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Weekly Digest
March 14, 2023 |
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2023 JACL National Convention Workshop Proposal Form! |
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Do you have an idea for a possible workshop at this year's upcoming JACL National Convention? Then help us by submitting your idea to possibly see it as a workshop this year! Proposals are due by Monday, April 10th. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. This year's workshops will be spread across two days with each dedicated to a specific theme:
Friday Workshops: Envisioning JACL for the Future
Workshops on this day should focus on the current work that JACL is doing, educating and skill-building for chapters and members, and/or discussing how JACL can prepare itself for the future
Saturday Workshops: Rooted in Community
Workshops on this day should focus on the work individuals and organizations are doing to preserve and celebrate the Japanese American, the larger Asian American & Pacific Islander community, and allied communities. |
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JACL Condemns Proposed Reinstatement of Family Detention Policies |
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March 9, 2023 The JACL is shocked and deeply concerned by reports that the Biden Administration is considering the reinstatement of the practice of family detention. During his presidential campaign, President Biden spoke out against previous policies of detention and incarceration at our borders. A return to the detention of immigrant families would solve none of the problems with our broken immigration system. |
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Asian American Media Alliance (AAMA) Congratulates Unprecedented AAPI Wins at the 2023 Oscars |
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AAMA congratulates all of the 2023 Academy Award Winners and Nominees, highlighted by the feature film, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (EEAAO), which went on to top the night with seven awards. From Michelle Yeoh winning Best Actress (the first woman who identifies as Asian ever to be nominated in this category), to Ke Huy Quan for winning Best Supporting Actor, to the writing/directing duo The Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) winning Best Original Screenplay and Best Director, and to producer Jonathan Wang winning Best Picture – this was the most Oscars wins for any movie since GRAVITY equaled that total in 2009. EEAAO was also film studio A24’s biggest box office hit. |
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Monterey JACL Teacher Training Workshop March 25, 2023 |
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Call to Action: Protect Minidoka National Historic Site! Deadline for Comments Extended! |
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From Friends of Minidoka: The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project in south-central Idaho was released by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on January 17, 2023, and sent to the EPA for approval. It was published in the Federal Register on January 20. The public comment period started Friday, January 20, and will end at 11:59 pm MDT on April 20, 2023 (NEW DEADLINE). For more information about the Lava Ridge proposal, see additional posts on the Friends of Minidoka site linked below. |
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San Diego JACL March Monthly Community Dialogue |
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2023 Washington, D.C. JACS Advocacy Week |
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From the JACS Consortium: We are very excited to be gearing up for our annual spring JACSC advocacy, and to return to in-person advocacy in Washington, DC on March 28-29th! A detailed agenda will be released soon, and we extend our deepest gratitude to Warren Maruyama and the Law Offices of Hogan Lovells for hosting JACSC again this year.
Our focus will be celebrating and thanking Members of Congress for their support of the Norman Y. Mineta JACE Act, beginning conversations around the new education initiative included in the JACE Act, and advocating for the annual appropriations of the JACS grant program by educating members on the important projects and initiatives that our organizations are accomplishing. As in previous years, we will also work to schedule high-level administration briefings for the group. This will be our first in-person advocacy in DC since 2019, but we've all gained valuable experience since then by advocating virtually and developing stronger relationships with our district offices. We will share an agenda and additional details as they become available, but if you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to reach out. |
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2023 Minoru Yasui Student Contest |
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The 2023 Minoru Yasui Student Contest theme is responsibility and asks students to express their community responsibilities through a visual art piece and artist statement. The contest has a Junior Division (5th-8th grade) offering a $500 grand prize and Senior Division (9th-12th grade) offering a $1,000 grand prize. Organized by the Minoru Yasui Legacy Project and the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, the Minoru Yasui Student Contest offers students the opportunity to explore societal topics in connection with the legacy of Minoru Yasui, the only Oregonian to have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. To view the full details of the contest, visit the Minoru Yasui Student Contest webpage. Submissions must be completed and uploaded by 11:59pm PT on Sunday, May 14. |
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JACL Endorses California Reparations Task Force |
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March 2, 2023: "As long time participants in the fight for Reparations for African Americans, JACL is
pleased to offer our support and endorsement to the work of the California Assembly
Bill 3121 established Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African
Americans, with a Special Consideration for African Americans Who are Descendants
of Persons Enslaved in the United States." |
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2023 JACL National Scholarship General/Arts Applications due April 3! |
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Freshman Application are Now Closed! 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." 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 3, 2023, 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 2023 in order 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. |
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Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection - Book talk with Tsuru and Deepa Iyer |
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The Past is Not Past: Japanese American WWII Incarceration and the Yonsei Generation - Densho x Tsuru |
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“In what ways do you feel the incarceration has impacted your own life?” That’s the question posed in Dr. Donna Nagata’s recent survey of nearly 500 Yonsei descendants of WWII incarceration. Their responses show that the past is anything but over, and that the incarceration continues to impact Yonsei identity, career choices, and much more. In the first major public event for the Yonsei Project, Dr. Nagata will share her preliminary findings and interpretations. She will be joined in conversation by Dr. Satsuki Ina, Brandon Shimoda, and Daryn Wakasa. This event is funded, in part, by 4Culture. |
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Rebuild Manzanar's Baseball Field |
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Manzanar National Historic Site preserves and tells the stories of Japanese-American incarceration during World War II. Visitors to the park come across a simple sign saying "baseball fields" in front of an expanse of dirt and scraps of chicken wire once used as back stops. This is a huge missed opportunity because the story of baseball at Manzanar is one of its most deeply touching. Japanese Americans, labelled "enemies of the state," continued to enjoy the everyday American game of baseball. This speaks loudly of their resilience and the injustice of their incarceration. Over 120 baseball and softball teams divided into twelve leagues played year-round within the bleak and dehumanizing camp.
A grant from The Fund for People in Parks to rebuild the baseball field, complete with bleachers and announcer's booth, will enable the park to offer visitors a powerful image of life at Manzanar. An educational display on the site will add context. The area will be archaeologically excavated during the work, possibly uncovering new objects. No grass will be planted, keeping this a dirt field, as it always was. Ceremonial games will be played on occasion, allowing for reconciliation and remembrance. The project is only $1,200 off of its goal! Help the project team reach its goal! |
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Fundraiser for Japanese Grocery Store After Shooting |
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Tokyo Foods Grocery store has been one of the few local Japanese stores in Cincinnati for the last 35 years. Owners Tozan (93) and Kimiko (78) Matsuda have run the store by themselves for over three decades providing fresh and unique Japanese groceries to Greater Cincinnati. On Sunday evening January 22nd, a man fired at least a dozen rounds from a handgun into the front windows of Tokyo Foods. He did not know the owners, and thankfully Mr. & Mrs. Matsuda were unharmed as the store was closed. The man's reason for shooting into the store was because he claimed he was the "President of Tokyo" and that Tokyo Foods was "not in compliance". The man was arrested and in custody for multiple felonious charges. All funds will be given to Mr. & Mrs. Matsuda to repair damages, pay rent & insurance, and provide savings to assist in day-to-day living expenses. |
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