About the Youth Showcase

There are a variety of programs and opportunities for youth in the Nikkei community geared toward building an understanding of culture, heritage, leadership and community service. Come learn all about them at the showcase.

This event will showcase a variety of projects and feature testimonials from our students on the future of our community and the impact of our programs. We hope that students, parents and community members will walk away with a sense of what opportunities are available for youth as well as how to get involved.

National Asian American Organizations Unite to Support the Sikh Community 

JACL and OCA establish fund on behalf of the victims of Oak Creek, Wisconsin tragedy

WASHINGTON, D.C. August 10, 2012 – The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and OCA have established a joint fund to raise money to support the victims of the mass shooting at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin.  

The two organizations will work with their national partners in the Sikh American community, including South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) and Sikh American Education and Legal Defense Fund (SALDEF), to establish the fund.  The leadership of the JACL and OCA, in conjunction with the Sikh-American partner organizations, will work collectively to determine one or more nonprofit organizations to allocate the funds to, based on need and potential impact.

Contributions to the fund will be used to support the victims of the shooting, the injured police officer and their families.  All contributions are tax-deductible, and based on need and input from the partner organizations, will be used to defray the costs of medical bills, funeral expenses, psychological counseling and sustaining the lives of the family members left behind. 

Donations for this fund will be collected until August 31, 2012. 

If you would prefer, you may also mail your donation to: 

National JACL Headquarters
1765 Sutter Street,
San Franicsco, CA 94115

The 2012 national JACL convention has been set and this year’s event will take place July 5 to 8 in Bellevue, Washington at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue. With the theme, “Inform, Transform, Perform: Embracing JACL in an era of transformation,” the event is being sponsored by the Seattle chapter with support from the Lake Washington and Puyallup Valley Chapters. Convention Chair Elaine Akagi and a dedicated Convention Planning Committee have been meeting for over a year to organize informative, inspirational and fun-filled activities. As home to mega-corporations such as Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon, Starbucks, Nintendo, Google, and sports venues like the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners, the greater Seattle area has become a major destination point for foreign and domestic visitors.

The Convention Center is across the street from beautiful Bellevue Square which is filled with shops, restaurants and services and the Lincoln Center which houses a bowling alley, theater, multi-media game room, restaurants and upscale designer shops.

Conventioneers will be welcomed at an Aloha Mixer featuring a Hawaiian band and dancing. More entertainment will be provided by the Portland Swing Band at the Sayonara Banquet and a theatrical offering, “Within the Silence,” will be performed by “Living Voices.”

With an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and colleagues and attend a broad variety of workshops, there should be something of interest for everyone. As noted above, the theme of the convention recognizes the changing face of the JACL and the challenges it faces to be relevant in the 21st century. An important contributor to a dialogue about the future of the JACL will be the National Youth/Student Council which will also meet at the convention.

A Health and Wellness Fair focusing on diabetes will provide information related to education, prevention and “living well.” Co-sponsored by Nikkei Concerns and the American Diabetes Association, the fair will include health screenings, provide strategies for living well, eating healthy and staying active. Stay tuned for more news about the health and wellness fair in future posts.

Junichi Suzuki's Japanese American World War II Documentaries: MIS - Human Secret Weapon. During World War II, the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) was secretly formed by the U.S. Army, and was mostly comprised of "Nisei" men. Braving the many prejudices against them, "Nisei" soldiers of MIS had to fight against Japan, their parents’ homeland, and proved their patriotism to the country that had placed their families in internment camps.