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 | |
| |
Our GivingTueday Series starts Today! | | | |
 |
Today, instead of asking you for money, we are asking for your time. With just a few minutes to send an email and then place a follow-up call, we can secure $38 million in new funding for the Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) Program and establish a new education program with an additional $10 million in funding. Fifteen minutes of your time could produce up to $48 million in funding for the research and teaching of Japanese American history! To learn more about the Japanese American Confinement Education Act click here! Every other Tuesday in December: Dec 01 | JACS Advocacy Day
Dec 15 | Help Grow Our Membership
Dec 29 | Join Our End-of-2020 Community Call | |
| |
| |
100% Mixed 100% Nikkei now Available on YouTube! | |
 |
If you were unable to attend our webinar on 100% Mixed 100% Nikkei - History and Experiences of Mixed Race Nikkei, the entire program is now available to watch on our YouTube page! You can watch it and other webinars by clicking the link below. | |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| As part of our partnership with AARP, we've collaborated to produce a survey that will help both of our organizations better understand our membership base, the Japanese American community, and larger Asian American community. This is an opinion survey on recent events, perspectives on aging, and engagement with the Japanese American community. All information will only in aggregate for research purposes. No individually identifiable information will be used for the data analysis. We want to emphasize that one does not need to be a JACL member nor Japanese American to complete the survey. The survey will take roughly 15 minutes to complete and must be done in a single sitting as respondents will not be able to stop, close their browser/computer, then come back to the same link to resume where they left off. If someone decides to stop mid-way through the survey, and they close the browser (or if the browser refreshes while they are on pause), then they may have to re-start the entire survey from the beginning. As an incentive for your chapter, the chapter with the highest response rate relative to the number of members we have in our records at the end of the survey administration period, will receive a free registration to the next JACL National Convention. Of course, the chapter must be in good standing. For individuals completing the survey, we will conduct a random drawing of those who complete the survey for five Amazon gift cards worth $100 each. To participate in this random drawing, you have the option to enter your name and email address near the conclusion of the survey along with chapter membership. Participants are under no obligation to provide this personally identifiable information if they do not wish to enter the drawing. We want to emphasize that the name/contact info will not be connected to the rest of the survey responses in order to maintain the anonymity of responses. | |
| |
| |
JACL Washington, D.C. Chapter Mochitsuki December 5th | |
 |
Join the DC chapter this Saturday, December 5 from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. ET for their 2020 Virtual Mochitsuki! This will be a fun-filled community event where people of all ages can gather together to enjoy each other’s company and share family traditions around the topic of Rice to Know You! Robin Koda, co-owner/co-manager of Koda Farms (an almost century-old Japanese American family-owned and operated rice farm in Central California) will share her interesting family history and the "scoop" on rice. Check out the Koda Farms recipes, including one for making mochi, if you want to enjoy some during our event. You will receive a Zoom and a RICE Bingo card link after you register. The Bingo card can be printed or used virtually to play. A huge thank you to the Crafty Ladies who are providing the Bingo prizes! In the past, funds raised from this event helped to sustain JACL DC Chapter activities throughout the year, so we wish to thank you for your past support and generosity. | |
| |
| |
Setsuko's Secret: Friendships Forged in Times of Trial - December 5th | |
 |
Date/Time: Saturday, December 5, 2020 - 2pm PST/5pm EST Shirley Ann Higuchi, author of the new book Setsuko's Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of the Japanese American Incarceration, will be joined by two legends of Congress and the history of Heart Mountain, Wyoming -- Secretary Norman Mineta and Senator Alan Simpson -- as they discuss the Japanese American incarceration during World War II and its impact on their lives. Both Simpson and Mineta are prominently featured in the book. Led by David Ono, the evening anchor of ABC7 News in Los Angeles and an award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker, the panel will discuss the history of the Japanese American experience, the strong bond created by Mineta and Simpson over the years and how it shows how people with differing viewpoints can work together to create a better America, a message that has renewed relevance and urgency today. Please join us online on Saturday, December 5, 2pm Pacific Time/5pm Eastern Time. The event is hosted by the National Japanese American Citizens League and co-sponsored by the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation. | |
| |
| |
APAICS & NCAPA Resume Bank for Presidential Appointments & Webinar Tomorrow! | |
 |
For more information about the appointment process, types of appointments, and what to expect, please visit the Partnership for Public Service’s “Ready to Serve” website: https://presidentialtransition.org/readytoserve/ Please review the previous Plum Books to research listings of former appointee positions, departments, agencies, and desired bureaus to inform your application. Access the resume bank submission form here: bit.ly/AAPIResBank | |
 |
December 2nd at 6:00 PM ET for a conversation with Candace J. Yu, a former appointee in the Obama Administration. She will share insights from her experience recruiting and hiring political appointees as well as navigating the political process. Insights are intended to demystify and provide transparency to the process and do not represent "official" guidance. Following a brief presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in a Q&A session. The webinar is presented by Asian American and Pacific Islander alumni of the Obama Administration (AAPI44s) who are committed to boosting the 46th Administration's impact and ensuring it reflects the diversity of our nation. We are volunteers and draw from our past work and experience supplemented by what is known publicly at this time from the Biden-Harris transition process. RSVP here: bit.ly/APAICSAppoint101 | |
| |
| |
| |
2019 FBI Hate Crime Statistics Indicate Need for Passage of Jabara-Heyer Hate Crimes Act | |
November 24, 2020 Last week, the FBI released its Hate Crimes Statistics Act (HCSA) report that revealed 2019 reached a high not seen in over a decade. For the fourth year in a row, hate crimes have risen to record highs, with race-based hate crimes continuing to encompass the majority. It should be noted that FBI data is imperfect; law enforcement is currently not required to report hate crime data to the FBI. Fewer agencies reported data in 2019 than 2018, with the state of Alabama having reported zero hate crime incidents. | |
| |
| |
Seattle JACL: Uprooting anti-Blackness in the Japanese American Community Series | |
 |
This free series is geared toward youth, open to all, and created through an intergenerational committee of API activists, including our moderator Dr. Kyle Kinoshita.
Japanese American youth: What needs to happen in our community so that we can be powerful accomplices in the movement for Black lives? How can we ensure that our cries for “Never Again is Now!” are rooted in collective BIPOC action—not simply in the self-interests of non-Black Nikkei or API's? Join us for these much-needed learning sessions where we’ll be “cleaning our own house” and examining our history (such as the creation of the "model minority" myth and Black/Asian solidarity). By coming together to learn and connect, we want to give you the anti-racist tools you need to navigate the world today, and to lay the foundation for a future we all believe in. | |
| |
| |
Join Us in Support of H.R. 40 | |
 |
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. | |
| |
| |
| |
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. | |
