PACIFIC CITIZEN The National Publication of the '"n"ln .. ".. { IND.EPtH ~ ~ ~ ~ 2 JULY 3-16,2009 LElTERS/ COMMENTARY/ SPRING CAMPAIGN PACIFIC §! CmZEN ... ~ .......................................................................................................................................... ~ . ~ · ":=IBJ LETTERS T'O THE EDITOR .. PACIFIC II C?mZEN HOWTO REACH US E-mail: [email protected] Online; www.pacificcitizen.org p.e. is Only Connection to Re: Prop. 8 Decision Tel:(800) 966·6157 Fax: (213) 620-1768 Other APA Communities In regards to the article, "Same-sex Couples Struggle to Mail: Find Meaning After Prop. 8 Decision" in the June 5-18 250 E. First Street, Suite 301 Los Angeles, CA 90012 I've gotten e-mails and phone calls from recip­ issue of the Pacific Citizen, evidently, they are a dedicat­ STAFF '.· ients of the latest Pacific Citizen (June 5-18). I ed and devoted couple among the same-sex society. To Executive Editor appreciate the issue, not just the article on the assuage the majority, why not reserve the term "marriage" Caroline Y. Aoyagi-Stom Depression ('From Depression to Recession: to be a union of a bride and groom? Assistant Editor APA Survivor Stories Have New Significance'). As for the "marriage" of the same-sex group, why not . • Lynda Lin But generally the issue is current, relevant and use some other appropriate tenn such as "same sex wrion" : Office Manager well written. For some JAs the P.e. might be the or some other appropriate term that is meaningful and at Vacant only connection to APA communities outside of the same time requires a license. This way, the couple Circulation their own. Thanks for your excellent worle! may enjoy all the same benefits as a married couple. Eva lau.Ting Correspondent AYAMEDRUD LEO H. HOSODA Leslie Tamura . Aya Medrud in 1930. Boulder, Colo. Roseville, CA : · ......................................•........•.••...............•............................................................................ The Pacific Citizen newspaper (ISSN: 0030-8579) is published seml-moothly NAT'L DIRECTOR'S REPORT (except once in December and •. ....January) by the Japanese Altterican JACL is at the Table in D.C. Citizens League. INSIDE JACL By FLOYD MORI 1765 Sutter St. San Francisco, CA 94115 JACL President: Larry Oda The most asked question that I get these days is: National Director: Floyd Mori "What is it like being in D.C. with the new Administration?" There is considerable curiosity as to Pc. BOARD OF DIRECTORS whether or not the President has brought the "change" Margie Yamamoto, chairperson; Paul Niwa, EDC; Lisa Hanasono, MDC; that he promised. Is the federal government beginning Kathy Ishimoto, CCDC; Judith Aono, to reflect what the "real" America is today rather than NCWNPDC; Justine Kondo, the elitist perception that has prevailed in the recent PNWDC; Jeff Itami, IDC; Ted Namba, past? PSWDC; Naomi Oren, Youth There is no question that there is an atmosphere of enthusiasm and a feeling of inclusion in the Asian SUBSCRIBE American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. My AAPI colleagues have Get a one-year subscription to the Pacific Gilizen newspaper at: commented that we've been to the White House. more times in the past five www.pacificcitizen.org or call months than in the past 10 years. ' (800) 966-6157 It is important to note that the White House meetings have not been restricted to ceremonial events but to substantive discussions on policy and ADVERTISE personneL We have met with high-level officials, including the president and To advertise in the Pacific Citizen, the first .lady, on issues from fatherhood to Sotomayer and from health care call (800) 966-6157 or e-mail: [email protected] reform and public service to the White House Initiative on AAPIs. A critical fact is that there are AAPI faces on the other side of the table. PHOTO: KRIS PRICElSEIU LEGAL Processes continue to exist, and this causes anxiety waiting for a final deci­ Calling for Passage of the DREAM Act No part of this publication may be repro­ sion. Vetting, legal definitions and political posturing continue to exist,' and duced without the express permission of Students across the nation hold 'DREAM' graduations. JACL and other APA the Pacific Citizen. See MORVPage'1~ groups urge lawmakers to pass the bill that would allow undocumented Editorials, news and the opinions students the chance to achieve the American dream. expressed by columnists other than the nalional JACL president or national Saving History Identity Neurosis director do not necessarily reflect JACL policy. Event and products advertised in APA groups are rundraising to pay for a Columnist Yumi Sakugawa tackles the the Pacific Citizen do not carry the legal battle over Minidoka. Page 3 double bind of being APA. Page B » » implicit endorsement of the JACl or this publication. We,reserve the right to' edit S.F.'s Nihonmachi Getting to Know Soo ' articles. J·town merchants worry redevelopment Jack Soo is the most famous Nisei actor plans will erode culture. » Page 4 Say YOU're Sony . A Calif. lawmaker wants an apology for you've moved, please past mistreatment. » Page 5 send new information to: National JACl Help for ElLs 1765 Sutter St. WWII Women pilots could receive An Iowa school changes its language San Francisco, CA learner procedure. » Page 7 highest civilian honor. » Page 11 94115 Allow 6 weeks for Congratulations Helen Kawagoe! address changes. Carson JACLer and former national JACL president Helen J!:J\ Kawagoe is the winner of the 2009 Spring Campaign ,,~ avoid interruptions Sweepstakes! She won a voucher for a Mexican cruise! in delivery, please your postmas­ Check out the P.C.'s online 'Wall of Fame' for other Voucher donated by Nafl JACL Credit Union include periodi­ important donors. Thank you forall your support! www.jadcu.com in your change address (USPS ~ ). VIDEO: Watch the P.C.'s Kat Hirayanag! tell Helen she won! Form 3575) WWW.PACIFICCITIZEN.ORG PACIFIC !iii CmzEN TOP STORIES JULY 3-16, 2009 3 Preservationists Continue to Resist Feedlot Near Minidoka A coalition, which includes the JACL, has been fighting the feedlot. Now, the need is to raise money for the legal expenses. By LESLIE K. TAMURA P.C. Correspondent Stepping outside his house at night and looking up at the sky, Dean Dimond says he feels like he can touch the stars: ''That's one of the neatest things about living out where I do," he said. "But if they come and build this big [Confined Animal Feeding Operation, CAFO] ... your attention won't go to the stars." Dimond is a fourth-generation farmer. Since 1994, he has been working the land near the site of the former Minidoka War Relocation Center in Jerome County, Idaho, raising grain, barley, hay and com. "We love it out here," he said. "We're out here kind of by ourselves. We've got good neighbors. It's open country, fresh air." Dimond and his neighbors - including the recently named Minidoka National Historic Site - are up in arms along with several other organizations, however, as a new neighbor threat­ ens to move into the area: a 13,OOO-animall60-acre dairy feed­ PHOTO COURTEY OF DENSHO lot. Children in front of a Minidoka internment camp barrack, c. 1943 ''I'm not anti-agriculture at all," Dimond said. "Everybody has a few cows, but they're talking 13,0Q0 animals, and any be more traffic and pollution because of the feedlot, there'd Sky Farms feedlot has several options as to where it can build time you take that many animals and shove it into that small a also be more jobs and increased market value for the area. its CAFO, says Tebbutt, and there is "no particular reason" for space, there's a lot of odors and flies and crap like that, that I In September 2008, a coalition of organizations protested the constructing a feedlot so close to the Minidoka site and to other don't want to live in it." CAFO's proposed site. The coalition includes the Friends of local farms other than "it's affordable land." Litigation against the feedlot has been ongoing for three Minidoka, Preservation Idaho, the JACL, Idaho Concerned years. Currently attorneys are in the preliminary phase of set­ Area Residents for the Environment, the Dimond family, the Remembering Minidoka tling the record of the case, collecting 'information about Idaho Rural Council, and the !'q'ational Trust for Historic One of the largest intemment camps during World War n, Jerome County's decision-making process in approving the Preservation. the Minidoka War Relocation Center was once the temporary construction of the proposed factory farm. Since then, attorneys for the various organizations have been home for about 13,000 Japanese Americans who hailed from Although the County Board of Commissioners initially trying to settle the record as coalition members have organized Washington, Oregon, Califomia and Alaska, according to the denied the permit application, it reversed its decision in 2008 environmental impact studies, public information efforts and NPS . approving the construction of the feedlot within 1.5 miles of rallied me~bers against the feedlot. ''The Minidoka National Historic Site is an important place the national historic site. "We believe that there were some serious mistakes made by in our nation's history," Tebbutt said. "It's not a pleasant place Dimond and others worry that the proposed CAFO will have the Jerome County Board of Commissioners in the hearing in United States history for everyone, but it reminds us of our environmental, public health, cultural and economic conse­ process that they went 1brough before reaching their decision," own frailties and prejudices." quences, among others. Carlson said. "We're trying to get the court to consider evi­ Not much remains of the camp located in south central "Placing facilities like this is a critical decision," said dence of some of the serious mistakes that occurred in the Idaho.