2 APR. 17-30, 2009 LETTERS! COMMENTARY! SPRING CAMPAIGN PACIFIC ~ CrnZEN ;211 PACIFIC· ~."CITIZEN Letters to the Editor 250 E. First Street, Ste. 301 , Los Angeles, CA. 90012 Honda Responds to Twitter Criticism to cultural nuance. Tel: 213/620-1767, In defending San Jose's JapaneseAroerican Museum from attack I have always supported the JACL's efforts to eliminate the racial 800/966-6157 slur from being used in lUly way in this countly. JAs have too long Fax: 213/620-1768 by Sen. John McCain, who claimed that the Museum was not worth been the brunt of prejudiced language and I remain, as I have always E-mail: [email protected] federal dollars, there occurred a TWitter shorthand error that 1'd like www.pacificcitizen.org to recognize for JACL members and offer an been, in defense of our community on this matter. Executive Editor: apology. U.s. CONGRESSMAN MIKE HONDA Caroline Y. Aoyagi-Stom Using the new communication forum of 15th District Assistant Editor: TWitter, Sen. McCain had taken issue with ear­ San Jose, Calif. Lynda Lin mark legislation that provided supplemental Office Manager: funding fpr the Japanese American Museum. Brian Tanaka JACL Recognizes Two Millennium Club Circulation: The Museum had suffered a funding setback Eva Lau-Ting after the S~e of Califomia, which previously Members: Eddie Jonokuchi and Joe Uchida promised funding, had to cancel funding due to The J ACL apologizes for missing the names of two outstanding Publisher: Japanese American Citizens budget cuts. And while the Museum is not in my 15th district, I was Millennium Club members from its recognition page in the last issue League (founded 1929) 1765 Sutter Street, asked to respond as a JA and a supporter of the project. San Francisco, CA 94115, tel: 4151921- of the Pacific Citizen. 5225 fax: 4151931-4671, www.jacl.org Eager to defend the project for a host of reasons -long overdue Eddie Jonokuchi and Joe Uchida are both tremendous members of JACL President: Lany Oda recognition for JAs who served .our cQuntly, tourism .opportunities the Millennium Club and are duly noted as such. Thank you to both Nat'l Director: Floyd Mori for our Japantown, and a recQvery package for San Jose - I of you for your selfless support of the JACL and its mission and pro­ Pacific Citizen Board of Directors: Margie responded to McCain's Twitter feed. As a TWitter response only grams. We look forward to a growing relationship throughout the Yamamoto, chairperson; Paul Niwa, EDC; allows 140 characters, it made for an abbreviated shorthand and the Usa Hanasono, MDC; Kathy Ishimoto, future. CCDC; Judith Aono, NCWNPDC; Justine concomitant use of a period that failed to communicate what I Kondo, PNWDC; Jeff Itami, IDC; T~ intended. It shows how our new communication technologies must TIM KOIDE Namba, PSWDC; Naomi Oren, Youth. be approached with caution and care lest shorthand give short shrift JACL Membership Coordinator r----------------------------, NEWS/AD DEADLINE: FRIDAY SPRING CAMPAIGN BEFORE DATE OF ISSUE. NATiONAL DIRECTOR'S REPORT Editorials, news and the opinions expressed by columnists other than the The Common 'Thread: Keeping' Our national JACL president or national Working to Preserve director do not necessarily reflect JACL APA Communities Interconnected policy. Events and products advertised the Lessons of History in the Pacific Citizen do not carry the By LISA K. HANASONO implicit endorsement of the JACL or By FLOYD MORI this publication. We reserve the right to edit articles. While teaching an Asian American Studies class at Purdue University? ----------------------------~ We have seen some very positive measures on camp preservation I encouraged my undergraduates to take a critical look at the represen­ PACIFIC CITIZEN (ISSN: 0030-8579) is move through Congress which have been over­ tation of Asian Americans in mainstream media. published semi-monthly except once in shadowed by the debates on stimulating the My students carefully tumed the glossy pages of December and January by the Japanese economy, filling important Administration posi­ popular magazines like Time, Glamour, and American Citizens League, 250 E. Rrst tions, restructuring the military's role in the Sports Illustrated - searching for any stories or Street, Ste. 301, Los Angeles, CA. 90012 world, and jockeying for leverage in the 2910 images that featured AAs. OFFICE HOURS - Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time. ©2009. fiscal budget. The results were startling; despite their best efforts, my students could only find a handful of Annual subscription rates: NON- The passage of camp preservation measures MEMBERS: 1 year-$40, payable in is good news for the Japanese American com­ printed pictures and text that included AAs. advance. Additional foreign postage per munity as well as the community at large. Moreover, the majority of images and stories cast year (1st class) - Canada and Mexico Important steps have been taken to assure the AAs in stereotypical roles. My students and I $55, Japan and overseas $60 (Subject JA experience during World War II will be maintained as a lesson to were disappointed with the sheer underrepresen­ to change without notice.) Postage paid tation and gross misrepresentations of AAs in mainstream media. at Los Angeles, Calif. the world that times of crisis are not an excuse to overlook the impor­ tant dvilliberties guaranteed in our Constitution. Throughout history, many newspapers, magazines, and television Permission: No part of this publication shows have failed to feature AAs in multidimensional and realistic may be reproduced without express per- What is important is that we have developed very strong allies in mission of the publisher. Copying for Congress who have been instrumental in assuring that elements of var­ ways. However, the Pacific Citizen has consistently illuminated impor­ tant stories and unique perspectives of AAs. other than personal or internal reference ious pieces of legislation were retained in the omnibus appropriations . Since 1929, the P.e. has served as a common thread that kept the use without the express permission of bill and in the major public lands omnibus bill. On the Senate side, Sen. P.C. is prohibited. social fabric of AA communities interconnected. From immigration and Daniel K. Inouye, who is now chairman of Senate Appropriations, and POSTMASTER: Send address changes citizenship issues in the 1930s and the internment period in the 1940s to to: Pacific Citizen, c/o JACL National Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who is chairman of the Interior, Environment Headquarters, 1765 Sutter St., San and Related Agencies Subcommittee, provided outstanding leadership See HANASONO/page 14 Francisco, CA 94115. in securing funding for beginning the grant program authorized by HR 1492, now Public Law 109-44l. ----------.,P.c. SPRING CAMPAIGN The JACL played a major role in the passage of HR 1492. I Benefiting www.padficdtizen.org JACL MEMBERS Congressman Mike Honda, who is on the House Appropriations Change of Address Committee, played an influential role in the House to support the fund­ Ove $150 or more and be entered to I ing measure. Congresswoman Doris Matsui and others were also win a Carnival Cruise voucher to Mexlcol If I you have moved, please strong voices in support of the funding. 0$50 0$100 send infonnation to: Included in the appropriations measure were funds for the construc­ Voucher donated by I tion of additional barracks at Manzanar and land acquisition to expand 0$150 0 Other National JACL National JACL Credit Union 1765 Sutter St. the Minidoka site to include important artifacts from the camp. In addi­ www.jaclcu.com I San Francisco, CA tion, increased funding for special resource studles will allow the NAME: I National Parks Service (NPS) more flexibility to conduct special Go to www.pacificcitizen.org ADDRESS: ________ 94115 resource studies of other JA confinement facilities. for rules and restrictions. I Allow 6 weeks for address changes. The omnibus public lands bill included the Tule Lake Segregation CITY: Center Special Resources Study Act which authorizes the NPS to study To avoid interruptions in receiving STATE: ZIP: _____ I the Tule Lake Segregation Center in Modoc County, Calif., and make your PC, please notify yourpcstmas- TELiEMAIL: _______ ter to include periodicals in your recommendations to Congress regarding the future management of and planning for the site. The Tule Lake site was designated as part of MAlL TO: PACIRC CITrZEN, 250 E. RRST change of address (USPS Form 3575) STREET, SUITE 301, LOS ANGELES, CA 90012 SeeMORVpage15 .. ______ _ PACIFIC iilClTIZEN TOP STORIES APR. 17-30, 2009 3 'The Simpsons' <aot Their Own Stamp, Now What About the Nisei Vets? A two-year campaign to honor the heroic JA wwn veterans has much community support, but so far a commemorative stamp has yet to become a reality. By CAROLINE AOYAGI-STOM Executive Editor Bart, Homer and Margie can rest easy. FOX net­ work's famous ~artoon family will now be forever immortalized with. their very own ''The Simpsons" U.S. postage stamp. But so far the heroic Japanese American World War IT veterans haven't been so lucky. It's been two years now since a grassroots campaign was launched to honor these Nisei veterans with their very own commemorative stamp, but no stamp has yet been approved. 'To overlook American veterans, and true heroes in Members of the Japanese American WWII Veterans Commemorative Stamp Campaign have been trying for the past two years to get a com­ my opinion .... is shocking," said Wayne Osako, co­ memorative stamp in honor of the heroic JA soldiers of WWII. But so far the Citizens' Stamp AdviSOry Committee hasn't approved such a stamp. chair and campaign coordinator for the Japanese Instead, this year's offerings included a stamp collection for the Fox Network's comedy series 'The Simpsons' (above, right).