• • Annual Giving donor honor • Pacific Citizen roll-page 7 National Publication of the Japanese American Citizens League Established 1929 ($1.50 Postpaid U.S.) Newssta nd: 25¢ • #2810/Vol 123, NO.8 ISSN: 0030-8579 7 Cupania Circle, Monterey Park, CA 91755 (213) 725-0083 Oct. 18-31, 1996 Colin Powell says he's sorry about 'Chinamen' remark Retired Armr General C~1in Powell of the Asian American community, includ- sent an apologetic reply to the various orga- use the term again." • needed some qUIck-fix PR tactics afte:r: us- ing the JACL. ... nizations. Fujimoto responded the same day, sug- ing t~e wo!d "C~amen" during a recent Lori Fujimoto, JACL national vice presi- "Thank you for your letter expressing gesting a collaborative effort to increase meeting WIth busmess leaders. dent for public affairs, requested and re- your disappointment in my insensitive use sensitivity to ethnic groups. Powell used the demeaning word during ceived an apology from the retired general. of the word 'Chinamen'. .," begins Powell's JACLNational Director Herb Yamanishi an Oct. 5 speech at the Third Annual Busi- "Your use of this racial slur is offensive letter dated Oct. 9. says he's "reasonably satisfied with Powell's ness Leadership Summit in Stockton, Ca- and unacceptable, " wrote Fujimoto in an "The context in which I used the word apology but still wants to meet with the • lifo Oct. 7 letter to Powell. "We request an was a positive one as I recounted the eco- retired general. "We want a chance to meet· "If you give 1.3 billion Chinamen access immediate public apology to the Chinese nomic progress being made in China by the with him and talk to him about reaching to home shopping on television, [commu- American community across the United unleashing of the creative and entrepre- out to minorities and about his views." nism] is over, because there is no way States." neurial potential of the Chinese people. The Organization of Chinese Americans communism can compete with a salad In addition to Fujimoto, Powell received Nevertheless, my reference was inappro- is satisfied with Powell's apology and feels shooter for $9.95." a number of letters from leaders of the priate. I apologize for any offense it may Powell's actions incensed many leaders ChineseAmericancommunity. He quickly have caused. You can be sure I will never See POWELUpage 10 • Medal of Honor hero heads JA Immigration bill Korean War VetMemorial campaign softens impad • Staff report of welfare reform LOS ANGELES-In town for a videotaping of After months of behind-the-scene negotiations between the White the Japanese American House and congressional Republicans, H.R. 2202, the Immigrant Korean War Veterans' Responsibility Act of1996, was signed into law by President Clinton documentary, Hiroshi on Sept. 30, taking effect at midnight. "Hershey" Miyamura of The final bill primarily addresses border control and enforcement Gallup, N.M., is serving against illegal immigration. It doubles the number of border patrol as one of the honorary agents over than five years, requires 14 miles of triple fencing near chairs of a national cam­ San Diego, Calif., authorizes the Attorney General to accept state paign to raise $150,000 services to carry out immigration enforcement, mandates a minimum for a memorial to be in­ of 10 INS agents per state, and increases penalties for smuggling stalled on Memorial Day immigrants into the U.S. and for document fraud. 1997 at the JACCC Me­ According to the Asian Law Caucus of San Francisco, the confer­ morial Court. ence version of the bill contained provisions affecting legal immi­ Now a retired business­ grants which go beyond the current restrictions under welfare man and grandfather of reform. The final bill deleted these provisions by: four children, he has 1. Dropping the public charge deportation provision that would deport legal immigrants for using more than12 months of public taken U a definitely hands­ on approach," Japanese benefits during their first seven years in the United States. American Korean War 2. Dropping the retroactive deeming provision affecting current immigrants in the country for less than 5 years. "Deeming" means the Veterans organization sponsor's income will be counted as the immigrant's income in deter­ president Robert M. mi.n.ing eligibility for benefits. However, under the welfare reform Wada of Fullerton de­ law, deeming is applicable only to immigrants who arrived in the U.S. clared. "The Korean Conflict President Eisenhower confers the Congressional Medal of Honor and con­ after Aug. 22, 1996. The final bill reduced the sponsor's minimum income requirements has often been ca1Ied The gratulates S/Sgt. Hershey Hiroshi Miyamura for heroic actions during the from the conference committee's 200 percent to 125 percent of the See HERO/page 10 Korean Conflict at White House ceremonies on Oct. 27, 1953. poverty level, allowing more Americans to reunite with their families. It also eliminated provisions denying HIV treatmentfor immigrants and restricting immigrants' use of emergency Medicaid. Finally, the final bill also provided certain exemptions from the restrictions currently in the welfare reform law. These exemptions are: Congress passes land transfer bill for 1. Battered women, regardless oftheir immigration status, are now included in the classification of "qualified aliens" in determining the immigrant's eligibility to receive certain public benefits, and there­ Manzanar site and JA Patriotism Memorial fo re can continue to receive public benefits. 2. Battered women and immigrants without food or shelter whose Staff report the Architect of the U.S. Capitol, facts from all periods of life in sponsors refuse to provide assistance are exempted from the deeming which currently owns the property, Owens River, Valley. restrictions in the welfare reform for 12 months. WASHINGTON - Congress to the National Park Service. The I 3. Immigrants currently receiving food stamps will be given a six­ passed in the final hours of the Man-zanar site, owned by. the Los The Patriotism Memorial will month grace period from the bans enacted in the welfare reform. be located in the Northwest quad­ 104th Congress Oct. 3 an omni­ Angeles Department of Water and See REFORM/page 11 bus National Parks bill, which Power CDWP), required a similar rant in D.C on federal land bounded includes authorization for land land transfer arrangement. by Louisiana Ave., New J ersey Ave. transfers to create both the Japa­ The addition of300 acres for the and D Street, equidistan t from the nese American Patriotism Me­ Manzanar Historic Site identifies United States Capitol and Union morial in Washington, D.C., and land as having archeological arti- Station. "We can now a National Historic Site at the move ahead with the location of the former Manzanar fundr aising for the Me­ internment camp. President morial," beamed Will­ Clinton has indicated he will sign iam H. (Mo) Marumoto, the legislation. chair of the board, Na­ The House had approved the tionalJapaneseAmeri­ measure a second time around can Memorial Founda­ Sept. 28 by a 404-4 vote, and the tion. Senate gave its unanimous con­ Sue Kunitomi Em­ sent just hours before adjourn­ brey, Manzanar Advi­ ment. sory Commission chair, Rep.ltobert Matsui (D-Sacra­ noted passage of the bill mento) was a chiefsponsor of the was t he last major Patriotism Memorial bill and was hurdle to opening of the joined by Rep. Jerry Lewis (R­ Manzanar Na tional San Bernardino) in sponsoring Historic Site. "Many in­ the Manzanar bill. Sen. Daniel dividuals and agencies Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Sen. Bar­ working together be­ bara Boxer CD) worked continu­ hind the scenes [made] ously to keep the Patriotism Me­ this happen," she de­ morial and Manzanar bills, re­ clared. She named Inyo spectively, from dying in the County supervisors Bob Senate. One lone opponent in the Gracey and Paul Payne, Senate would have killed the bill. the offices of the Bu­ Both memorials were autho­ HISTORIC MOMENT-In this 1973 photo, the reau of Land Manage­ rized in legislation passed in Manzanar landmark plaque Is positioned onto ment, the DWP, the 1992. However, the land needed the sentry house by Ryozo Kado of Venice, Calif. National Park Service, to construct the Patriotism Me­ He was also the builder of the white cenotaph local r sidents and th morial had to be transferred from standing In the cemete ry. Nikkei community . • 2-Pacific Citizen, Oct. 18-31, 1996 • Non-member Readers JACL calendar Get all the news and features from across the country SUBSCRmE TO THE PACIFIC CITIZEN ATTENTION: All calendar items-JACL and Sun. Oct. 27-Halloween costume party. Joanna Allen 7021345-0620. 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