Newsstand: 25¢ $1.50 postpaid (U.S., Can.) I $2.30 (Japan Air) #29961 Vol. 137, No.2 ISSN: 0030-8579 National Publication of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) JULY 18-31, 2003 IDCIPNW Host Bi-District, Take Part in Minidoka Pilgrimage Rep. Coble Reneges on By Pacific Citizen Staff WWII, many of them from the Park Service is developing a man­ Agreement to Meet With JACL- and Associated Press states of Idaho, Oregon and agement plan that could include Washington. The internees joined an interpretive center telling the Afterhaving agreed to meet with demonstrates Rep. Coble's arro­ As members of the the more than 110,000 Americans story of Minidoka and of the representatives of the JACL last gant disr€gard of the Asian Pacific Intermountain and Pacific of Japanese ancestry who were internees housed there. month to discuss controversial American community and his NOIthwest JACL districts gath­ placed in 10 internment camps During the Minidoka ceremony remarks he made about the rejection of the concerns expressed ered for their biennial bi-district throughout the West Coast. there was a tribute to the Nisei vet­ Japanese American internment, by millions of Americans, holding � conference in Twin Falls, Idaho, There were once 600 barracks erans who died fighting for their Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C., is himself above the principles of a ° June 27-29, country during now refusing representative democracy," said they joined WWII and to the to meet with Tateishi. more than a other internees.. the organiza­ "We will continue to call on the hundred former who also passed tion. House Republican leadership, as internees and away while "Having well as the White House, to repudi­ their families interned. The agreed last ate Rep. Coble's statement about for a pilgrimage ceremony month to meet the World War II internment and to to the World included a color with the JACL explain to us how his insensitivity War II guard and firing and other civil will serve the best interest of a sub­ Minidoka squad by local . rights groups to discuss his com- committee charged with determin­ Internment veterans from the ments concerning the internment ing fair treatment of those who fall Camp. Magic Valley. of the Japanese Americancommu­ under the broad net of this admin­ It was the The pilgrim­ nity during World War II, we are istration's anti-terrorist policies," largest reunion age took place extremely disappointed that Rep. he said. of internees during the Howard Coble has reneged and Coble, who is currently the head ever at the IDCIPNW bi­ now refuses to schedule any meet­ of the House Judiciary subcommit­ (from left): V.P. of General Operations David Kawamoto, IDC Govemor Micki Minidoka site d istrict onfer- ing," said John Tateishi, JACL tee on homeland security, said dur­ Kawakami, JACL National President Floyd Mori and Sandy Bosteder. � and for many it ence tha t mc lu d- executive director. ing a Feb. 4 radio talk show that was their firstti me back since their located at Minidoka covering ed a full weekend of activities. At the American-Arab ° Anti­ the WW II internment of JAs was WWII incarceration. 33,000 acres but it is now mostly Various workshops were held Discrimination Committee con­ for their own protection. "All of us put in concentration farmland .. The Minidoka camp including taiko drumming, bonsai gressional dinner June 12 Coble "We were at war," Coble said. camps during World War II were closed in October 1945 and what making and a media workshop. had indicated to Kristine Minami, "For many Japanese Americans, it ethnically cleansed," said Jeff ° remains - the stone entrance gate Former Minidoka internees Itami, JACL director for public affairs, wasn't safe for them to be on the Itami, who now lives in Salt Lake and a flower garden grown by the· Massie Tomita and Mary Hirata that he would schedule a meeting street." City. "We were put in camps, and internees - was named a national also shared stories about their with JACL to discuss his remarks He also added that some JAs none of us saw the inside of a historic site in 1991. WWII experiences. Noted artist about the World War II internment. "probably were intent on doing courtroom." Today, the center in Jerome Roger Shimomura presented "Rep. Coble agreed and assured harm to us, just as some of these The MiIlidoka Relocation County has been designated a slides of his paintings inspired by me that he would speak to his chief Arab Americans are probably Center housed 13,000 JAs during national monument. The National his grandmother's ° WWII diary of staff about scheduling such a intent on doing harm to us." entries. meeting," said Minami. On June 2 the California Senate FROM THE MIDWEST letter from a teacher in Moss The bi-district awards banquet But now it seems that Coble has joined the state's Assembly in con­ Point, Miss., saying that she's had included a silent auction to benefit changed his mind. demning Coble for his contrQver­ Why Join JACL? problems in her classroom with JACL and the newly formed "His continued refusal to discuss sial remarks and called on the students using the term in refer­ Friends of Minidoka, an inde- this matter with the JACL and longtime congressman to resign as By Bill Yoshino ring to her. Intolerance and igno­ other concerned members of the chairman of the congressional sub­ Midwest Regional Director rance endure and the JACL is See BI-DISTRICT/page 12 civil rights community only committee .• equipped to combat both. Why join the JACL? If the word During the last several weeks, '�ap" is scrawled across a wall, the ° the JACL has been engaged in JACL will get rid of it. At its most FOX Criticized for Airing of 'Banzai,' intensive efforts to renew lapsed basic, that's members. Like many of you, I've what the Agrees to C�ncel Charlie Chan Film Series made several telephone calls to By CAROLINE AOYAGI tor and actors striking exaggerated program," said Ken Inouye, JACL does. Executive Editor former members urging them to martial arts poses which pre­ JACL, vice president of public Does this still renew. The predictable response is miered July 13. affairs, who attended the recent happen? Last "why should I join?" At one level The people at FOX aren't doing "The JACL is appalled that meeting with FOX executives. week I much these days to please the it's easy to explain the personal executives of Fox have decided to "Banzai," first aired in Britain, received a let­ Asian American community. benefits such as the PacificCitizen air the program 'Banzai,' which encourages viewers to bet on the ter from a First it was the network's plan to newspaper, the health benefits, the we find offensive and objection­ outcome of a series of unpre­ Nisei man air old Charlie Chan movies this credit union, the rental car dis­ able," said John Tateishi, JACL dictable stunts. For example, who told me summer, which many AAs consid­ executi ve director. "The program counts and the scholarships. But Michael Jackson impersonators ° that he attended a luncheon where er offensive and archaic with its caricatures Japanese in the worst the JACL is more than that - a lot are placed on an ice rink to see he met someone who used the ethnic stereotypes and its "yellow more. possible way through buffoonery who can moon walk the fastest In term thinking it was an acceptable face" white actors. Although FOX and tasteless stereotyping. In con­ In the end, the support for the another, a stick is thrown into a identifier. This week I received a has since decided to cancel the cert with MANAA (Media Action JACL allows us to operate effec­ swimming pool and viewers must "Charlie Chan Mystery Tour" tive programs that address our Network for Asian Americans), guess who retrieves it the fastest after protests from the community, the JACL has lodged a protest civil rights mission, thereby bene- - Todd Bridges of "Diff' rent FOX has now released "Banzai," with Fox and will press for the Strokes" or a dog. See YOSHINO/page 2 a game show spoof featuring a cancellation of the program." Although organizations like the heavily accented Japanese narra- Representative from the JACL JACL and MANAA are obviously and MANAA met with FOX unhappy with the showing of Inside the executives July 10 to discuss their "Banzai," what they have a prob­ NATIONAL JACL concerns and to try to persuade the lem with is the airing of offensive Pacific Citizen GALA DINNER network to stop airing "Banzai." and negatives stereotypes with lit­ The FOX executives said the first tle other representation of AAs National News . .. 3-4 September 13 six episodes have already been elsewhere on television. Wilshire Grand Hotel sold so they cannot stop their air­ In an L.A. Times interview, Community News ... 5-6 ing but that they would be willing MANAA president Guy Aoki, Los Angeles to work with JACL and MANAA said, "Asians are kind of condi­ Sports ..... ... ...7 in developing any future episodes. tioned to cringe and go, 'OK, what .• Honoring: "Although we are not happy are they going to do? They're Columns, Norman Mineta with the fact that the first six pro­ going to make fun of us,'" he said, grams will be aired with all of the adding TV "rarely shows Asian Cartoon ... ..0 ••••••8 Daniel Inouye negative imagery of Japanese Americans as regular people. .. Robert Matsui intact, I believe that we can tum There's nothing to balance it out." Calendar .........