Dr. Henry “Hank” Oyama

Memorial services for Dr. Henry “Hank” Oyama were held today at St. Augustine’s Cathedral, 192 S. Stone Ave, with hundreds of people from the Tucson community in attendance. Dr. Oyama was 86 years old and passed away on March 20. He was born and raised here in Tucson, and at age 15 was innocently interned along with 120,000 other Japanese Americans in relocation camps in the western United States. Hank was sent to such a camp north of here in Poston, Arizona with his mother and sister. He was drafted into the U.S. Army after spending 15 months in that internment camp, and later enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, from which he retired as Lt. Colonel.

After returning to Tucson he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Arizona in education, and taught at Pueblo High School for 18 years. Following that he was hired at Pima Community College as director of bilingual and international studies, later became Associate Dean of that program, and eventually retired from PCC in 1991 as Vice President Emeritus. He was bilingual in Spanish and was well know for his advocacy for Hispanic students in Tucson, and established the Hispanic Student Endowment Fund. In 2003 an elementary school in Tucson was named after him at 2700 S. La Cholla Blvd.

Today’s service started off with a welcome by Bishop Gerald Kicanas, who said that Hank was “proud of his roots” and “rejoiced in them here in Tucson.” He also said that Hank “taught by example.” Father Gonzalo Villegas said that Hank exemplified Pope Paul VI’s statement “If you want peace, work for justice.” Particularly touching were when “Amazing Grace” and “Ave Maria” were sung.

Beautiful eulogy delivered today by Ward 5 Councilman Richard Fimbres (also a pallbearer), who spoke of Hank as a “man of integrity, a role model for all”, and listed the many awards/honors that Hank received over his lifetime including Pan Asian Man of the Year in 2005. Hank’s only surviving daughter Mary Catherine Tate spoke of her dad as the person she “learned tenacity from” and that “love is a choice.” Hank was survived by his 2nd wife Laura Ann Toledo Oyama, four children, five stepchildren, fourteen grandchildren, six great grandchildren.

Attending today’s service were many notables:

Ruben Reyes for CD 3 Congressman Raul Grijalva
Former State Senator Victor Soltero
LD 3 State Rep. Macario Saldate (pallbearer)
Pima County District 4 Supervisor Ray Carroll, District 5 Supervisor Richard Elias
Tucson City Councilmembers Richard Fimbres, Karin Uhlich, Regina Romero, former Councilman Steve Leal
TUSD governing board members Adelita Grijalva, Mark Stegeman, Kristel Foster, Cam Juarez
Sunnyside board member Eva Dong Carrillo
former TUSD Superintendents Roger Pfeuffer, Stan Paz

In 1959 he and his Caucasian college sweetheart Mary Ann Jordan challenged Arizona’s anti-miscegenation law which prohibited a Caucasian person from marrying someone Asian American. The actual statute stated: “The marriage of a person of Caucasian blood with a Negro, Mongolian, Malay or Hindu is null and void.” Hank and Mary Ann became plaintiffs in the ACLU of Arizona’s first case, to challenge this law, which was stuck down by Pima County Superior Court Judge Herbert Krucker, but then appealed to the Arizona Supreme Court. Before that court could rule, the Arizona legislature repealed that law, so Hank and Mary Ann’s case was dismissed as moot.

I (an ACLU state board member for five years) attended the ACLU of Arizona’s 50th anniversary dinner on March 20, 2009 where the attorneys for that case were honored, as well as Hank. His wife Mary Ann had passed on by then, but Hank said that she should have been there that night, because she had a harder time with the verbal abuse she endured by being a white person married to a non-white person back then. For Hank and Mary Ann, love was indeed a choice, and they had to fight to remain together and get married.

He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Arizona for this civil rights challenge.

More about Hank in

Arizona Daily Star: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/tucson-education-civil-rights-advocate-hank-oyama-dies/article_fa0197ee-9185-11e2-b1b5-0019bb2963f4.html

Rum Romanism Rebellion (by former State Rep. Tom Prezelski): http://www.rumromanismrebellion.net/2013/03/21/dr-henry-hank-oyama-1926-2013/

Rest in peace civil libertarian and “father of bilingual education” Henry “Hank” Oyama.

Final unofficial results from AZ Sec. of State & Pima County Elections Division, for Southern AZ listed below. It took over 2 weeks to count all the early and provisional ballots cast in the General Election on November 6. Voter turnout statewide was 74.36%, higher at 77.98% in Pima County. The counting apparently took so long because many voters who received early ballots only turned them in on General Election Day, which slowed up the tallying process.

U.S.Senate
Jeff Flake (R)

CD 1
Ann Kirkpatrick (D)

CD 2
Ron Barber (D), incumbent

CD 3
Raul Grijalva (D), incumbent

State Senate LD 2
Linda Lopez (D), incumbent

State Senate LD 3
Olivia Cajero Bedford (D), incumbent

State Senate LD 9
Steve Farley (D)

State Senate LD 10
David Bradley (D)

State Senate LD 11
Al Melvin (R), incumbent

State Senate LD 14
Gail Griffin (R), incumbent

State House LD 2
Andrea Dalessandro (D)
Rosanna Gabaldon (D)

State House LD 3
Sally Ann Gonzales (D), incumbent
Macario Saldate (D), incumbent

State House LD 9
Ethan Orr (R)
Victoria Steele (D)

State House LD 10
Stefanie Mach (D)
Bruce Wheeler (D), incumbent

State House LD 11
Adam Kwasman (R)
Steve Smith (R)

State House LD 14
David Gowan (R), incumbent
David Stevens (R), incumbent

Corporation Commission (3 seats)
Robert Burns (R)
Susan Bitter Smith (R)
Bob Stump (R), incumbent

Pima County:
Assessor: Bill Staples (D), incumbent

Attorney: Barbara LaWall (D), incumbent

Recorder: F.Ann Rodriguez (D), incumbent

Sheriff: Clarence Dupnik (D), incumbent

Superintendent of Schools: Linda Arzoumanian (R), incumbent

Treasurer: Beth Ford (R), incumbent

Supervisors:
D 1: Ally Miller (R)
D 2: Ramon Valadez (D), incumbent
D 3: Sharon Bronson (D), incumbent
D 4: Ray Carroll (R), incumbent
D 5: Richard Elias (D), incumbent

Prop. 114 Crime Victims Protection Act YES
Prop. 115 Judicial Selection NO
Prop. 116 Small Business Job Creation Act NO
Prop. 117 Property Tax Assessed Valuation YES
Prop. 118 Permanent State Land Fund YES
Prop. 119 State Trust Lands YES
Prop. 120 State Sovereignty NO
Prop. 121 Open Elections/Open Government NO
Prop. 204 Quality Education & Jobs NO
Prop. 409 Bonds for City Street Improvements YES

Pima Communty College Governing Board (non partisan, 6 year term)
D 3: Sylvia Lee
D 5: Marty Cortez, incumbent

TUSD Governing Board (non partisan, 4 year term)
Kristel Foster
Mark Stegeman, incumbent
Camy Juarez

Congratulations again to all the winners.

Press release from AZ Democratic Party:

We’re looking for a few good women who are ready to run…

Emerge Arizona is now accepting applications for the 2013 Candidate Training Program

Dear friends,

Another Election Day has come and gone, and we’re already thinking about the women who will represent Arizona’s political future in the next election cycle.

Emerge Arizona offers a six month program that will covers topics such as fundraising, public speaking, field organization and political influence. Former graduates of the Emerge Arizona training program include Rep. Katie Hobbs, Flagstaff City Council member Karla Brewster and former Rep. Pat Fleming.

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Applicants must be women who are registered Democrats and who reside in the state of Arizona.

• Time commitment of one Saturday a month from January through June, 2013, plus homework and preparation

• Application fee of $50 (non-refundable)

• Applications are available online, and require 2 letters of recommendation and a photo.

• Tuition for the six month program is $350. Emerge Arizona believes that tuition should NOT be a barrier to participation in the program. Partial financial aid may be awarded after admission to the program.

• Application deadline is November 15, 2012. Interviews will be scheduled for late November, with class selection completed by December 1.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Emerge Arizona seeks dynamic and self-motivated women who are interested and committed to running for elective office and who have:

• Evidence of political leadership experience or potential, and meaningful involvement in workplace or community;

• Interest in running for political office;

• Ability to articulate a personal political vision;

• Commitment to full participation and attendance requirements of the trainings.

Emerge Arizona will select between 15-25 women from across the state who meet the above criteria and who have the potential to be political leaders.

Emerge embraces diversity and encourages applications from all women regardless of age, race, color, national or ethnic origin, marital status, religious affiliation, sexual orientation or physical abilities.

If you are interested, go to www.emergeaz.org/training for more information and a link to the online application. If you have any questions, contact Rosalie Hirano at rosalie@emergeaz.org.

Lots of Democratic women serve in political offices in Southern Arizona such as: State Senators Linda Lopez, Olivia Cajero Bedford, Paula Aboud, State House Rep. Sally Ann Gonzales, newly elected Reps. Andrea Dalessandro, Rosanna Gabaldon, Victoria Steele, Stefanie Mach. On the local level women who serve in Pima County are Attorney Barbara LaWall, Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez, District 3 Supervisor Sharon Bronson, and Tucson Councilmembers Shirley Scott, Karin Uhlich, Regina Romero.

And congratulations to political newcomers Dr. Sylvia Lee elected to the PCC Governing Board, and to Kristel Foster to the TUSD Governing Board.