Beloved Temple in Little Tokyo ; Community Outraged and Saddened
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THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF THE JACL March 5-18, 2021 CELEBRATING 9 2 YEARS » PAGE 5 Coverage of 2021 Day of Remembrance Events » PAGE 2 Beloved Temple in Little Tokyo ; Community Outraged and Saddened The Stop AAPI Hate website has recorded more than 2,808 incidents of hate crimes against Asian Americans since it began in March 2020. PHOTO: STOPAAPIHATE.ORG #3382 / VOL. 172, No. 4 ISSN: 0030-8579 WWW.PACIFICCITIZEN.ORG 2 March 5-18, 2021 COMMUNITY HIGASHI HONGANJI TEMPLE HOW TO REACH US Email: [email protected] Online: www.pacificcitizen.org RACIALLY MOTIVATED INTENTIONS BEING INVESTIGATED Tel: (213) 620-1767 Mail: 123 Ellison S. Onizuka St., Suite 313 As the AAPI community “THANK YOU so much for all your generosity. many others in our AAPI community and beyond, Los Angeles, CA 90012 We have blown our $50,000 goal out of the water we feel hurt and saddened and even angered by STAFF Executive Editor continues to see a sharp in- with your incredible help!” Nikkei Progressives the recent attacks on those of Asian and Pacific Allison Haramoto announced in a statement. “It has been amazing to Islander descent. For many of us, the temple is a Senior Editor crease in hate crimes, a be- see how much support the world has for Higashi second home, and this feels like an attack on our Digital & Social Media Honganji Buddhist Temple and Little Tokyo. culture, our history, our community, our family. George Johnston loved Little Tokyo landmark Business Manager HHBT is such a special place for so many of us. Together, we will grieve, and we will heal.” Susan Yokoyama Even in the aftermath of an attack on their front In response to the vandalism of Higashi Hon- is the latest target. Production Artist door step, their inclination was to reach outward ganji, JACL National released a statement in Marie Samonte iolence against the Asian American and see what the community needed from them partnership with community and faith organiza- Circulation Pacific Islander community continues to and how they could move forward while building tions on March 5. Eva Ting friendship and love.” “While the incident is still under investigation, rise, and on Feb. 26, a vandalism attack The Pacific Citizen newspaper Von Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple in Los NP also announced that all funds raised past and the LAPD has said it is too early to call the (ISSN: 0030-8579) is published semi- Angeles’ Little Tokyo is being investigated as a the $50,000 goal will “go to the temple to use at incident a hate crime, any act of vandalism against monthly (except once in December its discretion for security and operating funds.” a place of worship hurts the entire community,” and January) by the Japanese Ameri- racially motivated hate crime. can Citizens League, Pacific Citizen, Higashi Honganji, located on Third and Central According to Ito, the temple has never the statement read. “The violation of sacred 123 Ellison S. Onizuka St., Suite 313 streets, was breached by an unknown male who experienced such violence in its 45 years in the spaces meant to serve as safe havens for their Los Angeles, CA 90012 community. membership is deplorable. The prominent place Periodical postage paid at L.A., CA hurled a rock through its front window, set fire to POSTMASTER: Send address chang- beloved wooden lantern stands and toppled over “We will work to repair the damage and to restore of Higashi Honganji Temple in the Little Tokyo es to National JACL, 1765 Sutter St., metal lanterns from their concrete bases. the temple. But we need to repair the damage to and Japanese American community demonstrates San Francisco, CA 94115 Los Angeles County Fire and the Los Angeles ourselves as well,” Ito said in his statement. “Like the continuing escalation of hate incidents against JACL President: Jeffrey Moy Police Department were called to the scene; a the Asian American community and must Executive Director: David Inoue suspect who was caught on video surveillance be brought to an end. We all know the P.C. EDITORIAL BOARD has not yet been apprehended. No security guard pain and fear that comes when houses Rob Buscher, chairperson; Ron Kura- of worship are desecrated. All arms of moto, MDC; Danielle Pierce, EDC; was on duty, and an alarm system installed at the Marcia Chung, CCDC; Nancy Ukai, temple was not activated at the time of the crime. government should take every possible NCWNPDC; Sheldon Arakaki, PNWDC; The destruction to the Little Tokyo landmark step to apprehend those responsible and Michaela Ishino, IDC; John Saito Jr., has shocked and saddened the temple’s priests to lead the society-wide condemnation PSWDC; Marco Torrez, Youth Rep. and staff, as well as the community at large. of such assaults.” Subscribe “We are fortunate that no one was physically Get a one-year subscription of the » See TEMPLE on page 8 Pacific Citizen newspaper at: harmed in this incident,” said Rinban Rev. Nori- www.pacificcitizen.org or call yaki Ito in a statement. “The damage was quite (213) 620-1767 visible and led to a full day of news reporters Advertise coming to learn what had happened. Prob- To advertise in the Pacific Citi- ably the reason why it was so widely reported zen, call (213) 620-1767 or e-mail: is because of the growing number of incidents [email protected] labeled as hate crimes against Asians especially LEGAL on the East and West coasts of our country.” Among the damage, No part of this publication may be The community at large immediately reacted. a window was also reproduced without the express per- broken and a fire mission of the Pacific Citizen. Nikkei Progressives, alongside community part- Editorials, letters, news and the opin- ners, friends in Little Tokyo and in partnership with was started on the Higashi Honganji ions expressed by columnists other Higashi, created a GoFundMe campaign to help front steps that was Buddhist Temple than the national JACL president or raise funds for the temple to repair the damage. extinguished by a was vandalized national director do not necessarily re- temple officiant. flect JACL policy. Events and products Since its inception at the beginning of March, the by an unknown advertised in the P.C. do not carry the campaign has raised $85,838 (as of press time). PHOTOS: FACEBOOK assailant on Feb. 26. implicit endorsement of the JACL or this publication. We reserve the right to edit articles. © 2021 Periodicals paid at Los Angeles, Calif. and mailing office. ‘I’m glad to see the Pacific Citizen SPRING growing and evolving with its website, CAMPAIGN and especially LOVE the much easier- to-navigate digital archives. It’s a JACL MEMBERS treasure trove for JAs to learn about our Change of Address JACL MEMBER? q q q$50 q$100 q$150 q$200 qOTHER ——— community’s history, and for scholars and journalists looking to connect the If you’ve moved, past with the present. Thanks for the please send new Name : improvements, P.C.!’ information to: — Gil Asakawa National JACL 1765 Sutter St. : Address 1 San Francisco, CA 94115 Phone Number : E-mail : (415) 921-5225 ext. 26 Allow 6 weeks for The P.C.’s mission is to ‘educate on the past Japanese American experience and address changes. preserve, promote and help the current and future AAPI communities.’ To avoid interruptions in delivery, * Your donations will help build and preserve a cohesive please notify your library of the Pacific Citizen to educate future generations.* postmaster to include periodicals in your change of address INFORMATION: 123 Ellison S. Onizuka St., Suite 313 | Los Angeles, CA 90012 | TEL: (213) 620-1767 | WWW.PACIFICCITIZEN.ORG (USPS Form 3575) COMMENTARY March 5-18, 2021 3 in 50 Seuss books. materials. Dr. Seuss books, there is no filtering. FROM THE Only 45, or 2 percent of the charac- Dr. Seuss’ imagery can play a role Where claims of “Cancel Culture” ters were people of color, and within in establishing the basis for some truly fall flat is when put in context of E X E C U T I V E that, 43 characters were portrayed prejudices in young children, and what it really is, objection to respon- DIRECTOR as Orientalist and the other two as it is for this reason that some of the sibility. We are guaranteed freedom supposedly “African.” worst offenders have been retired. of speech by the government, but Furthermore, they identified white Almost immediately, the outcry not freedom from consequence of supremacist themes with the Asian was loud about “Cancel Culture,” the our speech. OH THE PLACES YOU’LL GO and African characters placed in sub- rallying phrase for those who want The real “culture” that has devel- servient roles to the white characters. to protect the past, what for them are oped is one where the past president (If You Don’t Do Anything Not only is there a lack of people of the good old days and the freedom spread lies about the validity of the color, but also the few depictions to speak one’s mind regardless of election and incited his followers present are of a racist nature. There the impact those words might have to attempt an overthrow of the gov- to Get ‘Canceled’) is much more in this journal article on others. It is that disregard that ernment, thus far without any real By David Inoue, raised my own two children reading worth reading, especially the expla- makes the cries of cancel culture consequences. JACL Executive Director many of his books, this is a welcome nation of the book “Horton Hears a ring hollow.