Weekly Digest
December 10, 2019
JACL Supports the New Way Forward Act
Today, Representative Jesus "Chuy" Garcia introduced the New Way Forward Act before Congress. The bill is co-written sponsored by Representatives Jayapal, Pressley, and Bass. This bill looks to end the widespread discriminatory policies put forth by the 1996 Immigration Bill, as it effects not only Latinx and Middle Eastern Immigrants but also a large portion of AAPI immigrants that came to this country following the devastating wars of the 1960s and 1970s. JACL signed on as one of over 130 organizations to support the bill. If you would like to learn more about the bill and its implications please click here .
APAICS Introduces New Kakehashi Project Trip for Asian American College and Graduate Students
The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) has partnered with JICE and the Japanese government to introduce a new Kakehashi Project Trip that will take Asian American students to Japan on a similar trip to those that JACL has run.
APAICS requirements for Kakehashi are:
  • U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident.
  • Current enrolled undergraduate or graduate student.
  • Asian American or have some Asian ancestry.
  • Physically capable of keeping up with a busy program schedule requiring extensive walking each day.
  • Have NOT participated in a previous Kakehashi Program or other program funded by the Japanese government.
  • Have NOT studied or stayed in Japan for more than a year in total.
  • The following applicants will be given priority:
  • Those who have been involved in study, research or activities related to Japan or Japanese language and culture for more than a year.
  • Those who have been involved in business related to Japan or Japanese products and services for more than a year.
  • Students that have completed a previous APAICS program are encouraged to apply.
If you or someone you know would like to apply for the APAICS Kakehashi Project Trip check the link here! Applications are due Friday, December 13th!
San Jose's 40th Anniversary Day of Remembrance
San Jose’s 40th Anniversary Day of Remembrance Event
No Camps, No Cages
40 Years of Fighting for Justice

On Sunday, February 16th, 2020, the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee (NOC) will present San Jose’s  40th  Anniversary Day of Remembrance event commemorating Executive Order 9066, which led to the World War II era incarceration of more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent, two-thirds of whom were American citizens. 

This year's theme is  No Camps, No Cages . As in World War II, incarceration without due process, separation of families, and children in camps are all happening now and this year’s Day of Remembrance is more timely than ever.

Nihonmachi Outreach Committee is proud to announce that Former Congressman from San Jose and retired Secretary of Transportation, the Honorable Norman Mineta will be the keynote speaker. Amy Iwasaki Mass will talk about her own personal experience of wartime incarceration. In 1981, she testified at the hearings held by the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC). Representatives from the South Bay Islamic Association, San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, and Wesley United Methodist Church will express their support.

There will be a candlelight procession through historic San Jose Japantown and a special performance of  Swingposium,  a production about big band music and dance as a source of hope for Japanese Americans incarcerated in WWII Concentration Camps, by San Jose Taiko with Wesley Jazz Ensemble. The program will start at 5:00 pm, one-half hour earlier than in prior years, to accommodate the performance of  Swingposium . Seating is limited. The event is open to the public and family friendly, with an activity room for children. It is a free event but donations are welcome. 

When: 
Sunday, February 16th, 2020
5:00pm to 7:30pm 

Where: 
San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin Annex
640 North 5th Street
San Jose, CA 95112

Contact information:
408-505-1186

Courtesy of Judy Mine, Chair, Nihonmachi Outreach Committee
Job Opportunity: Education Director, Japanese American Museum of Oregon, Portland, OR
Job Announcement

Education Director, Japanese American Museum of Oregon, Portland, OR
For application and more information, see  www.oregonnikkei.org/job.htm

Oregon Nikkei Endowment is seeking an Education Director who will lead the Japanese American Museum of Oregon's educational initiatives by implementing onsite and offsite programs and managing museum docents. They will be responsible for advancing educational outreach and coordinating museum tours and speaking events. In designing educational programing, the Director will actively manage relationships with local schools and national partners.

To apply, please submit an application, resume, and letter of interest to info@oregonnikkei.org or by mail to Oregon Nikkei Endowment, 121 NW 2nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97209, Attn: EDU DIR.

Application must be received by 5pm on Tuesday, December 31, 2019. Successful candidates will be contacted for interviews.
 
Courtesy of Kurt Ikeda, Japanese American Museum of Oregon
Doctoral Survey for Asian American Workers
My name is Duoc Nguyen, and I am a doctoral candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University. I am working with Dr. Caryn Block to survey the social attitudes of Asian and Asian American employees.  I was wondering if you could help me out by taking the survey or passing it along to others who would be eligible. 

We are reaching out to Asian and Asian American affinity groups within the US to examine the attitudes from their perspective. You are eligible to participate in this study, if you 1) self-identify as Asian or Asian American 2) be 18 years of age or older, and 3) have at least 1 year of professional work experience.
 
The survey should take about 20 minutes to complete. Completion of the survey is entirely voluntary, and results are anonymous. Responses will be aggregated and viewed at the group level and will not attributable to any one individual. You will not be asked to provide any identifying information in the survey.
 
Please see link below to participate 
 
If you have any inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me at  dvn2104@tc.columbia.edu . Your participation in the study is valuable in advancing the understanding of social attitudes towards Asians and Asian Americans in the workplace.
 
Thank you,
Duoc Nguyen
National JACL Announces 2020 Scholarship Program
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) is kicking off its National Scholarship and Awards Program for the 2020 academic year. 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 student aid scholarships for those in need of financial assistance in this era of rising tuition costs. 

Scholarship Program guidelines, instructions and applications can be found on the JACL website, www.jacl.org , by clicking “Youth” on the menu bar.

Freshman applications must be submitted directly by the applicant to his/her local JACL chapter, with a postmark no later than March 2, 2020. Freshman applicants may obtain the mailing address of his/her chapter by contacting Membership Assistant Tomiko Ismail at tismail@jacl.org or by calling the Membership Department at (415) 921-5225, extension 26. 

Chapters will then have one month to evaluate their freshman applications and forward only the most outstanding ones to the National JACL Freshman Scholarship Committee, c/o Seattle JACL, P.O. Box 18558, Seattle, WA 98118, no later than April 1, 2020.

Applications for the “other” scholarship categories (undergraduate, graduate, law, creative/performing arts, and student aid) are to be sent directly by the applicant to the National JACL Scholarship Committee, c/o JACL Midwest District Council, 10604 Killarney Drive, Union, Kentucky 41091, with a postmark no later than April 1, 2020. 

All those applying to the National JACL Scholarship Program must be a youth/student or individual member of the JACL; a couple/family membership does not meet this requirement. Applicants must be enrolled in school in Fall 2020 in order to be eligible for a scholarship.

For more information on the National JACL Scholarship Program, contact Regional Director Patty Wada at pwada@jacl.org or National JACL Vice President for Planning & Development Matthew Farrells at mfarrells@jacl.org.
Pacific Citizen is looking for Submissions for its Special Holiday Edition!
Gift a JACL Membership to Your Family!
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In Case You Missed It...
The 2020 Census is Coming Soon!
Kizuna in Little Tokyo is Hiring!
Title: Program Coordinator
Classification:Full-Time, Regular, Non-Exempt, Benefits Eligible
Hours 40 Hours Per Week, 1.0 FTE
Summary: Working under Kizuna’s Executive Director, the Program Coordinator is responsible for planning, coordination, and implementation of select Kizuna programs.

Courtesy of Stephanie Nitahara, Executive Director, Kizuna
Tsuru for Solidarity's
"National Pilgrimage to Close the Camps"
Upgrade Your Membership!
Advocacy Opportunity: Support Filipino Veterans and their Families
Recently the Parole Program for World War II Filipino veterans and their families to immigrate to the United States and seek citizenship was terminated by the administration. The JACL joins other civil rights organizations in a call to action to help reinstate the program to help Filipino Veterans and their families reunite and seek citizenship! You can learn more in an op-ed written by General Taguba here!
Advocacy Opportunity: Join the JACL in Supporting the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act!
More than one million immigrants arrive at U.S. borders every year, many escaping violent or threatening situations in their home countries. 

Under Trump, immigrants arrive to U.S. detention centers that are just as damaging as the violence-prone countries many are fleeing. One investigator even found conditions at the nation’s largest Customs and Border Protection detention center “could be compared to torture facilities.”

U.S. Congress members, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) have sponsored a bill called the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, proposing changes to how the U.S. treats immigrants and ensuring transparent and responsible conduct around immigrants awaiting a court decision.

This legislation would implement a shift from detention to alternative housing arrangements for immigrants awaiting court decisions. Community-based supervision programs allow immigrants to live independently, and outside of detention centers.

This legislation will also address transparency in how the U.S. runs its detention centers, calling for regular inspections at detention facilities to ensure that the facility workers are respecting all rights of immigrants. 

Migrant families lawfully seeking asylum cannot continue to be abused! Congress must enact legislation to prevent further detainment in for-profit concentration camps. Join the JACL along with other sponsors, Daily Kos, Franciscan Action Network, Blue Future, and more by signing the petition!
Advocacy Opportunity:
Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act
Check if your member of Congress has co-sponsored the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act of 2019. ( List of cosponsors here )

If they have not, call their office TODAY and ask them to do so. Mention that you are their constituent.

Not sure who your member of Congress is? Find them here .

This bill would bring oversight and enforcement of standards to immigrant detention, in an attempt to curb the horrific, inhumane conditions found inside many of these facilities. It would also compel investigations of deaths in custody and phase out private detention, so that all facilities are regulated and no companies stand to profit from locking up families seeking asylum. Find the text here .
Advocacy Opportunity:
Reuniting Families Act
Check if your member of Congress has co-sponsored the Reuniting Families Act. ( List of cosponsors here )

If they have not, call their office TODAY and ask them to do so. Mention that you are their constituent.

The bill promotes family unity by clearing backlogs for family-based immigration and providing for the more timely reunification of spouses and children, as well as providing protection for LGBTQ families. It eliminates per-country visa limits and recaptures lost visas. Find the text here.
Advocacy Opportunity: Petition of Japanese Americans to Close the Camps!
JACL has joined as a supporting organization for this petition.

Nikkei-mashou
Click HERE for the latest issue of Nikkei-mashou, the newsletter of the National Youth/Student Council.

The mission of the National Youth/Student Council is to build a national network that engages the next generation through community organizing to create positive change for the API community.

Apply to be a census worker
The U.S. Census Bureau is hiring temporary workers for the 2020 census count, including census takers and office staff. It is important to have representatives from all communities working as census workers to work towards a full and accurate count.

Click here to find the application and pay rates in your local area.