2026 JACL National Convention - Call for Workshop Proposals - Applications due January 16, 2026

The 2026 JACL National Convention will be held in Las Vegas, NV, at the Paris Las Vegas from Wednesday, July 29 to Sunday, August 2, 2026. This year's convention theme is Reigniting Our Purpose and Mission.

This year, JACL is pleased to offer the opportunity for those interested to submit a session proposal. Please note that most, if not all, sessions will take place on Friday, July 31. Each session will last 75 minutes, and proposals that are accepted will be entitled to the following compensation if accepted: 

• Each session will receive a stipend (amount to be confirmed) along with one night's hotel stay for each presenter.
• All session presenters will receive a Day Pass for the day during which their session takes place; this will grant access to plenaries, workshops, and any other content-based programming. The Day Pass will also include a complimentary breakfast.
• Any presenters who would like to attend the Awards Luncheon and Sayonara Gala may purchase tickets at the registration link (to be made available in February 2026).

JACL Supports the Reintroduction of the Reuniting Families Act 2025

December 19, 2025

Last week, Representative Chu and Senator Hirono reintroduced the Reuniting Families Act of 2025 (H.R. 6565/S.3419) in the 119th Congress. The JACL has historically supported this legislation, and we proudly stand with the over 50 other organizations that have endorsed the Reuniting Families Act in 2025.

The Reuniting Families Act (RFA) provides crucial updates and reforms to the family-based immigration system, which remains hindered by long waitlists, lost visa numbers, and arbitrary per-country limits. As a result, it can take over a decade to reunite families under the current regulations. These issues have been apparent for decades, but there has still been no meaningful reform.  

2026 JACL National Scholarship Applications Available Now!

Scholarship Program guidelines, instructions, and applications have been posted on the JACL website, www.jacl.org, and can be accessed by clicking the “Youth” tab on the menu bar. You may also click the button below, "To Learn More or Apply Click Here."

Freshman applications must be submitted directly by the applicant to National JACL through the online form no later than Monday, March 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (HST).  

Applications for the non-freshman scholarship categories (undergraduate, graduate, law, creative/performing arts, and financial aid) are also to be sent directly by the applicant to National JACL through the online form no later than Friday, April 3, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (HST).  

All those applying to the National JACL Scholarship Program must be a youth/student or individual member of the JACL; a couple/family membership held by a parent does NOT meet this requirement. Applicants must be enrolled in school in Fall 2025 to be eligible for a scholarship. If a student has received two National scholarship awards previously, they are no longer eligible to apply as the limit is two national awards per person.

The JA Experience - Website & Video Series

The JAExperience.org is a long-needed update to our printed curriculum guide, The Japanese American Experience. Rather than a traditional reprint, we are excited to bring the Japanese American Experience into the modern age with a fully fledged website! 

Alongside the new website, we're also introducing the Japanese American Experience Video Series! Thanks to the Takahashi Family Foundation, we'll be publishing a series of ten short videos spanning the history of the Japanese American community. The series will be available on the JA Experience Website, and each video will be narrated by a community member and feature archival footage and photos. 

Call for 2026 Day of Remembrance Events!

As we're coming up on Day of Remembrance, JACL is once again asking all of our chapters and supporters to send us information on any events that you know of so that we can share it with the wider membership and Japanese American community! 

Please send any information you have on your DOR events, including date(s), times, any website/social links, and images/flyers you might have! We'll continually update the listing, so if you currently only have some information and are still waiting on more, send us what you have, and we can update the event page. The event page and calendar will be made available later. 

Send any program information you have to Education Programs Manager, Matthew Weisbly at mweisbly@jacl.org

Salt Lake City JACL Oral History Project!

We want to hear from you! Japanese Americans are not a monolith. We each have unique family histories and stories to share. Help us preserve the legacy of Japanese Americans in Utah and highlight the rich history and diversity of our community.

Please email Kelly Asao at kellyasao@gmail.com to participate in our oral history project!

January 3: Monterey JACL Nakayoshi Event - Tea Ceremony

January 3: Monterey JACL Movie Night: "The Hidden Fortress"

January 3: JACL Philadelphia Oshogatsu Pot Luck  

January 10: Florin JACL - Sacramento Valley 90th Anniversary Luncheon

January 15: San Diego JACL Monthly Virtual Dialogues

January 24: SFV JACL Installation Luncheon

Feb 19-22: JACL Arizona Chapter - Gila River Connections: A Celebration of Shared History

A landmark community gathering, “Gila River Connections: A Celebration of Shared History,” will take place in Chandler, Arizona, from February 19-22, 2026. This vital event will bring together Japanese American WWII camp survivors, their descendants, members of the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC), students, and allies to honor the intertwined histories of the two communities.

2026 Minoru Yasui Student Contest

I Am An American - Nisei Soldier Experience Traveling Exhibit Opening in San Francisco February 2026