Regardless, all of those exclusionary categories are based on personal choices, which even if unfair are still categorically differenct from restrictions based on ethnicity, place of origin, or HIV infection status (which can easily be due to no fault of the patient).

I’m not sure whether that is really true currently. But there are numerous other, and I think reasonable, restrictions on U.S. naturalization. For example, I believe you cannot have been a Nazi collaborator in any way. USCIS also asks about associations with the communist party, any totalitarian party, terrorist organizations, whether you ever advocated the overthrow of any government by force or violence, and whether you ever persecuted anyone based on race, religion or national origin. Further, you must have “good moral character” which is evaluated similar to the way state bars evaluate it—i.e. you can’t be a felon, and you can’t be a polygamist. The last one, mark my words, is extremely important, and an issue that will be challenged by Muslim immigrants.

There had been a referendum setting a state budget for it at one point, which was approved by a fairly big margin. Then in 2004 (I believe) some lobbyists got a measure on the ballot to repeal the rail mandate, but most people (including my parents) read the ballot item as re-affirming the rail mandate, and it passed by about the same margin as the original approval.

Sadly, although I lived close to the Morikami for a few years, and even had the chance to go on a couple of field trips there in school, I never actually got to visit. I will say that when I lived in South Florida, it struck me as one of the least Japanese places in the United States. There is still only one place in Miami I know of to get authentic Japanese food, and it’s a “kosher Japanese restaurant” run by a Jewish guy and his Japanese wife.

Oh, and to find kites in Japan, you have to find a big park on a summery day when kids aren’t in school. I live close to an enormous riverside park in Tokyo, and have seen quite a few intense kite-flying days there in recent months.

The problem with the Morikami, based on nothing more than a brief check of the photos and their design philosophy, isn’t the size per se, but the eclectic nature of the place, with every sort of garden crammed in. Some Japanese gardens are indeed quite large – the strolling gardens, such as the Big Three of Kenrokuen, Korakuen, and Kairakuen, are quite extensive. But you are right in that the vegetation doesn’t help. It looks far too wild.

Charles, I’m just saying I’ve never seen it in going on in the 4 years I’ve spent here in Kyoto. I know there are still some kite-based festivals around, so maybe I’ll go check one out someday, but kite flying seems pretty dead as a leisure activity, at least around here. But a few weeks in China and I saw hundreds of kite flyers in several different cities.

The Yamato colony in Florida is one of several small-scale attempts to create self-sustaining footholds. Many of them, like this one, peter out, but some had lasting effects anyway—the Texas Japanese who brought new methods of rice farming and the mandarin orange to east Texas, for example.

It is unfortunate that the ballot measure failed, though. I would think a court challenge would succeed, but it would be hard to find someone who has standing, I guess.