San Fernando Valley Japanese American Citizens League

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Pacoima, CA (Pacific Time, UTC-07:00)

Oct 3 @ 11:40 pm PDT for San Fernando Valley Japanese American Citizens League

About San Fernando Valley Japanese American Citizens League

Under the leadership and foresight of Tom Imai and other Nisei, the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Citizens League was established in 1942 and "reactivated" after World War II. During the 1960s, our chapter, under Robert Moriguchi, worked with other civil rights organizations in the Valley on issues of fair housing and human relations. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, San Fernando Valley JACL Board Members such as Nancy Gohata, Tak Yamamoto, Phil Shigekuni and Paul Tsuneishi actively worked on organizing the first Manzanar Pilgrimages and advocated tirelessly for Redress and Reparations. Since the 1990s, the Board offered programming dedicated to the changing demographics of the Japanese American community as well as LGBT rights in Asian American communities and beyond. Today, the Valley chapter and its board members continue to educate the public about the Japanese American experience and fight for social justice issues including, but not limited to, immigration reform, marriage equality, the protection of civil liberties, challenging hate speech, and youth empowerment.

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.

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Japanese American Citizens League

Founded in 1929, the JACL is the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization in the United States. The JACL monitors and responds to issues that enhance or threaten the civil and human rights of all Americans and implements strategies to effect positive social change, particularly to the Asian Pacific American Community.

The JACL and the Japanese American community are continuously affected by changes in the political environment and in demographics. Our society continues to be impacted by the events of September 11, 2001, which created a worldwide climate of uncertainty and insecurity where we must reconcile the proper balance between issues of national security and our civil liberties. We are also affected by the changing demographics of race, ethnicity and age.

Looking to our future, the JACL constantly assesses the effectiveness of its role in Japanese American, Asian Pacific American and civil rights communities, and what infrastructure is necessary to effectively support our mission and efficiently achieve our goals. Today, with Mixed Race Asian Americans making up one of the fastest-growing racial demographics in the United States, the JACL looks for opportunities to embrace our increasingly multicultural, multi-ethnic community, while simultaneously preserving our immigrant legacy.

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.