of his first daughter, Judy, because opportunity to do that," said Karen Honouliuli, Kauai's Kalaheo tion at 901 S. Columbus of his incarceration. After his Murashige, about the March 2 event. Stockade, Maui's Haiku Camp, Boulevard just in time for the fust pitch of the Philadelphia Phillies' season release at war's end, Takahashi "'This is part of history. This is what Oahu's Sand Island and Kilauea opener, gave his second daughter, Karen, my father went through. It's a part of Military Camp on the Big Island. APA groups are not amused, the Japanese name Kazuko, which my father's life, which I believe See HONOULIULVPage 12 "It's like giving Asian Americans the fInger," said Hiro Nishikawa, a Greater Philadelphia resident and former JACL EDC district governor. "It Governor Who Opposed Detention /~~ makes me sick." ~.~ In 2004 local APA and civil rights groups including the JACL, the of JAS During World War II Honored , Organizations of Chinese See 'CHINK'S STEAK'lPage 13 A Miraculous By ASSOCIATED PRESS Carr, who Moral Campaign was ColQrado's 'A Full-on CRAASH at Hunter College DENVER-Motorists who ven governor when Floyd Shimomura was a ture along the main north-south Japan attacked recent law school grad CRAASH (Coalition for highway that bisects the San Luis Pearl Harbor in when he stepped into a the Revitalization of Asian Valley soon will have a new travel 1941, warned pivotal leadership role. American Studies at ing companion: former Colorado others not to Hunter) - their message is Gov. Ralph Carr. trample on the By CRAIG 1800 in their acronym. That's because the Colorado rights of PSW Regional Director Legislature approved a resolution GOV. CARR American-born The event was the 1978 JACL By CAROLINE AOYAGI-STOM March 14 naming U.S. 285 from citizens simply Convention in, Salt Lake City, Executive Editor Denver to the New Mexico state line because of their ethnicity. Utah. The national council had the "Ralph Carr Memorial As a result, the Southern Colorado CRAASH members talk strategy. just directed the organization to Olivia Lin, 20, is solidly ground Highway." native killed his own political career start a legislative campaign asking ed in her Chinese American identity. when he took the unpopular position Vincent Chin, the waves of AAs for an aIX>logy from the U.S. gov After all, she was born in New in 1942 against putting Japanese arriving in the United States, and the ernment and $25,000 in repara York's Chinatown to irnrnigranfpar Americans in internment camps history of the Japanese American tions for Japanese Americans who ents from Hong Kong and immersed such as Camp Amache in World War II internment. had been interned during World in the Chinese culture. Yet it wasn't Southeastern Colorado. What she learned inspired her to War II. until her freshman year of college The Republican governor did so at delve deeper into the issues, after all It was at this very convention that she had her Asian American a time when other governors were identity "aha!" moment. _ this was a part of her' own personal See RALPH CARRlPage 7 See SHIMOMURAlPage 11 Back in 2006, Lin enrolled in her history. So ' Lin, a media studies fIrst Asian American Studies major, made up her mind to minor in Program (AASP) course at City AASP. But she soon learned she was 16 WEEKS University of New York's (CUNY) out of luck: the minor had been July 16-20 Hunter College. It was the first time froZen due to a lack of interest and Coverage see Page 7 she heard about the brutal murder of See CRAASHlPage 13 Cookie Killer Letters ........................ 2 Dice-K Heads Home National ..................... .3-5 Derek Shimada's new After the birth of his son, Community .......... ; ....... 6-7 documentary dissects Dic.e-K heads to Japan to Calendar .................... .14 the fortune cookie. open the season. Obits ........................ 15 ENTERTAINM~~NT PAGE 9 SI'ORTS I' AG~ ~ 10 2 MAR. 21-APR. 3, 2008 COMMENTARY/LElTERS PACIFIC ill cmZEN ~.PACIFIC 1IIiE.... CITIZEN Letters to the Editor 250 E. First Street, Ste. 301, Los Angeles, CA. 90012 Tel: 213/620-1767, Strategies to Help JACL's The 442nd/100th 8001966-6157 DeClining Membership Made Redress Possible Fax: 213/620-1768 E-mail: [email protected] The excellent article by Lynda Lin concerning the JACL member Has the JACL membership and public at large forgotten the sacri www.pacificcitizen.org ship decline (Pacific Citizen, Feb. 15-Mar. 6) has been known for a fices made by a certain group of individuals that actually made Executive Editor: while, yet not much was done about it by the leadership. Redress possible? Caroline Y. Aoyagi-Stom The JACL saw fit to honor the so-ciUled "No-No Boys" in a public The boast that JACL is the oldest and largest Asian American Assistant Editor: forum in San Francisco several years ago. I don't recall the JACL rec organization may not last long. It will still be the oldest at 79 but may Lynda Lin ognizing the brave men and women who, despite adverse opposition not stay the largest Will the projected losses mean becoming a "paper Office Manager: and threats from their fellow men in the concentration camps, volun Brian Tanaka organization?" In view of this the new vice president of membership Circulation: Eva Lau-Ting teered to join the Anny from those concentration camps. The mem will have to fast start from the "git go." bers of the lOOthl442nd RCf deserve a special recognition for their Publisher: Japanese American What .thust be done? First meet and plan with the newly hired perfonnance. These men are now in their 80s and 90s and unfortu Citizens League (founded 1929) 1765 membership coordinator. Contact the frontline trenches where the nately many, many veterans have passed on without recognition due Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA rank-and-file chapter membership chairs are -.-:. I mean all 113 chap 94115, tel: 4151921-5225 fax: 4151931- to them. 4671, www.jacl.org ters. Take names and e-mail addresses and also that of the chapter Redress was made possible because of these men, who despite their JACL President: Larry Oda presidents and district governors. Communicate and coordinate. Get being deprived of their civil rights and being placed in "camps" vol Nat'l Director: FIayd Mori to know them. Find out their state of the membership and do some unteered to serve in the Anny and distinguished themselves. This Pacific Citizen Board of Directors: thing about it Set quotas. made the American public realize the injustice perpetuated against its Gil Asakawa, chairperson; Margie In.the last three conventions I attended, I conducted an informal own citizens. Yamamoto, EDC; Lisa Hanasono, membership survey. I found some chapters did not have a member MDC; Kathy Ishimoto, CCDC; Judith LEO H. HOSODA Aono, NCWNPDC; Justine Kondo, ship chair, one in name only or the president doubling up on the WWII and Korean War Veteran PNWDC; Jeff Itami, IDC; Ted Namba, office. Perhaps one of the reasons for this condition is due to lack of Roseville, CA PSWDC; Naomi Oren, Youth. a mentor. r----------------------------, There is also definitely a netd to secure more membership fringe Vietnam was an Illegal War NEWS/AD DEADLINE: FRIDAY benefits. The number one is medic3J. insurance. BEFORE DATE OF ISSUE. , I was bemused by the Socratic exercise in Milo Yoshino's essay "Is Editorials, news and the opinions It may not be the solution ~ut it's ~ start.