Headline News

2013 JACL National Convention Materials Now Available!

Washington, D.C. - Registration and Sponsorship Materials for the 2013 JACL National Convention are now available for download! Check out all the insider information from the 2013 Convention Committee!

Inside the Registration and Sponsorship Materials you'll find schedule and hotel information, as well as the advertising, sponsorship, exhibit, and registration forms. (Online registration will be available beginning March) With the convention only 5 months away, don't wait to plan your trip to the Nation's Capitol!

Click on the images below to download the PDFs

The JACL Legacy Fund Grants Committee Opens the 2013 Grant Application Process

January 25, 2013

San Francisco -- Chapters, Districts and the National Youth/Student Council (NY/SC) may now apply for a 2013 Legacy Grant.  Eligible entities may submit more than one grant and may also apply with another eligible chapter, district or the NY/SC.  The maximum amount for each grant, including those awarded to joint applicants, is $3,000.  Partial grants may also be awarded.  Grant awardees will be announced at the 44th National Convention in Washington, DC this summer in July. The deadline for applications is April 24, 2013.

Click here to read more.

JACL Announces San Francisco High School Program to Bridge and Build Communities

December 6, 2012

San Francisco -- The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), in collaboration with the San Francisco Bay Area Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Tule Lake Committee, will be sponsoring a program whose goal is to bridge communities and build partnerships of understanding. Titled “Bridging Communities: Preserving the Legacy,” the program is funded by the National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) Grant Program.

Click here to read more.

JACL Announces the 2013 Collegiate Leadership Conference

December 6, 2012

The JACL is now accepting applications for the 2013 Collegiate Leadership Conference, which will be held on March 15-18, 2013, in Washington, D.C. The Collegiate Leadership Conference is an intensive three-day leadership development program that introduces Asian Pacific American student leaders to the national policy-making arena. Applications are due on Friday, January 25, 2013.

Click here for more information.

JACL Works to Pass Marriage Equality Ballot Initiatives

[Update November 7, 2012]
Ballot initiatives in Washington, Maine, and Maryland have legalized same-sex marriage; Minnesota has voted down the amendment to define marriage as being a union solely between a man and a woman.

(Heather Villanueva, Rachel DeCruz (Seattle King-County NAACP Board Member), Kiku Hayashi (Seattle-JACL Board Member) at an event supporting the legalizatin of same-sex marriage)

(Original Digest Article, Week of October 8-12; abriged preview)

Seattle, WA - On the ballot in the state of Washington this year is Referendum 74, a measure which will grant marriage rights for same-sex couples. A bill legalizing same-sex marriage was passed by state lawmakers in Olympia and signed into law by outgoing Gov. Chris Gregoire in February. The law was slated to take effect earlier in the year, but implementation was delayed by gay marriage opponents, who submitted more than double the required number of signatures to trigger a statewide vote in November.

The Seattle Chapter of JACL has supported the campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington since November 2011, when board members voted unanimously to endorse the Washington United for Marriage organization, a coalition comprised of individuals, businesses, unions, churches, and civil rights organizations. As Bill Tashima, President of Seattle JACL states, "We believe that like the Issei when the Alien Land laws were repealed and like the Nisei when WWII Redress and an apology from the government was issued, the freedom to marry in Washington will permit our gay and lesbian friends, sons, daughters, uncles, aunts, cousins, and neighbors to be complete and whole as citizens of our state." JACL strongly encourages members to support the measure in Washington and the similar measures in Maine, Maryland, and Minnesota.

Click here to read the full article

JACL and OCA Announce 2013 DC Leadership Summit

Washington, D.C.- The 2013 JACL/OCA Leadership Summit will be on Saturday, March 16 through Tuesday, March 19, 2013.

The 2013 JACL/OCA Leadership Summit is a joint program organized by the Japanese American Citizens League and OCA, the second largest Asian Pacific American civil rights organization in the United States. This four-day conference provides an opportunity for thirty emerging leaders of the JACL and OCA to learn firsthand about current national public policy issues facing our communities.

This year, the JACL will only offer online applications. Applications must be received by January 20, 2013. Each JACL District has a separate application. Please make sure to fill out your district's application.

Click here to access the 2013 Leadership Summit webpage for application links and further information.

JACL Statement on the Musical Allegiance

(From left to right: VP-Public Affairs Craig Tomiyoshi, Michael Kurima, George Takei, Executive Director Priscilla Ouchida)

September 19, 2012

San Diego, CA - JACL commends the producers and writers of Allegiance, a new American musical that premiered on September 19, for promoting an increased awareness and interest in the Japanese American experience during World War II. Check this page for our official statement. Also available on the page are historically accurate documents regarding JACL and the Japanese American experience.

JACL Provides Testimony for Senate Hearing on Hate Crimes and Domestic Extremism

(Photo via SAALT)

September 19, 2012

Washington, D.C. - JACL submitted written testimony today to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on The Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights at a hearing on hate crimes and the threat of domestic extremism. The hearing was spurred, in part, by the recent tragedy in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, where a gunman with ties to a white supremacist organization killed six people at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin.

Click here to read more.

JACL and OCA Unite to Support the Sikh Community

August 10, 2012

Washington, D.C. - The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and OCA have established a joint rund to raise money to support the victims of the mass shooting at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin. Contributions to the fund will be used to support the victims of the shooting, the injured officer and their families.

Click Here for More Information

Racism
and Political
Campaigns

July 19, 2012 - A congressional race in New York reminds us we shouldn't become complacent about racism.  Nate Shinagawa, the Democratic nominee in New York's 23rd congressional district was the recent target of a racist attack by WYSL radio hosts Bill Nojay and Bob Savage.  Photo via Ithaca Journal

Click here to read more

Photo Credit:  Mark L. Dodge    

Newly Elected Officers Sworn In During National JACL Convention

July 17, 2012

Washington, D.C. - The Japanese American Citizens League is proud to announce its newly elected national board officers for the 2012-2014 biennium. 

Click here to read more

Concludes Successful Collegiate Leadership Conference

June 14, 2012

Washington, D.C. - The JACL held its fourth annual Collegiate Leadership Conference in the nation’s capital from Thursday, June 7 through Sunday, June 10. Sponsored by UPS Foundation and Southwest Airlines, the Collegiate Leadership Conference gathered ten Asian Pacific American student leaders from around the country to explore ways to effectively create positive change on their own campuses and beyond.

Click here to read more.

JACL Now Accepting Applications for Mineta Fellowship

June 11, 2012

Washington, D.C. – The JACL announces an opening for the JACL Norman Y. Mineta Fellowship in the Washington, D.C. office of the JACL. This fellowship is in the Washington, D.C. office of the JACL and will be focused on public policy advocacy in the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. The fellowship is named for the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta, former Secretary of Transportation and former Secretary of Commerce, and is funded by AARP.

Click here to read more.

NY/SC Concludes Fourth Youth Leadership Summit

June 8, 2012

Portland, OR - The JACL National Youth/Student Council (NY/SC) hosted its fourth Youth Leadership Summit in Portland this past weekend. The summit comprised of 25 participants from the local community representing diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, age, generational status, and involvement with JACL.

Click here to read more.

JACL Praises President's Position on Marriage Equality

May 11, 2012

Washington, D.C. -- The JACL praised President Barack Obama for his support of marriage equality for same sex couples. The organization commended the President for his historic stance as the first President to recognize the rights of same sex couples to marry.

Click here to read more.

President Obama Speaks at APAICS Event

May 9, 2012

Washington, D.C. -- President Barack Obama spoke to a large gathering at the 18th Annual Gala Awards Dinner for the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. The President spoke of the importance of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in this country and mentioned his upbringing in Hawaii.

Click here to read more.

JACL Saddened at Passing of James Murakami

May 2, 2012

San Francisco – Leaders and members of the JACL were saddened by the passing of James Murakami, past JACL National President, on April 28, 2012. He leaves behind his loving and devoted wife of 59 years, Margarette; son Alan (Renee); daughter Kimiye; grandchildren Michael, Mark, Danny, Ray; sister Fuji Kamatani, and many relatives and friends.

Click here to read more.

Presidential Medal of Freedom to be Awarded Posthumously
to Gordon Hirabayashi

April 26, 2012

Washington, D.C. -- The White House announced today that President Obama will be honoring Gordon Hirabayashi posthumously with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Click here to read more.

JACL Statement on Marion Barry Remarks

April 25, 2012

Washington, D.C. -- The JACL condemns Washington D.C. City Councilman Marion Barry for his continued bigoted remarks concerning the role of Asian Americans in the city's economy. Barry needs to apologize for continuing to point to Asian Americans as the problem and should recognize that the American people of Asian heritage are as American as anyone else and have been a key in the economic growth and development of small business and the health sector.

Click here to read more.

New JACL District Governors Announced

April 2, 2012

San Francisco, CA -- The JACL announced the election of two district governors to serve on its National Board. The JACL thanks the outgoing governors, Brian Morishita and Kerry Kaneichi, and welcomes wholeheartedly the new governors, Jeanette Misaka and Ken Inouye.

Click here to read more.

JACL Statement on Trayvon Martin Killing

March 23, 2012

Under any circumstance, the death of a 17-year-old high school student is tragic.  The circumstances surrounding the killing of Trayvon Martin are horrific. 

Click here to read more.

JACL & OCA Host Successful 2012 Leadership Summit

March 23, 2012

Washington, D.C. - The JACL in partnership with OCA National hosted a successful JACL/OCA D.C. Leadership Summit which took place March 10-13 in the nation's capital. The JACL/OCA Leadership Summit brought in 30 participants from the JACL and OCA to attend a three-day intensive training in Washington, DC. Participants met with Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders in Congress, the Administration, and partners from the social justice community. 

Click here to read more.

JACL to Receive National Park Service Grant

March 22, 2012

Washington, D.C. - The JACL has received word from the National Park Service (NPS) that the JACL has been awarded a grant under the Fiscal Year 2012 Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program. The JACL project receiving the grant is: “Passing the Legacy Down: Youth Interpretations of Confinement Sites in the Western United States.” The sites which will be used in the project are Manzanar, Minidoka, and Tule Lake.

Click here to read more.

JACL Now Accepting Applications for Masaoka Fellowship

March 16, 2012

Washington, D.C. -- The JACL is now accepting applications for the 2012-2013 JACL Mike M. Masaoka Congressional Fellowship. The Masaoka Fellowship Fund was established in 1988 to honor Mike M. Masaoka for a lifetime of public service to the JACL and the nation. The JACL Masaoka Fellows are placed in the Washington D.C. Congressional offices of members of the U.S.House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate for a period of six to eight months.

Click here to read more.

Click here for more information and how to apply.

JACL Announces 2012 Collegiate DC Leadership Conference

March 15, 2012

Chicago, IL - The JACL is now accepting applications for the 2012 Collegiate Leadership Conference, which will be held from June 7 -10. The Collegiate Leadership Conference is an intensive three-day leadership development program that introduces Asian Pacific American student leaders to the national policy-making arena. Participants will be briefed on legislative issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community and examine the role Asian Pacific American civil rights organizations play in affecting public policy in the nation’s capital. The conference is sponsored by UPS and Southwest Airlines.

Click here for more information on the conference.

Priscilla Ouchida Named as JACL National Executive Director

March 1, 2012

San Francisco, CA - Priscilla Ouchida of Sacramento has been named the new National Executive Director of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL).  She has served the organization in many volunteer capacities, including two terms as National Vice President for General Operations from 1988 to 1992. Ms. Ouchida will begin her duties effective March 1, 2012, on a part-time basis at the JACL Headquarters in San Francisco as the National Executive Director Elect.

Click here to read more.

JACL Is Disgusted by Racist Campaign Ad

February 7, 2012

Washington, D.C. - The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the nation’s oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization, is disgusted by an ad aired this past weekend by Peter Hoekstra’s campaign for the U.S. Senate in Michigan. 

Click here to read more.

JACL Statement on the Death of Private Danny Chen

January 17, 2012

The Japanese American Citizens League, the nation’s oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization, deplores the mistreatment and abuse directed at Danny Chen by his superiors and fellow soldiers in the United States Army.

Click here to read more.

JACL Mourns the Passing of Gordon Hirabayashi

January 5, 2012

San Francisco, CA.  - Civil rights legend Gordon Hirabayashi passed away this week. Hirabayashi is known best for his crucial role in fighting the curfew laws imposed upon Japanese Americans during World War II. The JACL is saddened by this news and extends its most sincerest condolences to the Hirabayashi family.

Click here to read the JACL's official statement on Gordon Hirabayashi's passing.

Click Here for More News