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 Mourns Passing of Representative John Lewis | |
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The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) joins the rest of the nation in deep sadness at the passing of Congressman John Robert Lewis. Congressman Lewis first rose to prominence through his leadership during the civil rights movement of the 1960’s as a coordinator for the 1963 March on Washington and 1965 March from Selma to Montgomery Alabama. JACL is proud to have joined the Congressman in both these seminal events in our nation’s history. | |
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JACL Denounces Presidential Memorandum on Apportionment | |
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The Constitution is clear in its wording, “Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State.” There is no exclusion of any group for purposes of apportionment and the President’s memorandum will fail muster in the court. This is yet another attempt by the President to act unilaterally from the executive branch to demonize and antagonize immigrant communities. We denounce this executive order and look forward to its repudiation by our judiciary branch. | |
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JACL 2021-2022 National Board Candidate Profiles | |
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With the elections for the 2021-2022 JACL National Board coming up soon, we're happy to present the candidate profile for the current list of candidates running. We'll be updating the list as we continue to receive further applications. The current candidate profiles can be found below. | |
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Thank you to the Membership for Helping Get Sign Ons for Rep. Ted Lieu's Anti-Asian Bias Letter | |
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From Congressman Lieu's Office: "Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County), along with Reps. Rob Woodall, Judy Chu and Pete Olson, led a bipartisan letter of 150 Members of Congress calling on Attorney General William Barr to publicly condemn acts of anti-Asian bias stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Members also urged AG Barr to provide regular status updates regarding the steps the Department of Justice is taking and will take going forward to combat this behavior." We thank our membership for your support in contacting your representatives and urging them to join the letter! | |
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Tsuru for Solidarity - Shut Down Berks Protest Recap | |
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From Tsuru for Solidarity: "SHOWING UP FOR FAMILIES DETAINED AT BERKS - In Tsuru for Solidarity, our work is grounded in being the allies we didn’t have during World War II, when our own families were rounded up and imprisoned in the camps. On Friday, July 17, so many communities came together to show up for the families inside Berks. We’re so moved to have been able to sing, dance, drum, and raise our voices together with the Shut Down Berks Coalition, Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, Families for Freedom, Haitian Bridge Alliance and Free Migration Project to demand an end to Berks, to family separation, and to detention. We're deeply grateful to have shared in this day of connection with everyone who showed up in person and in spirit, as well as with the families at Berks who were able to hear our collective voices and song. And the work continues: keep up the pressure on Governor Wolf to issue an Emergency Removal Order with actions below from Shut Down Berks Coalition—" | |
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JACL 2021 Budget Call Recap | |
This past Saturday, July 18, JACL National hosted a call for members to learn about the upcoming 2021 provisional budget that will be up for approval at the August National Board Meeting. If you would like to learn more about the upcoming budget, we've posted the recorded call with the presentation given by Secretary/Treasurer James Kirihara, the 2019 Financials, and the proposed provisional budget. You can view them all below. | |
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Starting this Weekend: Tsuru Rising! Community Conversations | |
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Session 1: Japanese American Identity & Intergenerational Trauma July 25th
10am-12pm PDT | 1pm-3pm EDT
Conversation with Dr. Donna Nagata, psychologist and scholar, and Dr. Satuski Ina, Co-organizer, Tsuru for Solidarity, moderated by Brian Niiya, Content Director, Densho. 1pm-3pm PDT | 4pm-6pm EDT
Opportunity for participants to share in a safe and facilitated small group process, to share their responses to the workshop presented earlier on identity and intergenerational trauma. Registration will open on Wednesday, July 15th at 12pm PDT. Registration is limited. Click here to register. | |
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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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Tadaima Week 6 Programming and Amache Special Resource Study | |
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The National Park Service (NPS) Amache Special Resource Study (SRS) team is excited to announce that we have been invited to conduct three virtual public meetings in partnership with TADAIMA! A Community Virtual Pilgrimage, an online event hosted on the Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages (JAMP) organization website. We are honored to be included in the virtual pilgrimage and look forward to engaging with the public on the special resource study that is underway. Each of the three 2-hour meetings will follow the same format, beginning with a short presentation to introduce the Amache special resource study process, followed by smaller breakout groups to gather thoughts and information on the sites’ potential for inclusion in the NPS system. Breakout group discussions will center on questions listed in the attached newsletter. The newsletter also provides background information on the special resource study process and possible outcomes. The meetings will be held during the following dates and times: - Saturday, July 25th: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm PDT (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm MDT)
- Saturday, August 1st: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm PDT (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm MDT)
It is possible to sign up for schedule notifications on the JAMP website to receive details about joining one of the meetings as this information becomes available: https://www.jampilgrimages.com/vpregistration Input from participants will be captured for the public record. If you would like to provide comments outside of the meetings you may do so by accessing the following site: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/Amache | |
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JACL Organizational Sign Ons | |
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JACL NY/SC Digital Storytelling Contest | |
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How does the past influence your present?: NY/SC Digital Storytelling Competition This summer, the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) National Youth/Student Council (NY/SC) is excited to introduce our Digital Storytelling competition. We know that storytelling has always been important, particularly for Japanese and Asian Americans. Much of our community history is recorded orally or passed down through personal archives, and in the present moment it is especially important that we take note of our experiences, memories, thoughts, and feelings. This competition is designed to uplift young JACL voices and use our stories, whether they be present or historical, to build connections with one another in times of physical distance. Using one of five mediums--journalistic-style essay, visual art, video presentation, poetry, or creative writing--we ask youth participants to send in their stories, with the theme of How does the past influence your present? We encourage entrants to be creative in their approach to the theme. How has the past--be it your personal, familial, national, or other histories--shaped your current experience? How has it formed your identity or perception of self? How will it continue to shape your future? You may interpret the prompt as freely as you’d like. In reviewing submissions, members of the National Youth/ Student Council will be evaluating based on the following attributes: -
Creativity -
Adherence to the Theme -
Clarity of Story -
Quality of Submission The competition submission form can be found at nysc.jacl.org and will open June 28th, running until August 15th. The competition is open to all youth ages 13-30, no prior experience necessary. The top two entries will receive: -
Recognition in the Pacific Citizen, our JACL newsletter; -
Publication online, both on the National Youth/Student Council site and the JACL National site; -
An expenses-covered opportunity to attend the 2021 JACL National Convention in Las Vegas to present their work. If you have any questions, please contact NY/SC Youth Representative Mieko Kuramoto at mkuramoto@jacl.org . We look forward to seeing your submissions! | |
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Japanese American Veterans Association Inaugural Day of Affirmation Recording | |
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President Harry S. Truman (Center) decorating the colors of the Nisei 442nd RCT. Photo: Abbie Rowe, National Parks Service, Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. About the Day of Affirmation On July 15, 2020, at 12 noon (EDT), JAVA will commemorate the return of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team from the battlefields in Europe to Washington, DC. Seventy-four years earlier, on July 15, 1946, President Harry Truman received the military unit at 12 noon at the Ellipse, the south lawn of the White House, following its march down Constitution Avenue. The President presented the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) with its seventh Presidential Unit Citation. The noon ceremony will include a wreath-laying at the Price of Freedom Wall, National World War II Memorial, which is on Constitution Avenue, near the Ellipse. Turner Kobayashi, son of Key Kobayashi, who served in the Military Intelligence Service, and Catherine Luette, daughter of Major Orville Shirey, who served with the 442nd RCT, will serve as the wreath bearers. | |
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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. | |
