COVID-19 and JACL operations and resources | |
JACL's physical offices remain closed. Staff continue to do the work of the organization remotely. Please direct all phone calls to our Washington, D.C. Office at (202) 223-1240 and we will get back to you as quickly as possible. Otherwise, we will all be available via email. All staff emails can be found HERE. You can also check our website, jacl.org, for updates and COVID-19 resources. You can view our resources page here. Stay safe everyone and we hope to see you all in person again soon. - JACL National Staff | |
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JACL Concludes Virtual Elections in Place of National Convention | |
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This past weekend, the JACL concluded two weeks of virtual proceedings in place of an in-person National Convention to elect a new National Board for the next biennium. In addition, 2 individuals were awarded the Japanese American of the Biennium Award and a chapter was given the George J. Inagaki Chapter Citizenship Award. While the onset of a pandemic has forced all of us to change the ways in which we work, we are glad to see many officers returning and hope to recognize awardees at our 2021 convention. | |
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JACL Supports Yale Admissions Policy | |
Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice accused Yale University of discriminating against Asian American and white applicants in its undergraduate admissions process. The DOJ has stated that Yale has violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and demanded that the university remove affirmative action policies from its 2020-2021 undergraduate admissions cycle. These accusations come following federal investigations into several higher education institutions accused of using affirmative action to enact racist admission policies. The JACL reaffirms our continued support of affirmative action and the admissions policies that Yale University has enacted to fairly evaluate every applicant’s individual merits. | |
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Watch our Fireside Chat: Racial Solidarity with JACL & NAACP | |
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Last week we hosted a fireside chat with JACL Executive Director David Inoue and NAACP’s Senior VP for Policy & Advocacy Hilary Shelton as they discuss the history between their respective organizations and what the future holds for future partnerships. They will discuss the similarities between Japanese American Redress and the current push for HR 40, and how the AAPI community can support the current movements for Black Lives. | |
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JACL/OCA Virtual Leadership Summit | |
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The summit has been going on for over thirty-five years and is dedicated to fostering bonds between JACL and OCA, as well as training community leaders in advocacy. While the 2020 summit will take place online, we're still including much of the same programming from the regular in-person program. The summit will take place Thursday, September 24 through Tuesday, September 29. Thursday and Friday programming will be at night and last roughly 1.5 hours. Saturday and Sunday will be the bulk of the programming, lasting roughly 5 hours each. Monday and Tuesday will be meetings with congressional offices, requiring varying availability and times. At least one additional slot will be opened per district. Applications will be open now through August 30 at 11:59pm Hawaiian Standard Time. You can click here as well for a tentative schedule. If you have any questions about Leadership Summit please contact Matthew Weisbly and Cheyenne Cheng at policy@jacl.org | |
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This Saturday: JACL Japan Chapter "Ask Me Anything" about Life in Japan | |
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New Program Announcement from JACL Japan Chapter! Were you planning on moving to Japan, but your timeline got postponed? If you’re like many others, who have been heavily affected by travel restrictions and bans due to COVID-19, but still want to learn about life on the ground in Japan, we invite you to join us! JACL Japan Chapter is hosting a new digital program called AMA (Ask Me Anything) Asian American Experience in Japan series. We want to bring you to Japan, through our experiences living an ocean away from home, and also share our insider tips on the good, the bad, and the realities of living abroad ~ especially during times like these. Life as an Asian American in Japan, is unique in so many ways. Join us to learn, ask questions, and talk with our session leaders about narratives of life in Japan!
Date: Aug 29th (Sat)
Time: 8 - 10PM PDT
Registration Link: http://shorturl.at/nDGTV
Follow us on IG for updates: @jacl_japan #AMA #Japan #asianamericanexperience #lifeinjapan #jacl | |
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1 Month Left to Complete the 2020 Census | |
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The self-reporting deadline and in-person canvassing for the 2020 Census will be ending on September 30th! That leaves a little more than 1-month left to complete the Census! So if you, your family, friends, or community members haven't completed the Census yet be sure to remind them! | |
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US-Japan Council Emerging Leaders Program Applications Out Now! | |
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The U.S.-Japan Council’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) identifies, cultivates, and empowers a new generation of Japanese American leaders. Emerging Leaders participate in leadership education, design and implement original USJC programming, and establish powerful professional connections and lifelong personal friendships. A new cohort aged 24-35 is selected annually to attend the Annual Conference, become USJC Associates, and join program alumni in bridging the future of the U.S.-Japan relationship. By providing access to members and education on relevant topics, the program aims to motivate participants to promote strong and positive U.S.-Japan relations in their personal and professional lives. | |
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Okaeri Connects! Virtual Program | |
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Join Us in Support of H.R. 40 | |
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JACL Executive Director, David Inoue, discusses JACL’s support of H.R. 40. H.R. 40 would create a commission to examine the institution of slavery, its legacy, and make recommendations to Congress for reparations, beginning a process of repairing and restoring after centuries of enslavement. Click the image above to watch the full video statement. | |
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Why We Can't Wait Campaign: US Congress Should Pass Reparations Bill | |
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"The US Congress should address systemic racism by bringing House Resolution (HR) 40 to a full vote once it reaches the floor, more than 100 civil rights, human rights, and civil society organizations and businesses said today. The federal bill would establish a commission to investigate the legacy of slavery and its ongoing harm, and come up with proposals to Congress for reparations. The organizations mobilized under the new campaign “Why We Can’t Wait,” initiated by groups including the National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC), Human Rights Watch, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N'COBRA)." - From Campaign Letter to Congress | |
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We've updated our Hate Crimes Page to include more information and reporting options for members of the community as hate crimes increase as a result of COVID-19. You can visit the updated page here. | |
