November 14, 2017

This Week's Digest

Washington, D.C.-  

A story broke this weekend that Walmart was selling prints of common images from the Japanese concentration camps. JACL issued statements over Facebook and Twitter objecting to the commercialization of the Japanese American incarceration.  JACL followed this by directly contacting Walmart, posterazzi.com, and Granger Historical Picture Archive. All companies have responded that they've taken the images down from their respective websites and are looking at systems to avoid this happening again. 

National Youth Student Council Holds Event In Philadelphia

The group in Philadelphia. Photo Credit: Takumi Harada

Philadelphia, PA - The National Youth/Student Council (NY/SC) hosted a Youth Leadership Summit gathering a group of young professionals and students at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival for the Japanese American Showcase. Philadelphia JACL president, Rob Buscher, helped NY/SC members, Kota Mizutani (National Youth Chairperson), Mieko Kuramoto (EDC Youth Representative), and Eric Langowski (MDC Youth Representative) organize the event. The group saw several short films about the incarceration in addition to the feature length documentary, "And Then They Came For Us". On Sunday, the NY/SC organized a day of workshops and discussion surrounding the films and Japanese American identity. Thank you to State Farm and Southwest Airlines for making all NY/SC programming possible and to Philadelphia JACL and the Young Professionals Caucus for supporting the NY/SC's Youth Leadership Summit.

For more information on the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival please see its website.

For more information on getting involved with the National Youth/Student Council contact Eric Langowski at erhlango@gmail.com.

Asian Americans Gather in DC to Demand a Clean DREAM Act

    

Washington, DC - The JACL is participating in a National mobilization effort by the broader AAPI community November 15-16, 2017, continuing support for the passage of a Clean DREAM Act. On Wednesday, Nov. 15, there will be a press conference at 11 AM EDT, held at House Triangle. At 1 PM EDT, later that day, there will be a DREAM rally in front of the Russell Senate Building.

As part of these days of actions we are encouraging individuals to reach out to Congress and demand a Clean DREAM act. You can call your members of Congress using 844-551-6921.

On Thursday, undocumented youth and advocates will be visiting Congressional offices advocating for and representing the individuals effected by these issues.

Seattle and Puyallup Valley attend Junior States of America Fall State Convention

Puyallup Valley's Eileen Yamada-Lamphere discusses the JACL history with JSA delegates.

This past weekend, the Seattle and Puyallup Valley chapters reached out to high schoolers and educators by participating in the Activism Fair of the Junior States of America (JSA) Pacific Northwest Fall State convention joining Planned Parenthood, the Alliance of Gun Responsibility, Initiative 940 De-Escalate Washington, the Libertarian Party and several other organizations.

 

 "While we only met a portion of the 389 delegates, I was encouraged and inspired by these high school students.  The convention theme was "Our Nation, Our Values" and those that stopped were fully aware of their civic duties as American citizens and were looking for opportunities to engage in the political process.  This group was very diverse with many students of color from public and private schools, and from many areas of Washington and Oregon. It was an honor to be invited to showcase JACL," said Puyallup Valley Chapter President Eileen Yamada-Lamphere.

 

 

The Fall State convention is followed by the Winter Congress in January.  Winter Congress is structured more like an actual Congress: students are divided into Senate and House of Representative committees.  Each passes bills in committees and then in floor sessions of the Senate and House.  If a bill passes both chambers, it becomes JSA law.  Spring State convention completes the academic year with more debates and thought talks plus the election of regional leaders for the upcoming year.

 

Notable Asian American alumni include Secretary Norman Mineta and Representative Mark Takano.

WHAT:

For the 40 million adults in the U.S. who pr ovide unpaid care to a family member- or first-time caregivers looking for helpful tips and advice, the AARP Online Family Caregiving Fair is helping caregivers navigate their caregiving journey. There will be valuable resources, real-life tips, and support. Additionally, caregivers can check out interactive videos, games, presentations, and video chats.

WHEN:

Thursday, November 16, 2017

6 p.m. - 9 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. PT

KEYNOTE:

Richard Lui, MSNBC Journalist and Anchor

Beyond a demanding work schedule and frequent speaking engagements, Richard flies from NYC to San Francisco each week to care for his father, an Alzheimer's patient. He'll share his experience on the changing roles during his caregiving journey, while answering audience questions.

REGISTER:

Can't make the live date? Register anyway. By registering, you can visit the Online Family Caregiving Fair environment and see all resources available to help you care for your loved ones. The webinar will also be available on demand.

Join Congresswoman Grace Meng for an event about caregiving in NYC

Milo Stewart Jr. / National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

In light of the JACL and the Yu Darvish story, we'd like to remind you of another more positive Japanese American baseball story: a wooden home plate from a WWII-era internment camp is now on display in Cooperstown. Read the full article here.