Weekly Digest
January 12, 2021

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

JACL Statement on Capitol Insurrection

January 6, 2021 

Today we have seen the culmination of months of seditious rhetoric from the President and his supporters. For too long white supremacy and hate have gone unchecked in our nation; there can be no other word for what has happened today with the storming of the Capitol than treason. These heinous acts, encouraged and supported by our President, should not go unpunished – Congress must immediately begin the process of impeachment and removal of the President of the United States for acts of sedition.

Lack of Asian American Cabinet Secretary Appointments is Unacceptable

January 8, 2021

On Thursday, President-elect Biden announced his final Cabinet appointments, including key senior appointments to the Department of Justice. We celebrate the nomination of Vanita Gupta to the role of Associate Attorney General. She will bring with her a career of civil rights legal expertise when it is most needed for the challenges ahead for DOJ. As the daughter of Indian immigrants, Ms. Gupta represents much of what is great about our country and will act on the concerns of Asian Americans in the restoration of civil rights protections in the Department of Justice.

However, with the final Cabinet appointee nominations, it has become clear that there will be no Asian American nominated to a Cabinet Secretary position. Were it not for Transportation Secretary Chao’s abrupt resignation from the current Cabinet, President-elect Biden’s Cabinet would be the first in 20 years without any Asian American representation. This comes as a shock as there is no shortage of qualified Asian American candidates put forward to the transition team.

Minidoka Historic Site 20th Anniversary 

JEROME, Ida. – On January 17, 2021, Minidoka National Historic Site will be commemorating our 20^th Anniversary of being a park unit of the National Park Service. We will be hosting a virtual program in partnership with Friends of Minidoka, Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee, and the Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages; and with support from Boise State University, ACLU Idaho, the Community Library (Ketchum), and Boise City Department of Arts & History. Below are the three live program descriptions for Sunday, January 17, 2021: 

Minidoka Survivors Panel (10am PST/11am MST) – Join us for a survivors panel with Paul Tomita, Joni Kimoto, and Dave Sakura to hear about their family's experiences at the Minidoka War Relocation Center. All three panelists were incarcerated at Minidoka as children. This panel will be moderated by Erin Aoyama (Minidoka NHS fellow). 

Link to watch: https://youtu.be/pH2iNqT1hEQ 

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/215800583501082/ 

Origin Story of the Minidoka National Historic Site (12pm PST/1pm MST) – Join us for a discussion about how Minidoka War Relocation Center was established as a park unit and how it became Minidoka National Historic Site. Learn about the early days of the development of the site with Neil King (First Superintendent of Minidoka), Dan Sakura (Clinton Administration Staff), Emily Momohara (Co-founder of Friends of Minidoka), Anna Tamura (National Park Service Planner), and Hanako Wakatsuki (Chief of Interpretation at Minidoka); moderated by Wade Vagias (Superintendent of Minidoka).  

Link to watch: https://youtu.be/rwfKmOwvyXM 

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/419319019269540/ 

Origin Story of the Minidoka Pilgrimage (2pm PST/3pm MST) – Join us for a panel discussion covering the beginning and evolution of the Minidoka Pilgrimage with Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee members: Anna Tamura, Dale Watanabe, Stephen Kitajo, and Gloria Shigeno. 

Link to watch: https://youtu.be/twy7r_W3gvI 

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/726829574936924/ 

2021 Day of Remembrance Events

JACL is looking to compile a list of all of the Day of Remembrance Events coming up around the country for members and their communities to be able to search for events near them. If you have any DOR events in your city or know of any, please email our Policy Fellow, Matthew Weisbly, at mweisbly@jacl.org with details for the event! We'll start posting a list of dates, times, and locations online and here in the digest starting next week! 

JACL Organizational Sign Ons

• AAJC - Advocacy Groups, Community Organizations and Science Associations Urge President-elect Joe Biden to End Justice Department’s “China Initiative”

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

25th Anniversary of Portland JACL's Mochitsuki

Throughout the month of January, the Portland JACL is partnering with community groups to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Mochitsuki. Every day a new video will be posted. Our Mochitsuki headliner, Elena Moon Park has been sponsored with a JACL Legacy Grant.

Mochitsuki is Portland’s annual Japanese New Year celebration and has been a premier event in the local community since 1996.

Mochitsuki Portland is a community volunteer-run non-profit event.

The goal of Mochitsuki is to celebrate tradition by sharing Japanese and Japanese American culture.

The 2019 event attracted more than 3,000 people, not just Japanese Americans, but from every walk of life shared and enjoyed the event.

We hope to reach even more people through our online 2021 event!

Tune in online for our celebration of culture, food, and the arts!

Come and join the fun and educational event for the whole family!

Help Save Sakura Gardens Intermediate Care Facility

Help find a Bone Marrow Match for

Paul and Kazumi!

2021 Minoru Yasui Student Contest

“If there is suffering or pain that is unfairly imposed upon anyone, it’s my duty, it’s your duty to try to alleviate it because that’s the way in which we gain a better life for all of us.” — Minoru Yasui 

The Minoru Yasui Student Contest is proud to announce its 2021 essay competition on Refugee and Immigrant Experiences.  We celebrate the ideas and opinions of students in grades 6 through 12 and challenge them to write an original and thoughtful essay exploring refugee or immigrant experiences. Their essay should also demonstrate an understanding of the life and legacy of Minoru Yasui, who spent over 40 years as a dedicated leader serving diverse and often marginalized communities. 

Students are encouraged to research and share meaningful stories about the conditions, challenges, and support experienced by immigrants and refugees coming to the United States. At the same time, we hope to inspire the next generation of leaders who can embrace complex issues as Min Yasui did - with courage, agility, and thoughtfulness.

For more information on contest details, please go to the Minoru Yasui Legacy Project website:  minoruyasuilegacy.org/student-contest.  

Here’s what you need to know:

• The Rules

• How to Submit

• Resources for Students

• For Educators

Other resources include:

• For curriculum, logistics, and educational resources related to the life and legacy of Minoru Yasui and primary sources about Oregon’s Nikkei community, please contact Jennifer Fang at jennifer@oregonnikkei.org 

• For student experience and research guidance, please contact Alan Zhou at alanzhou2018@gmail.com  or Kyler Wang at kyler.y.wang@gmail.com

JACL National Announces the 2021 Scholarship Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) announced that the 2021 National Scholarship and Awards Program is now underway.  The JACL annually offers approximately 30 college scholarships for students who are incoming college freshmen, undergraduates and graduates, and those specializing in law and the creative/performing arts. There are also financial aid scholarships for those demonstrating a need for financial assistance.  

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.”

Starting this year, the application forms for the scholarship program will be completely online. Freshman applications must be submitted directly by the applicant to National JACL through the online form no later than March 1, 2021, 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 April 1, 2021, 11:59 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (HST).  

For more information on the National JACL Scholarship Program, contact Scholarship Program Manager Matthew Weisbly at scholarships@jacl.org.

APAICS & NCAPA Resume Bank for Presidential Appointments

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

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. 

Hate Crime Resources 

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. 

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