JACL Weekly Digest

July 15, 2025

Note: JACL Offices will be closed from today, Tuesday, July 15, through Wednesday, July 23, as JACL staff work on the 2025 National Convention, followed by some much-needed rest! We look forward to seeing members and friends in New Mexico. 

There will also be no weekly digest next week! We'll return on July 29!

JACL National News

2025 JACL National Convention

See You in Albuqurque!

Take Part in the 2025 JACL National Convention Silent Auction In-Person or Online!

Visit https://handbid.app.link/JACL-SA or download the Handbid app to view the silent auction baskets and participate.

Sneak peeks will be released on July 15, and bidding opens at 6:00 PM on July 17, 2025. Bidding will close at 7:00 PM MST on July 19, 2025.

Please note that the silent auction is open to all, but some items will need to be retrieved in person BY 8:30 PM MST on July 19th, 2025, at the Sayonara Gala.

Take Action Against the Alien Enemies Act!

Learn More at the Alien Enemies Act Landing Page on the JACL Website

President Trump has now invoked the Alien Enemies Act to target Venezuelan immigrants and already used it to arrest and deport hundreds of people without any due process, only specious accusations based on tattoos and social media posts, but not necessarily actual evidence of criminal activity.

The Supreme Court infamously affirmed the right of the government to take actions to preserve the security of our nation in the cases of Hirabayashi, Korematsu, and Yasui, while also affirming the right to due process in the case of ex parte Endo. The Alien Enemies Act deprives people of that constitutional right to due process affirmed by the Supreme Court.

Together, we can ensure that "Never Again" is more than a promise. Contact your members of Congress and urge them to oppose the President's use of the Alien Enemies Act and co-sponsor the Neighbors Not Enemies Act to repeal the Alien Enemies Act.  

You can also learn more about the Alien Enemies Act, the new JACL Alien Enemies Act Fund, hear stories of people who were subjected to the AEA in WWII, and more at our Alien Enemies Act landing page.  Click the button below or visit jacl.org/alien-enemies-act

JACL Chapters News

If any JACL Chapters would like to submit stories or events to the Weekly Digest, please send inquiries to Education Programs Manager, Matthew Weisbly at mweisbly@jacl.org

2025 Legacy Fund Grants Available Now!

Are you a chapter in good standing and thinking about furthering the mission and fulfilling the vision of the JACL? If so, apply for a 2023 Legacy Fund Grant today and use it as seed money to execute a multi-generational project or activity where your chapter (or district) can take a leadership role in local programming.

To learn more, please visit the JACL National Legacy Fund Grant page here or click below. Applications are due by Sunday, August 24, 2025, at 11:59 pm Hawaiian Standard Time. 

The JACL National Council established the Legacy Fund at the 1990 JACL National Convention in San Diego. Much of the original funds were donated by JACL members who gave portions of their redress awards to further the legacy of the JACL. Each year, a portion of the earnings from the Legacy Fund Endowment provides the funds to run the LFG program.

Immigrant Rights & Community Support Seminar hosted by Sonoma County JACL

Please join us for an important immigration rights seminar on Saturday, July 26. Doors open at 10:00 am for refreshments, and the program starts at 10:30 am (PDT). The seminar will be offered in person at the Rohnert Park-Cotati Regional Library, or you can attend on Zoom. 

You will hear from local activists and immigration rights attorneys. The information that will be shared is IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE, not just those who are undocumented or know someone who is. Only when all of our community members are informed and know their rights can our at-risk community be protected.

Pre-registration is recommended. For more information, see the attached flyer or click on this link: https://aapicnorthbay.org/event-6247294  

Presented by Sonoma County Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), and Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition of North Bay (AAPIC)

Twin Cities JACL Summer Picnic!

 Sunday, July 27th, 2025
 11:00am - 2:30pm
 Rosland Park Shelter
4300 West 66th Street
Edina, MN 55435

Join the Twin Cities JACL for our annual summer picnic, featuring great food, Japanese Dance, Games, and More!

All are welcome! Bring your friends, family, and appetite. Please also bring something to share, and don't forget to RSVP!

https://tinyurl.com/4au297ae

Chicago Japanese Community Picnic on August 2

August 30: Intergenerational Conversations: Ripples of the Past

Saturday, August 30, 2025 | Midwest Buddhist Temple (435 W Menomonee St, Chicago IL 60614)

Intergenerational Conversations: Ripples of the Past is a JACL Chicago and Nikkei Uprising program that brings Chicago-area Nikkei (people of Japanese ancestry) together to connect and process the trauma of WWII forced displacement and incarceration through personal story sharing. It was created to bridge the gap in programming for the community’s need for containers to reflect on and heal from the generational impact of incarceration.

The goals for this program include:

• expanding understanding and awareness of the impacts of the WWII displacement and incarceration,
• creating a space where participants feel brave to explore difficult subjects and feelings with one another,
• encouraging community members to develop deeper connections with one another,
• catalyzing intergenerational processing and healing, and
• beginning to consider hopes and dreams for our community moving forward.
• For more information, visit https://jaclchicago.org/programs/intergenerational-conversations.

From Our Partners

July events for Honouliuli National Historic Site - 10th anniversary commemoration

Virtual talk: Life in Honouliuli for Okinawan POWs: Clues Revealed in Documents, Oral Histories and Memoirs. Kaori Akiyama is an Assistant Professor at the Division of Japanese Studies in the Graduate School of Humanities at Osaka University. Okinawan Prisoners of War (POWs) were the last group among four major ethnic groups of POWs to arrive in Hawaiʻi during and immediately following WWII. This presentation will examine clues that reveal details of their lives in Honouliuli based on US military documents, interviews and their memoirs in Japanese.

When: Saturday, July 19 at 3 p.m.  

Where: This is a free virtual talk. However, registration is required to get the link for the talk. 

Virtual talk: From the Ryukyu Kingdom to Honouliuli: Okinawan POWs in Historical Context. Dr. Brandon Marc Higa is a lecturer in law with a doctor of juridical sciences and juris doctor degrees from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law. Dr. Higa’s presentation provides historical background on Okinawa before World War II.  He will trace Okinawa’s transformation from the independent Ryukyu Kingdom to its annexation as a Japanese prefecture in 1879, highlighting the complex political and cultural shifts that shaped Okinawan identity under imperial rule. This historical context helps explain the distinct experiences of Okinawan POWs at Honouliuli and other internment sites, setting them apart from other Japanese detainees.

When: Saturday, July 26 at 3 p.m.  

Where: This is a free virtual talk. However, registration is required to get the link for the talk. 

Honouliuli National Historic Site Traveling Pop-Up Exhibit: The Kapolei Public Library will be the home of Honouliuli National Historic Site’s traveling pop-up exhibit. Visit the exhibit to learn about the history of Honouliuli and the featured books carried by the library related to Honouliuli.

When: The month of July 

Where: Kapolei Public Library, 1020 Manawai St, Kapolei, HI 96707. 

Taste of Aloha for LA Wildfire Relief - GFBNEC & King's Hawaiian

Join us for a special evening at King’s Hawaiian Bakery & Restaurant to raise support for the LA wildfire relief efforts in the Pasadena and Altadena area.

The event will include buffet-style bites of King’s signature desserts and favorite sides like spam musubi and teriyaki chicken sticks appetizers, and a beverage bar of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, coffee, and tea.

With passion-orange-guava juice in hand, be a part of this fun community gathering featuring:

• the ever-popular spam musubi eating contest, the “Return of the Last Spamurai”
• the limited King’s Hawaiian Los Angeles Strong T-Shirt available for purchase
• a photo booth to capture fun memories!

Dress code is Aloha casual.

Net proceeds will support wildfire relief efforts by the Pasadena Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Pasadena Nikkei Seniors, Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute, Pasadena Buddhist Temple, and the First Presbyterian Church of Altadena.

JA Community Foundation Grant - Summer Letter of Inquiries Available Now

We're excited to announce that our newest Letter of Inquiry period is now open, beginning today and closing on July 31, 2025.  If you are interested in applying for a grant, you can begin the process by clicking here.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@jagives.org.

Our Debt of Gratitude -  Seeking Stories of People Who Helped Japanese Americans During WWII

2025 Pilgrimage Events

Crystal City Rising: Neighbors not Enemies - October 9-12th

The Crystal City Pilgrimage Committee has opened registration for the 2025 pilgrimage taking place October 9-12 in Texas. This year’s Pilgrimage theme is “Crystal City Rising - Neighbors Not Enemies.” In addition to learning about the unique history and stories of survivors of the Crystal City Concentration Camp, this year’s Pilgrimage will frame many of our programs through the lens of present-day attacks on immigrant communities. The event will include a visit to the site of the former prison camp in Crystal City, and a multi-day educational conference taking place in San Antonio.  

The registration fee costs $395.00 per person, which covers bus transportation from the hotel in San Antonio to Crystal City, pilgrimage-related meals, and other related pilgrimage costs. Registration can be completed using the online form at tinyurl.com/2025CCP. For questions about registration or assistance with the form, please email: info@crystalcitypilgrimage.org

Conference programs will be held at the DoubleTree San Antonio Airport Hotel (611 NW Loop 410 San Antonio, TX 78216), which has a special group rate of $119.00 per night plus taxes for both single and double rooms for the duration of the event. Pilgrimage attendees can book online at tinyurl.com/2025CCPhotel using the discount code “CCP.” Hotel bookings can also be made by calling 1-888-728-3031 under the group name “Crystal City Pilgrimage.” 

2025 Poston Pilgrimage - October 24th and 25th!

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