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Indeed, Wang was part of a mostly Democratic San Francisco Chinese-American political contingent that doesn't usually mingle with the more conservative Silicon Valley Chinese-American high-tech entrepreneurial crowd. There were Chinese-Americans who favor Taiwanese independence and others who lean toward the People's Republic of China, two groups that usually seethe with hostility toward one another.

They were all there in support of Honda's resolution demanding that the Japanese government apologize and pay for World War II atrocities against the Chinese. The issue, however, is dividing Japanese-Americans and Chinese-Americans at a time when political prejudices against Asian-Americans seem to be increasing, as evidenced by the Democratic fund-raising scandals and the recent allegations of nuclear espionage by Chinese-Americans on behalf of the Chinese government.

While Honda's proposal may have united factions of Chinese-Americans, it has caused a deep rift between him and Assemblyman George Nakano, a moderate Democrat from Torrance. It's difficult to pin down the reasons for the split between the California Legislature's only two Asian members. Honda's resolution is widely viewed as a symbolic gesture on an esoteric issue, the California state government traditionally having little influence on Chinese matters of state.

But Honda is committed to carrying his resolution through the legislature, doing battle with his own Democratic leadership in the process. In addition to its demands on Japan, the resolution calls on the U.S. Congress and the president "to take appropriate action to bring about a formal apology and reparations" by Japan. (In fact, AJR-27 closely resembles a congressional resolution that died in the last session.)

The effort to get Japan to pay reparations to China is taking place on other fronts as well. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Lillian Sing and Dr. Clifford Uyeda, a former national president of the Japanese American Citizens League, are co-chairing a new organization called the Rape of Nanking Redress and Reparations Committee.

"Ours is not a Chinese movement, but an American human rights organization," Sing said.

Sensitive to the issue of Japan-bashing, retired pediatrician Uyeda pointed out, "You're not betraying the country of your parents or grandparents by criticizing it. We Americans criticize the U.S. government all the time."

"People have criticized my timing on this resolution," Honda said in an interview after the Sunday lunch. "There is never a good time. But now seemed to be as good a time as any ...

"This is my business. I am a public policy person. One of my jobs is to speak up. This is the right thing to do. It's consistent with my values and principles. But I didn't think it would cause such a ruckus." Earlier, to the lunch crowd, Honda said he is promoting the issue "so that historical amnesia will not occur. It's about healing. We want wounded relations between China, Japan, India, Korea, the Philippines to heal."

Nakano introduced his own resolution, AJR 30, co-sponsored by Honda. It broadly condemns genocide and seeks to establish an institute to study the phenomenon. No specific nation is named in the Nakano proposal. Meanwhile, Honda said he intends to reintroduce his resolution when the legislature reconvenes in mid-August. He predicts it will pass.

Nakano's Torrance office said he was on vacation and unavailable for comment. But a friend, who asked for anonymity, explained the assemblyman's position. "George thinks the timing of Mike's resolution is poor. We are in this period of anti-Asian sentiments. It's a mess. The situation has mushroomed into something intensely emotional on both sides."

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