Chicago Hosts Successful National Convention
By: Michio Murakishi, Membership Chair

The Chicago Chapter recently concluded hosting the 41st Biennial JACL National Convention at the Swissotel in downtown Chicago. The convention was an undeniable success thanks to the leadership and hard work of Ron Yoshino and the rest of the Convention Committee, as well as the other countless volunteers from our Chapter.

The Chicago Chapter was represented at the business sessions by delegates Megan Nakano and Michio Murakishi. Highlights of the business sessions included the passing of a resolution voicing JACL’s opposition to Arizona’s controversial SB 1070 that many believe is tantamount to the legalization of racial profiling.

A resolution involving a proposal called “Power of Words” that calls on the JACL to officially replace words such as “internment camp “ with “American concentration camp” and “evacuation” with “forced removal” was overwhelmingly passed by the delegates.

A resolution supporting the issuance of a postage stamp commemorating Japanese American patriotism was narrowly defeated, with opponents claiming that this stamp would undermine previous efforts pushing the U.S. Postal Service to issue a stamp honoring Nisei veterans of World War II.

Perhaps the most contentious moments on the Convention floor involved the approval of the Biennial Budget. The budget ultimately passed with an amendment to keep the operations of the Pacific Citizen in Los Angeles, and an amendment to not increase membership dues.

A new National Board was elected, with David Kawamoto of the San Diego Chapter being elected National President, succeeding previous National President Larry Oda.

Other Convention highlights included the traditional Sayonara Banquet, panel discussions on topics including “Reframing Civil Rights” and “Responding to Diversity within the Asian American Community,” and numerous workshops exploring such topics as multiracial identity.

On a personal note, this was my first JACL National Convention. I was very impressed by the seemingly unlimited number of program activities to choose from over the course of the five-day Convention. While most of my time was spent at the business sessions as a delegate, I found ample time to mingle with other JACLers from across the country. Looking back, I will probably most value the new relationships and friendships that I formed with the other conventioneers.

National Conventions will switch from a biennial to annual schedule next year when Los Angeles hosts the event. I would strongly encourage anyone from the Chicago Chapter to attend next year’s Convention. JACL’s National Convention is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to meet members from other chapters, have fun, and most importantly to experience the vitality of our organization.

President's Report: A Message to Youth
Chicago JACL Chapter President Megan Nakano's remarks at the 2010 Scholarship Luncheon

Welcome to the Chicago Chapter Japanese American Citizens League’s 53rd Annual Scholarship Luncheon and thank you all so much for coming! 

The Chapter’s scholarship program began in 1957 with a single annual award to the Japanese American community’s top graduating high school senior.  Since then, we have expanded our program to include multiple awards in honor of important leaders in our community and have begun to extend these awards to upperclassmen as well as graduate students. 

Thanks to the continued generosity of our donors, this year, we will be awarding a total of $23,000 and we are looking to expand the scholarship program further. 

The scholarship committee is considering the possibility of sponsoring youth programming such as Project: Community, fellowships, “ongoing scholarships” and other educational grants.   

We think this is an exciting new direction for the scholarship program and we hope that it will allow us to remain active in the lives of the students throughout the years and further incentivize your continued participation in Chapter activities as we hope that this is just the beginning of a lifelong friendship with all of you.

All of our scholars have shown academic excellence and an early commitment to our community.

But rather than rewarding you for your accomplishments thus far, we view these scholarships as an investment in your future because we understand that the fate of the Japanese American legacy is in your hands.

We don’t know what the future holds for us.  The core group of leaders are aging and can no longer do all of the work that needs to be done to support grass roots organizations such as the JACL.  The Japanese American population is disbursed throughout a larger geographic area these days and there are ever-increasing demands for our time, energy & money.  So it will be left to you to carry out our mission to secure and maintain the civil rights of Japanese Americans and all others who are victimized by injustice and prejudice and to support cultural, educational and social values, and work to preserve the heritage and legacy of the Japanese American community. 

The work of the Chicago Chapter is entirely volunteer and cannot continue without your help.  So we need you to be proactive.  Please stay in touch with us, volunteer to help at our events such as our National Convention this 4th of July weekend, connect with the local JACL chapters near your colleges and universities, start chapters of the JACL on your campuses, join other civil rights organizations at your schools, write articles for our newsletter, the JACLer, telling our members about civil rights issues that affect you, and tell us how we can become relevant in your lives.

The JACL wants you to know that your community supports you, not only financially, but holistically in all of your endeavors. 

Congratulations and good luck!

Chicago JA Community gathers for Day of Remembrance
By: Megan Nakano, Chicago Chapter President

On Sunday, 21 February 2010, the Chicago Japanese American Historical Society, Japanese American Citizens League, Japanese American Service Committee and Chicago Japanese American Council hosted their annual Day of Remembrance program at the Chicago History Museum.

Immediately after the attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local authorities began to arrest Japanese American community leaders.  Within 48 hours, 1,291 Issei men were incarcerated.  Most were separated from their families and held for years, without charge, in Enemy Alien Internment Camps that were run by the Department of Justice.

On February 19, 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which served as the basis for the imprisonment of approximately 120,000 people of Japanese descent, most of whom were American citizens.  They were forced to abandon their homes, businesses, and everything but what they could carry in their arms. 

As proof of their loyalty to America, thousands of Japanese American men volunteered to fight in the US Army while their families remained imprisoned.  The 442nd Regimental Combat Team, comprised mostly of Japanese Americans, suffered extreme casualties and is commensurately the most decorated unit in the entire history of the US Military.   In the words of President Clinton, “rarely has a nation been so well served by a people it has so ill-treated.” 

President Gerald Ford rescinded Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1976.  Every February, Japanese American communities across the nation gather to commemorate the signing of the Order and to reaffirm their united commitment to civil & human rights today.

This year’s program featured award winning monologist Alton Takiyama-Chung’s moving performance of his original one-man performance pieces “Heroes” and “Reflections on Minidoka”.  “Heroes” follows two brothers’ journey from basic training to the battlegrounds of Europe with the 100th Battalion/442nd.  “Reflections on Minidoka” tells the story of those who make the annual pilgrimage to the National Monument at the former Minidoka Interment Camp in Idaho.  The Chicago Nisei Post Number 1183 Color Guard posted the nation’s colors at the event.  Taylor Nakagawa, a student at Evanston Township High School, read an excerpt from Executive Order 9066.  

Through education at events such as Day of Remembrance, our community aims to combat ignorance and foster tolerance, as we understand that it is fear bred of ignorance that led to the atrocities against the Japanese Americans during World War II.  By reflecting on the Japanese American experience, we hope to prevent similar treatment of any other group today or in the future.