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JACL
 

Weekly Digest
March 23, 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

 

Make a Gift in Honor of Greg Marutani

March 14 would have been the birthday of long-time JACL Education Committee leader, Greg Marutani, who passed in November 2019. 

Greg's education fund has raised over $20,000 and counting and we hope to continue growing Greg's Education Fund. Recently, we updated the JACL Power of Words Handbook and our National Education Committee has been active to plan virtual activities and update our educational resources.

Please consider a gift in memory of Greg’s birthday using the button below and select "In Memory Of" in the donation dedication.

 

JACL Mourns Loss of Lives in Atlanta

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

On Tuesday evening at least eight people were killed and one wounded in a series of mass shootings that took place at three spas in Atlanta, Georgia. While the shootings, which occurred within hours of one another, have not as of the time of this statement been affirmatively linked, it appears likely that there is a correlation between these acts of violence. With one suspect having been apprehended, the motives behind the shootings remain unclear. What is clear is that authorities have reported that many of the victims appear to be women of Asian descent and that the businesses targeted appear to be Asian owned and operated...

The JACL mourns the loss of lives and condemns these acts of violence. Regardless of whether these actions were racially motivated, we recognize that these events have shaken the Asian American community. We must continue to stand together in solidarity and support one another as we navigate these difficult times. It is our hope that some light is shed on these events and that justice is sought for those who were harmed. 

For additional resources, toolkits, articles, and more about anti-hate, you can visit our page on JACL.org by clicking the link below

 

Asian American Leaders Table Resources and Vigils for Atlanta

The Asian American Leaders Table has put together a list of resources, statements, donation links, and vigils for community members following last week's tragic shooting. You can view these resources below.

 

Friday - #StopAsianHate National Day of Action and Healing 

On March 26th, join the Asian American community for a Virtual Day of Action and pledge to #StopAsianHate and condemn acts of racism and discrimination against Asian Americans! 

 

San Francisco JACL Chapter Condemns
Statements by SFUSD Vice President Alison Collins 

From an article in SFGate on March 21, 2021:

"Nearly two dozen elected officials, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed, are urging the vice president of the San Francisco Board of Education to step down after a series of offensive tweets targeting Asian Americans resurfaced.

Alison Collins once wrote a long Twitter thread accusing Asian Americans of using "white supremacist thinking to assimilate and 'get ahead,'" and comparing them to a "house n****r" (she added the asterisks and did not spell out the word).

Alison Collins's tweets — still not deleted as of Sunday afternoon — were written in December 2016. They're coming to light now as a group pushes to recall the entire school board over prolonged school closures, and also during a time when anti-Asian American rhetoric has come under closer scrutiny following a sharp rise in hate crimes.

 Read the full article here.

 

2020 JACL Annual Report

 

1 Week Left for General Applicants!

JACL National 2021 Scholarship Program

REMINDER: 1 WEEK LEFT FOR GENERAL APPLICATIONS

FRESHMAN APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED!

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.”

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.

 

Tomorrow: ACLU Webinar on Japanese American and African American Reparations and HR-40

 

South Jersey Holocaust Coalition Workshop Korematsu vs. The United States: The Lies of Executive Order 9066

 

23rd Annual and First Virtual Freedom Walk

 

Our League of Dreams - Documentary of the JACL Fundraiser

JACL National and film producer Lane Nishikawa have agreed to work together to produce the first educational documentary film about the 90-year history of the JACL. 

OUR LEAGUE OF DREAMS received a $25,000 Japanese American Community Foundation Grant Award through the assistance of the San Diego Chapter JACL. This will cover the costs of shooting in the first five cities. We need your help to meet our production budget goals. Lane has mapped out seventeen cities that he would like to shoot interviews.

Your individual donation or JACL Chapter donation will go a long way towards helping us achieve our goals. We will make sure that your names are prominently highlighted in the end credits of the film.

Once the film is completed, JACL National and Lane will work with any JACL Chapter that wants to hold a public film screening event in their city to fundraise for their chapter, to educate their youth, and network to new audiences for potential new members. 

 

2021 JACL National Convention Announcement

Due to the ongoing safety issues presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the JACL National Board has decided to postpone a physical convention until at least the Summer of 2022. In the interim, JACL National will be conducting a virtual convention hosted this coming summer, July 15-18, 2021. The virtual convention will include National Council sessions, as well as the usual breakout sessions and workshops that are hosted during convention. More information around the virtual convention and registration will be announced soon!

 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

 

The New JACL.org!

If you haven't seen it already, we have a new website! You can check it out by visiting the same link as always, or click below! Be on the lookout as we add new features and expand! If you see any issues, links not working, or edits that need to be made please contact us using the new contact form on the front page of the website! 

 

Japanese American Veterans Association Scholarship Program

Click the pencil icon above to replace this temporary copy. When you add the content for this text block, make sure it's personal, informational, emotional, and actionable. That's how to ignite change!

The Japanese American Veterans Association announces its annual Memorial Scholarship Program for 2021. The scholarships will benefit a range of graduating high school seniors, undergraduate students, and post-graduate and professional education students. 

Descendants of those who served in the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the Military Intelligence Service, the 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion, or other United States military unit, including the Women’s Army Corps or Army Nurses Corps are eligible and encouraged to apply. 

Current members of JAVA whose membership began prior to April 1, 2019 are eligible and encouraged to apply. Children of current JAVA members are also eligible and encouraged to apply if the applicant’s parent or guardian was a member of JAVA prior to April 1, 2019. 

Past or present members of the Army’s 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry (USAR),  are eligible and encouraged to apply for the Senator Daniel K. Inouye Memorial Scholarship. Applicants should demonstrate their lifelong commitment to public and uniformed service leadership for the nation.

Applicants should first review published rules and forms. Applications and supporting documents must be electronically submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 30, 2021, to javascholarship222@gmail.com. Applications not received by that date or that fail to meet the submission requirements will NOT be considered. Applicants will be notified of a decision by early June 2021. Awards will be presented at a JAVA scholarship awards ceremony on July 17, 2021. 

Another Scholarship opportunity is through Foundation 649! A nonprofit focused on providing college scholarship opportunities to East and Southeast Asian American students who are actively engaged within our community. Their application deadline is April 1, 2021.

 

Seeing LGBTQ Nikkei Conversation Series

Join us for Seeing LGBTQ Nikkei, a collaboration of J-Sei & Okaeri-Los Angeles, a series of programs centered on the perspectives and insights of different generations of queer Japanese Americans.

The experiences of LGBTQ+ Japanese Americans are seldom the focus of community attention. Yet, the wisdom of LGBTQ Nikkei - forged through confrontations with racism, homophobia, transphobia, and sexism – is a vital resource as we create a more inclusive and compassionate society.

Perspectives: Queerness, Ethnicity and Gender in the Arts - April 18, 2021, 4-5:30 pm PT

Artists reflect and interpret cultural anxieties while also creating visions that inspire us to consider alternatives to current reality. How have ethnic identity, gender, and sexual orientation influenced the works of queer Nikkei artists? What other factors have impacted LGBTQ+ Japanese American artists of different generations? Artists working in different media will share their thoughts. In conversation: traci kato kiriyama (moderator), Rey Fukuda, Jill Guillermo Togawa, Nikiko Masumoto, Michael Matsuno

 

JACL 2021 Legacy Fund Grant Announcement

The JACL Legacy Fund Grants Committee is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for 2021 Legacy Fund grants. The LFG Co-Chairs, Roberta Barton, and Toshi Abe encourage JACL chapters in good standing and JACL District Councils to apply. This year, the maximum grant award is $6,000. 

Legacy Fund grants will be awarded for projects and activities that support the mission of JACL and are supportive of the National JACL Strategic Plan. Instructions and application forms may be downloaded from the National JACL’s website at https://jacl.org/legacy-fund-grants/ and submissions for grants must be received by May 1, 2021.

The Legacy Fund was established by the JACL National Council 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. 

For questions or additional information, please contact the co-chairs, Roberta Barton (rbarton4106@comcast.net) and Toshi Abe (tabe@jacl.org). Completed applications are due by May 1, 2021. Grant award recipients will be announced at the JACL National Convention.

 

"Black + Japanese Reparations" Virtual Event Series and Book Club

 

Help find a Bone Marrow Match for

Paul and Kazumi!

 

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. 

 
 
 
 

Follow JACL on:

 

JACL Headquarters
1765 Sutter Street
San Francisco, California 94115
(415) 921-5225 | mbr@jacl.org

JACL DC Office
1629 K Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 223-1240 | policy@jacl.org

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