Exhibit CC 05-20-14 Oral Communications, Letters 1V
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To ease the mind of the City Council members or anyone in the great City of Cupertino and the
State of California who are concerned with the perceived "divisiveness" related to an
installation of monument or memorial as proposed, I hereby respectfully submit a copy of a joint
statement issued by the Korean American Bar Association and Japanese American Bar
Association on May 5, 2014 that firmly rejects the distortion of history by the revisionist
plaintiffs in the Glendale "Comfort Women" lawsuit.
The statement asserts that: "no one should forget the immeasurable pain suffered by
the Comfort Women during World War II. The Memorial should not be used as a
symbol to encourage hate of any kind or the expression of hostility towards
others . . . . . a lawsuit that seeks the removal of the Memorial should not foster
ethnic division and threaten to unravel the, :fabric of the progressive, multiethnic
community we have worked hard to build.
Korean American Bar Association and ,Japanese American Bar Association
unequivocally state that we will not allow the Glendale controversy to divide our
communities. We will continue to work together—as we have for many decades—
towards unity and a better society for everyone."
http://www.jabaontine.org/wp-content/uploads/201.4/05/KABA JABA Joint Statement 4-23-14.pdf
A copy of the lawsuit can be viewed here:
http://www.popehat.com/wp-content/uploads/201 4/02/Gingery-Complaint.pdf
The joint statement is supported by the following; lawyers associations:
• Asian Pacific American Lawyers oaf the Inland Empire
• Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance
• Asian Pacific Bar Association of Los Angeles
• Beverly Hills Bar Association
i John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles
® Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Mexican American Bar Association
National Asian Pacific American Tsar Association
® Philippine American Bar Association
• South Asian Bar Association of Southern California
e Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association
Thai American Bar Association
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In the spirit of community and healing, the Korean American Bar Association of SOLIthern
California (KABA) and the Japanese American Bar Association (JABA) issue this joint
statement in response to the controversy over the Comfort Women Memorial in Glendale,
California, and the lawsuit Gingery et al. v. City,of Glendale, which seeks the removal of the
Memorial.
The plaintiffs raise two primary allegations: (1) the City of Glendale's Memorial "infringes
upon the federal government's power to exclusively conduct the foreign affairs of the
United States, and violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution"; and (2) the
Memorial's approval by the city council did not satisfy the requirements of Glendale's
Municipal Code. In raising these allegations, the plaintiffs' complaint includes a dismissive
history of the Comfort Women that skews facts in favor of the plaintiffs' claims and
minimizes the Comfort Women's suffering during World War II. For example, the plaintiffs'
allegation that "[o]fficials of the Japanese government assert that the Japanese military and
Japanese Imperial government were not rE!sponsible for or directly involved in the
recruitment of comfort women" overlooks the Japanese Government's own
acknowledgement in 1993 that such recruitment "involve[d] . . . the military authorities of
the day."
As Americans and lawyers, we have faith that justice ultimately will be served through our
legal system. Regardless of the lawsuit's outcome, no one should forget the immeasurable
pain suffered by the Comfort Women during World War II. The Memorial should not be
used as a symbol to encourage hate of any :kind or the expression of hostility towards
others. By the same token, a lawsuit that seeks the removal of the Memorial should not
foster ethnic division and threaten to unravel the fabric of the progressive, multiethnic
community we have worked hard to build.
Korean Americans and Japanese Americans live, work, and socialize side-by-side within the
rich diversity of Los Angeles. The history of our two organizations reflects the
interdependence of our communities. Before the establishment of KABA, Korean American
attorneys joined and were leaders of JABA, including one of JABA's early presidents.
Korean American and Japanese American attorneys populate the membership ranks of
both organizations. In the period leading up to the Los Angeles riots of 1992, KABA and
JABA worked tirelessly together and with others to build a multiethnic coalition that
calmed the community and stood against racism.
We are neither anti-Japan nor anti-Korea. Rather, we are Asian Americans committed to
maintaining a community that celebrates diversity, promotes compassion, and builds
friendship on a foundation of honesty and mutual respect. While we cannot ignore the
unchangeable history-that brought us to the present, we can decide to work together for a
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better tomorrow. It is in this spirit that KABA and JABA unequivocally state that we will
not allow the Glendale controversy to divide our communities. We will continue to work
together - as we have for many decades - towards unity and a better society for everyone.
A copy of the lawsuit can be viewed here:
http: /w\yw.popehat.com/wp-colitent/uploads/2014/02/GJngery Complaint.pdf
Media Contacts:
Lisa Kwon, President of KABA Steven K. Yoda, President of JABA
(310) 536-2608 (949) 852-7722
Lisa.Kwon @davita.com syoda @orrick.com
[Korean Language]
Lisa J. Yang, KABA Board Member
(213)955-9500 x128
11'so.yong@li't-nruger.com
ORGANIZATIONS IN SUPPORT OF 1O-INT STATEMENT
We, the undersigned organizations, applaud our friends, KABA and JABA, for their
cooperation and mutual resolve amidst the ongoing controversy over the Comfort Women
Memorial in Glendale, California, and the pending lawsuit that seeks its removal. Their
unity sets a shining example that one's heritage need not define one's future. We, as fellow
lawyers and Americans, are also committed to this ideal.
Respectfully,
Asian Pacific American Lawyers of the Inland Empire • Asian Pacific American Women
Lawyers Alliance • Asian Pacific Bar Association of Los Angeles • Beverly Hills Bar
Association a John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles • Los Angeles County Bar
Association m Mexican American Bar Association • National Asian Pacific American Bar
Association o Philippine American Bar Association • South Asian Bar Association of
Southern California • Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association e Thai American Bar
Association