Japanese American Citizens League

THE JAPANESE AMERICAN CITIZENS LEAGUE IS A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION WHOSE ONGOING MISSION IS TO SECURE AND MAINTAIN THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF JAPANESE AMERICANS AND ALL OTHERS WHO ARE VICTIMIZED BY INJUSTICE AND BIGOTRY. THE LEADERS AND MEMBERS OF THE JACL ALSO WORK TO PROMOTE CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL VALUES AND PRESERVE THE HERITAGE AND LEGACY OF THE JAPANESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ADVOCACY PROGRAM:AS A NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION, JACL ENGAGES IN POLICY ADVOCACY TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS SUBJECT TO DISCRIMINATION. OUR PERSPECTIVE ON CIVIL RIGHTS IS SHAPED BY THE EXPERIENCE OF THE JAPANESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY HAVING BEEN SUBJECTED TO MASS INCARCERATION BY THE GOVERNMENT UNDER THE FALSE PRETENSE OF NATIONAL SECURITY, ONLY TO BE REVEALED MANY YEARS LATER TO BE ROOTED PURELY IN RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA. WE SEEK TO PROTECT THE LEGACY OF OUR COMMUNITY'S EXPERIENCE IN THE PROTECTION OF HISTORIC INCARCERATION SITES AND PROMOTING PUBLIC EDUCATION ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN HISTORY AND CURRENT EVENTS. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)BECAUSE OF OUR HISTORY WE HAVE FOUGHT THE UNDERLYING HATE AND RACISM THAT LEADS TO THE COMMISSION OF HATE AND BIAS INCIDENTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE RECENT CLIMATE OF INCREASED ANTI-ASIAN HATE.

YOUTH, FELLOWSHIP, AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS:IN JACL'S COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPING FUTURE LEADERS JACL SUPPORTS THE NATIONAL YOUTH STUDENT COUNCIL, PROVIDES FELLOWSHIPS FOR RECENT GRADUATES TO GAIN VITAL EXPERIENCE WORKING IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS AND PUBLIC POLICY SECTOR, AND PROVIDES SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF COMPETITIVE SCHOLARSHIPS TO UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS.

PACIFIC CITIZEN:THE PACIFIC CITIZEN IS THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE JAPANESE AMERICAN CITIZENS LEAGUE AND HAS BEEN IN PUBLICATION SINCE SEPTEMBER 1929. AS ONE OF THE LEADING ASIAN AMERICAN FOCUSED NEWS PUBLICATIONS, THE PACIFIC CITIZEN IS COMMITTED TO DELIVERING THE MOST INCISIVE COVERAGE OF IMPORTANT APIA STORIES THAT ARE OFTEN IGNORED BY OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS. THE PAPER CONTINUES TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY WITH ITS FOCUS ON IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATIONS, ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS, AND LATE-BREAKING STORIES. THE PACIFIC CITIZEN REACHES A NATIONAL CIRCULATION OF 10,000 READERS.

OTHER SERVICE PROGRAMS INCLUDE:GRANTS TO CHAPTERS FOR PRESERVING LEGACY OF JAPANESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY, ADVOCACY INITIATIVES, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND OUTREACH, AND CULTURAL HERITAGE AND ARTS PRESERVATION. PROGRAMS NOT PROVIDING DIRECT SERVICES INCLUDE MEMBERSHIP TRACKING AND MAINTENANCE, ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, PROGRAM MONITORING SUPPORT, THE PACIFIC CITIZEN NEWSPAPER, FUND DEVELOPMENT, ASSISTANCE TO CHAPTERS AND DISTRICTS OF JACL, AND INTERNET TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT.