Welcome to JACL

In keeping with its long-standing mission, Chicago JACL continues in its endeavor to support and defend civil and human rights. It accomplishes this by organizing community activities, monitoring against defamation and the use of racial slurs, and coordinating with National JACL and other groups.

In recent years, the Chapter has assisted the work of Midwest Director Bill Yoshino on major hate crime cases in the Chicago area, including:

	Shooting spree by Benjamin Smith, who fired on a number of Jews in Chicago’s north side
	and later killed an African American in Evanston and an Asian American in Bloomington,
	Indiana.

	Murder of a Japanese merchant in Crystal Lake.

	Local assaults on Asian women.

JACL Anti-Hate Program Material
There are a number of materials available through the JACL Anti-Hate Program including literature regarding racial slurs, anti-Asian sentiment on college campuses, and booklets that provide historical looks at anti-Asian sentiment and Asian American Civil Rights.

Network Update
Network Update is a biannual newsletter released by the JACL that tracks hate crimes and hate incidents across the nation and action the JACL has taken against certain crimes and incidents. Click on the picture below for the full newsletter.

JACL Responses to Hate
August 27, 2008: The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) is astonished by the action of the LPGA in requiring its players to speak English or risk suspension. The JACL does not accept the LPGA rationale that this rule is needed to increase its marketability and ensure public interest at pro-am events. Rather than invoke this rule, which would require players who have been on the LPGA Tour for two years to pass an English evaluation by the end of 2009, the LPGA should reconsider and retract this action.
     UPDATE: On September 5, 2008, the LPGA announced that they were rescinding the suspension policy. A new policy will be released by the end of 2008. Click here for the official press release

August 13, 2008: The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) responded to a recent radio slur on the Don Wade and Roma show on WLS AM talk radio, where the hosts mocked Chinese and Chinese Americans by laugh about serving dog at restaurants and transposing the letter "R" for "L" in pronouncing certain words.
     "Some may view this display as mindless, juvenile behavior, however, in truth, it is racist," said JACL Midwest Director William Yoshino.

August 8, 2008: The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) responded to a recent website posting by Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) where the congressman titled an article, “Protecting our Families From Asian Invaders” The blog title was used to explain Knollenberg’s reaction to a consumer protection bill.
     “The title is sadly reminiscent of racist sentiment that has targeted Asian Americans throughout our history in the United States,” said JACL Midwest Director William Yoshino in a letter to the congressman. The JACL requested that Congressman Knollenberg issue an apology for the terminology in the original title and exercise caution and diligence to eliminate the use of anti-Asian references in the future.

July 9, 2008: The Terrebonne Parish school board in Louisiana is considering a proposal requiring commencement speeches to be in English only after two co-valedictorians from Ellender High School thanked their parents by incorporating and translating a few brief words of gratitude in Vietnamese.
      Concerned that this policy will devalue multiculturalism in education and infringe upon students’ freedom of expression, JACL Midwest Director, William Yoshino stated, “It is deeply troubling that a school would think to censor students for their bilingual abilities. Their multicultural roots should be celebrated, not punished.” The school board is still considering this policy.

June, 17 2008: A church van was spray painted with racial epithets in a shocking act of vandalism at Evergreen Presbyterian, a Korean church in Suwanee, Georgia. According to reports, the words “chink mobile,” along with a slew of other racial epithets, had been painted on the church van and much of the church property. Police uncovered swastikas and anarchy symbols spray painted on Evergreen Presbyterian church, in addition to crosses hung upside down and “Jesus is dead” scrawled on the church van. Most of the graffiti was first discovered as churchgoers were making their way to morning service on Sunday.

“Hurtful racial slurs like ‘chink’ are only startling reminders that anti-Asian sentiment still exists, and can manifest in ugly and violent ways," said JACL Midwest Director William Yoshino. "It is also a solemn reminder that, 26 years after the murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American, Asian Americans are still seen as one large indistinguishable, perpetually foreign people."

May 2, 2008: A Durham, North Carolina branch of McDonald's fast food restaurant has come under scrutiny following an in-store window ad that portrays a cartoon chef with slits for eyes advertising the McDonald's "new Asian salad."

"While the offense was likely unintended, please be aware of the fact that such images are found to be derisive by the Asian American community and much of the general public," said JACL Midwest Director William Yoshino. "The image, much like blackface “Sambos” in the 1930s and 1940s, relies on specific ethnic stereotypes and one-dimensional caricatures to convey humor."

May 1, 2008: A national televised Six Flags ad campaign is drawing unwanted attention after many in the Asian American community accused it of being "an outdated, debilitating stereotype only perpetuates the idea that Asians can’t speak English properly."

The most recent Six Flags television ad features a disembodied Asian man yelling the amusement park’s tagline, “More flags! More fun! Six Flags!” in a mock Asian accent. According to those who went in for the original casting call, Six Flags casting directors were specifically looking for an Asian man who could emulate Charlie Chan or who could “talk like [his] grandfather.”

"Though we understand the commercial was made for the purpose of humor, there is nothing funny about resorting to degrading jokes that prey on others for a cheap laugh." said JACL Midwest Director William Yoshino. "Surely, there must have been a host of other ways to create a humorous television commercial that did not rely on offensive, outdated stereotypes."