The JACL is partnering with Emmy-nominated producer and filmmaker Kiyoka Rhodes to hold a panel discussion on Black and Japanese American allyship relating to the reparations movement. The motivation behind this discussion comes from the themes expressed in Kiyoka’s upcoming film, Desolate Dreams, which seeks to highlight the complexities of race relations and allyship in the face of injustice.

This online roundtable discussion will take place next Wednesday, May 31st, at 5 PM EST.

For inquiries, please email policy@jacl.org.

To learn more and register, please click the following link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ttoclz3-Qb-afK9lpdhFTQ#/registration

We hope you can join us for our annual JACL DC PICNIC this year at Cabin John Picnic Shelter I (letter “i”), 10900 Westlake Drive, Potomac, MD 20854. We plan to be there rain or shine with plenty of food for everyone. There will be a potluck with assignment, and the Chapter will provide the chicken teriyaki, burgers (beef & veggie), hotdogs, and watermelon.

This space is smaller than last year so you may wish to bring a folding chair or two. There is a train for the younger children (additional cost), but we will have games & prizes.

Please help us prepare by registering HERE. If you would like to help out, contact us at jaclwdc@gmail.com. We would love to see you there!

Please join us at the 75th annual Memorial Day Service at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 10:00 AM. Parking will be limited, so please contact us at jaclwdc@gmail.com for parking permits.

Flowers will be placed on every Japanese American veteran site. If you can come early to help with arrangements or after the service to help lay flowers at gravesites, that would be most welcome. We are accepting donations to help with the cost of the arrangements, and you can donate HERE.

The White House and WHIAANHPI will kick off May festivities next week with a historic celebration in Washington, DC featuring Biden-Harris Administration leaders, artists, and community trailblazers. The forum will include a dozen breakout convenings and panels focused on storytelling, mental health, entrepreneurship, data equity, public service, and more.

The event will take place at George Washington University in Washington, DC.  

The all-day forum, which is open to the public, kicks off the administration’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrations. Through breakout convenings, panels, and artistic performances in the heart of our nation’s capital, the forum will pay tribute to our rich histories and cultures while encouraging candid dialogue on the most pressing issues our communities face, both old and new. Individual registration is required here. 

REGISTER HERE: https://bit.ly/3AzS9B4

*Re-post from Friends of Minidoka:

Minidoka needs your help in opposing the Lava Ridge Wind Project in Southern Idaho! 

TODAY, April 20, 2023 is the deadline for public comment. 

We need YOU to submit a comment. 

Friends of Minidoka, Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee and the Minidoka Community alongside the State of Idaho, urgently requests Alternative A:  “No Action” in the draft Environmental Impact Statement. 

Please submit your comments in response to the Bureau of Land Management’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project. It is important to provide as many comments as possible to the Shoshone Bureau of Land Management in Idaho. You can submit multiple comments before the deadline.

Learn more and submit comments here: https://www.minidoka.org/lava-ridge#:~:text=How%20to%20Submit%20Your%20Comments

#StopLavaRidge #minidoka #environmentalsocialjustice

A Few Spots Left For JACL National’s New Member Orientation with Tamlyn Tomita!

How can you make the most of your JACL membership? Join JACL National’s virtual program to engage with actress Tamlyn Tomita and JACL leadership, meet other new members, and find out all JACL has to offer. We will have prizes! Spots are limited, so we encourage you to RSVP today!

Date: Thursday, April 20th, 2023

Time: 11am PT / 12pm MT / 1pm CT / 2pm ET

RSVP for Zoom Link: https://jacl.salsalabs.org/newmemberrsvp42023/index.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=0f80622e-bbb1-4656-af69-6075eb0b76c2

DC board members Linda, Janice, and Julie greet Minister Koichi Ai.

DC board member Janet caught smiling brightly in front of the table that was filled with delicious bite-sized treats: wagyu beef, melt-in-your-mouth salmon, a variety of nigiri sushi, and shrimp salad. 

Board members Janice and Kim enjoy a chuckle together.

Thank you to everyone who joined Tsuru’s Social Change webinar with Deepa Iyer. You can view the recording on Tsuru’s YouTube page here: https://youtu.be/6rpr5EnsJ_c for folks who could not attend.

Please join Tsuru for two follow-up workshops about the roles and frameworks in Social Change Now on Thurs. April 13, 8-9:30pm ET and Thurs. April 27th, 8-9:30pm ET. We’ll have the opportunity to reflect and dialogue in a community setting and take time to engage more fully with these materials. You don’t need to have attended the talk to join the workshops, nor do you need a workbook if yours is still in the mail! See you there!

Link: https://linktr.ee/TsuruForSolidarity