Supreme Court Allows Transgender Military Service Ban to Go Forward

Today, the Supreme Court allowed the president's transgender military ban to go into effect as the appeals process continues in lower courts. The Court granted stays of injunctions by Federal District Court judges in California and Washington state, but refused to hear immediate appeals of court rulings around the country blocking implementation of the policy. They also did not yet rule on the merits of the case, but it is likely that they will in the future.

JACL condemns any attempt to infringe upon the civil rights of transgender people and to discriminate on the basis of gender. People seeking only to serve their country should not be barred from doing so on the basis of gender; this violates the values of inclusion and equal rights for all that our society espouses. Beyond this, JACL recalls when Japanese Americans were barred from military service at the outset of WWII and urges that this country should not repeat that mistake.

For our full prior statement, please see HERE .

Supreme Court Takes No Action on DACA

The Supreme Court did not take action on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, meaning that the program's protections will remain in place at least until October. The DACA program offers 700,000 immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children work permits and protection from deportation. In 2017, the administration sought to put an end to DACA and asked the Supreme Court to review the case in response to several challenges in lower courts.

JACL supports a clean fix for the DACA program and that program participants should not be used as bargaining chips to end the government shutdown.

JACL Marches for Women's Rights

JACL was proud to join the National Asian Pacific Women's Forum (NAPAWF) and other APIA groups at the Women's March at Freedom Plaza in Washington D.C. on Saturday to stand for the human and civil rights of all women.

JACL Announces the Opening of Multimedia Exhibit on Wartime Incarceration

Then They Came for Me: Incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and the Demise of Civil Liberties will feature photography by Dorothea Lange, Clem Albers, Ansel Adams, and other photographers commissioned by the War Relocation Authority. It also presents art produced in the camps by Toyo Miyatake, Mine Okubo, and others, as well as documentary and video artifacts from incarcerees. It traces the history of anti-Japanese sentiment, Executive Order 9066, the camps, and postwar resettlement. It is sponsored by the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation.

Chapters interested in doing programming in conjunction with the exhibit (such as a film screening or a speaker event) should contact E xhibit Advisory Board Member & Berkeley JACL Co-President Nancy Ukai at  [email protected] or Judy Appel of the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation at  [email protected] .

DATE : January 18 - May 27, 2019

TIME : Visiting hours Wednesday - Sunday, 10am - 6pm

LOCATION : 100 Montgomery St., San Francisco

Toshizo Watanabe Study Abroad Scholarship Program

Deadline to apply: February 17, 2019

The application period for the 2019-2020 academic year has opened and will close on February 17, 2019.

The Watanabe Scholarship is administered by the US-Japan Council and now awards 20 scholarships a year to US students who want to study in Japan and 20 scholarships a year to Japanese students who want to study in the U.S. The average award is about $15,000. 

This is a “needs” scholarship which gives great preference to applicants who have lost one or more parents or who are first in their families to attend college or otherwise have great financial need. This reflects the background of Toshizo Watanabe, who donated $10 million to establish this scholarship.

Please find more information and the application here .

National JACL Announces 2019 Scholarship Program

Deadline to apply: March 1, 2019

San Francisco - JACL announces its National Scholarship and Awards Program for the 2019 academic year. Each year, the JACL 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 information, instructions and applications can be found here .

Freshman applications must be submitted directly by the applicant to their local JACL chapter, with a postmark no later than March 1, 2019. Freshman applicants may obtain the mailing address of their chapter scholarship chairperson by contacting Membership Assistant Tomiko Ismail at [email protected] or by calling the Membership Department at (415) 921-5225, extension 26. 

Seattle JACL Announces Scholarship Opportunities

Deadline to apply: March 1, 2019

Seattle JACL offers five scholarships, available to students in various fields, in memory of different members of the Seattle Japanese American community.

An individual can apply for more than one scholarship. An individual will not be awarded more than one scholarship in a given year. Please note: in general, local area applicants may receive consideration over non-area applicants.

More information, instructions, and applications can be found here . Please contact [email protected] with questions.

Kaiser Permanente Asian Association Scholarship

Deadline to apply: February 6, 2019

The Kaiser Permanente Asian Association (KPAA) Scholarship program is accepting applications from Northern California high school students graduating in spring 2019 who have shown leadership potential in the Asian American and Asian communities.

Apply here and contact Karen Tsang with questions.

Apply for a JA Community Foundation Grant!

Deadline to apply: February 14, 2019

The JA Community Foundation is now accepting grant applications from organizations who work with the senior JA community. Priority areas are health and social services, then arts and culture. All applicants must be 501(c)3 organizations in California.

Apply and find more details here.

CAAM Accepting Documentary Submissions

Deadline to apply: February 10, 2019

The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is accepting submissions of documentary film projects intended for public television. Selected documentaries will receive an award between $15,000 and $50,000 for production funding.

Apply here.

Join the JACL 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.

Click here to find out more and join!

Click here to read Nikkei-mashou!, the JACL NY/SC newsletter.

Screening and discussion of Resistance at Tule Lake

Join JACL's San Diego chapter for a showing of Konrad Aderer's new documentary.

WHEN: Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 1pm

WHERE: Mission Valley Public Library, 2123 Fenton Pkwy, San Diego, CA

WHO: Post-film discussion led by Professors Susan Hasegawa and Simeon Man

Register here.

39th Annual San Jose Day of Remembrance

The Nihonmachi Outreach Committee presents the San Jose Day of Remembrance, commemorating the 77th anniversary of Executive Order 9066. It will feature speeches, a performance by San Jose Taiko, and a candlelight procession through Japantown.

DATE: Sunday, February 17, 2019

TIME: 5:30-7:30pm

LOCATION: San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, 640 North Fifth St., San Jose, CA

SPEAKERS: Don Tamaki, Teresa Castellanos, Chizu Omori