THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF THE JACL July 26-Aug. 15, 2019 Sakura Kokumai was recently awarded the 2019 Female » PAGE 6 Athlete of the Year award from the U.S.A. National Karate-do Federation. AIMING FOR GOLD » PAGE 5 U.S. karate hopeful ‘The Poston Sakura Kokumai Experience’ Special Program to be held has her sights set in Anaheim, Calif. on Tokyo 2020. » PAGE 9 Kakehashi Alum Creates New Clothing Line, Akashi-Kama Celebrating 90 Years PHOTO: MEG AGHAMYAN WWW.PACIFICCITIZEN.ORG #3347 / VOL. 169, No. 2 ISSN: 0030-8579 2 July 26-Aug. 15, 2019 LETTERS/NATIONAL/COMMUNITY HOW TO REACH US LETTERS TO THE EDITOR JACL WELCOMES NEW Email: [email protected] Online: www.pacificcitizen.org Tel: (213) 620-1767 Dear Editor, DANIEL K. INOUYE FELLOW Mail: 123 Ellison S. Onizuka St., Suite 313 Los Angeles, CA 90012 I and my family spent over three years in Tule Lake WASHINGTON, D.C. — A longtime JACL mem- STAFF from its days as a relocation center then as a segregation JACL welcomes new Daniel ber, Weisbly also served Executive Editor center. When the U.S. Army administered the question- K. Inouye fellow Matthew as the Youth Representati- Allison Haramoto naire to determine loyalty, my parents chose not to re- Weisbly to the Washington, ve for the Arizona chapter Senior Editor Digital & Social Media spond to controversial questions 27 and 28. D.C., office. and the inaugural Ted T. George Johnston My father said that responding “Yes” to question 28 Coming from Phoenix Namba fellow for the Pacific Business Manager would result in losing his Japanese citizenship. Since at via Los Angeles, Weisb- Southwest district. Susan Yokoyama the time there were laws that forbid alien Japanese from ly recently completed his After the completion of Production Artist becoming American citizens, he would become a man undergraduate studies at his new fellowship position, Marie Samonte without a country. the University of Southern Weisbly wants to return to Circulation I was too young to answer the questionnaire, which California with a degree in school to get his PhD in Eva Ting the Supreme Court declared after World War II that the History. history. The Pacific Citizen newspaper U.S. Army had no authority to administer the question- His senior thesis Welcome Matthew! (ISSN: 0030-8579) is published semi-monthly (except once in naire. In reality, there is no way to accurately determine explored numerical data sei soldiers with the 442nd December and January) by the loyalty by means of a questionnaire. and oral histories of Ni- Regimental Combat Team. — JACL National Japanese American Citizens After WWII when a law was passed to make it League, Pacific Citizen, 123 Ellison S. Onizuka St., Suite 313 possible for Japanese aliens to become citizens, my Los Angeles, CA 90012 father was the first one in Stockton to apply for and be P.C.’s George Johnston Wins Prize Periodical postage paid at L.A., CA granted citizenship of the United States of America. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to National JACL, 1765 One other thing I wish to mention is that Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94115 it takes courage to deviate from the majority. I From L.A. Press Club JACL President: Jeffrey Moy believe ma ny who responded “No -No” had the cou rage to he Los Angeles Press and poignant. That combi- Executive Director: David Inoue do so. Club awarded the nation makes for a power- P.C. EDITORIAL BOARD Sincerely, Pacific Citizen’s ful human interest perso- Rob Buscher, chairperson; Ron Terry Ishihara TGeorge Toshio Johnston a nality profile. It represents Kuramoto, MDC; Marcia Chung, first-place trophy at its 61st thorough journalism.” CCDC; Nancy Ukai, NCWNPDC; SoCal Journalism Awards The story can be viewed Sheldon Arakaki, PNWDC; Kayla Dear Editor, Watanabe, IDC; John Saito Jr., on June 29 in Los Angeles. at https://bit.ly/2FKbzrc. PSWDC; Juli Yoshinaga, Youth Rep. The award was in the “The P.C. is thrilled This afternoon (July 22), it finally occurred to me that SUBSCRIBE category Personality Pro- to have George formally World War II has not ended with this small portion of Get a one-year subscription of the the Nikkei Nation. They are still fighting against the file for newspapers under recognized for his story. Pacific Citizen newspaper at: National JACL’s wartime policy and recommended pro- circulation of 50,000 and He thought of the story www.pacificcitizen.org or call cedures of the Salt Lake City (December 1942) meeting, was for a November 2018 concept for our Veteran’s (213) 620-1767 which proved enlightened and successful. Pacific Citizen story titled Special Issue, and the end ADVERTISE The Nikkei Nation of WWII (incarcerees and Nisei “Still Hovering: Ex-Door product resulted in a featu- The P.C.’s George To advertise in the Pacific Citizen, Gunner’s Vietnam Memo- re that truly resonated with Johnston holds his call (213) 620-1767 or e-mail: veterans) is highly respected and admired by the press, [email protected] government officials, knowledgeable historians and ries Never Far Away,” about our readers and garnered L.A. Press Club Army veteran John Masaki, much word of mouth,” said award for his featured LEGAL others. No part of this publication may be Regardless of the decision by the JACL National who served in Vietnam circa P.C. Executive Editor Al- November 2018 story. reproduced without the express Council in Salt Lake City at this year’s National Con- 1968 as a crew chief and lison Haramoto. “George permission of the Pacific Citizen. vention (July 31-Aug. 4), this issue will remain. door-gunner in a helicopter was able to bring to light Editorials, letters, news and the ber 2017 at the 10th National opinions expressed by columnists A “no win” situation. gunship. John’s heroism in serving Arts & Entertainment Jour- other than the national JACL Onward! Regarding the category- his country during the war.” nalism Awards, he won in president or national director do Mas Hashimoto, topping article, the jud- The first-place journalism not necessarily reflect JACL policy. Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL ges’ comment read: “The prize is Johnston’s second » See CLUB on Events and products advertised in piece is personal, factual from the LAPC. In Decem- the P.C. do not carry the implicit page 4 endorsement of the JACL or this publication. We reserve the right to edit articles. © 2019 Periodicals paid at Los Angeles, Calif. and mailing office. JACL MEMBERS Change of Address If you’ve moved, please send new information to: National JACL 1765 Sutter St. San Francisco, CA 94115 (415) 921-5225 ext. 26 Allow 6 weeks for address changes. To avoid interruptions in delivery, please notify your postmaster to include periodicals in your change of address (USPS Form 3575) COMMENTARY July 26-Aug. 15, 2019 3 A MOTHER’S TAKE PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MARSHA AIZUMI PRIDE AROUND THE WORLD the event we spoke at that day. U.S. Consulate and a And that student who once felt like the number of high school university was killing him is still alive today. students. At the end of One person, a professor, listened to him, and our presentation, the By Marsha Aizumi he found hope. young people approa- Getting ready to speak at Showa NAGOYA: At Showa High School, we spoke ched me hesitantly and Two proud mothers High School in Nagoya, Japan ast month, I had the wonderful oppor- to more than 1,000 students, teachers, parents asked to talk to me. of transgender sons tunity of returning to Japan to speak on and staff. “We have some mo- during the Nagoya LGBTQ family acceptance. It was 12 I was touched by the courage of a transgender ney in our club and awareness and knowledge to fight the fear presentation Ldays, three cities, six events and connecting middle school teacher who came out to her want to do something and discrimination that still exists. with more than 1,200 people. To say it was school and shared her story. I was also moved to support the LGBTQ I shared how much I respect the people impactful would be an understatement. by a young transgender man who vulnerably students on our campus,” they told me. “What in Japan who are bringing to light this same There were so many moments that moved spoke about how he and his mother found their are some things we can do?” hard work — many of the people in the au- my heart. I can’t begin to list them all, so way back to each other after being estranged I talked about doing a poster contest, orga- dience were educators and leaders in their I will just give you the highlights: for 10 years. nizing a diversity week and bringing in some cities — and you could feel their hearts swell TOKYO: Speaking at the University in Later, I met the mother of that young tran- LGBTQ speakers to share their stories to their with pride. Tsukuba and learning of the work they are sgender man. We couldn’t communicate di- school. They listened intently, and I believe June was Pride Month in Los Angeles, where doing was so inspiring. I spoke about the rectly because of our language differences, but that they will take these ideas back to their I live. Pride Month to me is all about celeb- university Aiden attended and how its belief somehow as we talked through a translator, high school and implement one or two of them. rating being proud of who you are, whether and support of him turned his life around.