WWW.PACIFICCITIZEN.ORG City Coundl Votes Telling 'Asian Stories' Sebastopol City Council Golden Arm votes to support 1st Lt. Ron Oda's film picks apart Which MLB team will be Ehren Watada's a.1I things APA, including a lucky enough to sign constitutional rights. dog named Kalbi. Daisuke Matsuzaka? NATIORAL PAGE 3 ENl'ERTAINMENT PAGE 9 SPORTS PAGE 7 Left Behind Calif. public schools SUOCel929PACIFIC CITIZEN are leaving APA parents behind. The National Publication of the Japanese American Citizens League NATIONAL PAGE 3 #30691 Vol. 143, No.1 0 ISSN: 0030-8579 Nov. 17-0Ec. 14, 2006 2006 GENERAL ELECTIONS _ I JACL Nat'l Bd. Rejects Resolution to Increase Support APA Leaders Head Back to Congress for Watads' Current Statement of Concern Stands with One Newly Elected Member Five months after'the 'The national board action ... was voted to ~efeat the m~tion 3-7, with Honolulu officer refused to a statement that {it] was satisfied with 2 abstenllons. Thus, Its July state- .By LYNDA LIN the current JACL statement, that there ment of ~once~ over some of the Assistant Editor deploy to Iraq, the issue continues to divide the was not a need for revision. ' charges, mcluding conduct unbe- The Asian Pacific American vot­ national organization. Larry Oda, JACL nat'l president coming an officer, will stand. ing block flexed its muscle at the "The national board action ... was polls last week, reelecting many of By CAROLINE AOYAGI-STOM a statement that [it] was satisfied the community's proven leaders and t Executive Editor with the current JACL statement, sending a newly anointed one to that there was not a need for revi­ SAN FRANCISCO-With news Congress to join a Democratic sion," said Larry ada, JACL nation- that the U.S. Aroly has decided to go majority. al president. ''This particular board forth with a court martial for 1st Lt. In Hawaii, former Lt. Gov. Mazie MAZIE HIRONO takes its responsibility seriously, and Ehren Watada for refusing to deploy Hirono celebrated a history-making as a group, is sometimes called on to win in an election charged with to Iraq, the JACL national board win over Republican Bob C. Hogue make difficult and unpopular deci­ debate over the current war in Iraq. once again took up the contentious to become the first person born in sions, but it does so in a thoughtful Throughout her campaign she issue ironically on Veterans Day, Japan to serve in the House of and considered manner through vocally advocated ending the War, a debating a proposed resolution to Representatives. careful and thorough deliberation." goal she said she would emphasize increase its support for the Honolulu Honolulu chapters who have already "It makes me so proud that we are Five months after ·Watada, 28, in her first term beginning Jan. 3. native, but in the end voting to stick gone on record in full support of part of a country that gives those announced his decision to refuse . With Hirono newly elected, there to its current statement of concern. Watada - the NCWNP district pre­ kinds of opportunities," said Hirono deployment to Iraq because he are currently seven APAs in the With various JACL chapter mem­ sented a resolution to support the to KITV Channel 4. believes the war is illegal and House and two in the Senate, said bers present to argue the pros and Sansei officer's First Amendment Hirono, who was born . in immoral, the JACL - an organiza- Fukushima, Japan and raised in Wllliam H. "Mo" Marumoto, presi-' . cons of the divisive issue - includ­ right to free speech. But in the end, See WATADAIPage 6 Honolulu, was favored to pull out a See ELECTIONSlPage .12 ing members of the Berkeley and the national JACL board quickly APA Diabetics Take JACL Projects ~~~ tife CHanging J -o - u -rn - e - y ~ s ==+- ear-enCi Surplus Although research indi­ Board members outline according to cates diabetes is on the goals for next year. At the board members. rise amongst APAs, espe­ top of the list: fill empty JACL staff and cially Type 2 diabetes, staff positions. board members many still know very little spent most of the about the disease and By LYNDA LIN weekend ./ Membership flow has been steady many more remain undi­ Assistant Editor addressing one ./ Thanks to membership for keejng the membership flow strong question: How L-___________Co_u_rtes_y _of_M_ark_Koba_y_a_sh.....Ji agnosed. SAN FRANCISCO-The JACL will close out its fourth quarter with are we accom­ the last three years, but the success is By CAROLINE AOYAGI-STOM another surplus, according to nation­ plishing the goals of the budgeL { bittersweet. The organizatioh works Executive Editor al board members who held a Nov. The first order of business is to on an annual zero-based budgeting At the age of 35, Kurokawa was Shin Kurokawa, a successful 10-12 meeting at national headquar­ hire new staff, said Larry ada, plan, which means by the end of diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic. anime producer, was used to a career ters. JACL national president. "The one each year the budget should end Born in Japan and living in the thing that has given us a surplus up filled with long ho~ and constant Based on a Sept. 30 analysis, the with a zero balance with most pro­ United States since 1979, until now is that we haven't hired stress so when he became ill over a JACL has a $47,732 surplus and is grams and goals outlined in the Kurokawa, now 38, has no family lengthy period of time, he blamed projected to end the year approxi­ two staff positions [the Pacific Program for Action accomplished. history of diabetes and knew very lit­ his . symptoms on work-related mately $80,901 under budget. The Southwest regional director and the Ending with a surplus c't'uld mean tle about the disease, something he stress. What else could it be? But surplus is attributed to budgeted administrative assistant for the that more revenue was generated had always considered to be "the national director]. As a result, work than budgeted or that program goals when he came down with an unusu­ I staff positions that have not been other person's". problem. al case of respiratory infection in filled as well as steady membership has not been put into some programs have not been met because of empty Despondent at fIrst, he soon 2003 that left him virtually immo­ numbers, on target public support because we don't have the staff position. immersed himself in learning every- bile, doctors ran several tests and and . revenues from the recent resources." . "So the surplus of a year-end ~lus finally discovered the cause of See DIABETESlPage 4 Phoenix national convention, The JACL has had a for See JACL BUDGETlPage 2 Kurokawa's years of health prob­ lems. COMMENTARY Penn State Students: I Want My AA Studies! A 1st Amendment Issue By LYNDA LIN Srudies. By JOHN TATEISID . Assistant Editor And they MOBILIZE: Penn JACL Executive Director got what State students While Asian American Srudies they wanted recently circulated As you read the Pacific Citizen programs have been a mainstay in a petition to pres­ report of the national board discus­ many· public universities for nearly Sociology sure university offi­ sion on the 40 years, Penn State University only 197A - a cials for a perma­ Ehren Watada has one course titled, "Introduction class two nent AA studies case, you'll to Asian American Srudies," which days a week course. read that I was launched this year without any that exam­ PHOTO: APA CAUCUS expressed a guarantee of continuing. ines AA his­ view that 1st The course is "experimental" and tory, dissects the roots of stereotyp­ classes have never enjoyed any suc­ Lt. Watada has has three chances to prove itself in ing and the pan-Asian effects of cess at Penn State. a right to order to be granted permanent starus. racism. Since its introduction, the But every week, Li faces a sea of express his But after two semesters, university classroom has been filled to capaci­ young eyes eager to drink in parts of moral convictions about the·war in officials decided not to offer the ty. U.S. history that was not included in Iraq and that I urged the board to course until Spring 2007 prompting But the course's furure is still in their high school curriculums. One support a motion . to support Lt. srudent protests and petition drives . question, said Bao Ming Li, the srudent recently cried over her own Watada's First Amendment rights. I to bring it back this fall. Clearly, course instructor who was told by lack of knowledge, Li said. Penn State srudents want their AA See TATEISHliPage 8 university administrators that AA See AA STUDIESlPage 4 2 LEITERS/NATIONAL PACIFIC CITIZEN, Nov. 17-DEC. 14,2006 r PA(;IFI(; CITIZEN ~ COMMENTARY COMMENTARY 2005 WINNERI ~ NEW AMERICA Future Leadership JACL Launches Annual Giving Campaign VJMEDIA ByLARRYODA chaired by Arakaki. He is joined the By JOHN TATEISID successful and extraordinary con­ ~ Awards In Wrttlng A JACL Nat'l President executive director, Pacific Citizen JACL Executive Director vention, a new vision that came Executive Editor Caroline Aoyagi­ from the convention, and a promise PACIFIC CITIZEN At the Nov. 10-12 national board Stom, staff representative Karen . Itrs the time of year when we all of better things to come. meeting in San Francisco, the board Yoshitomi, at-large members Floyd hopefully begin to wind_down the As we wind down the year, we 250 E. First Street, Ste. 301, was asked to clarify the process for Shimomura, Bob Taniguchi and maddening pace of our lives as we are about to launch our year:end Los Angeles, CA.