Asian American National Leaders Confer with Transition Team

December 18, 2008

Washington D.C.—Obama Transition Team members met with national Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders to discuss the process of appointments and to hear of policy issues that the AAPI community would be pressing with the new Administration.  Transition chair, Chris Lu, and other key team members briefed the group on the desire of the Administration to reflect the diverse nature of the nation while simultaneously bringing the most talented people together to run the various agencies of the Federal government.

Click here to read more

NCAPA Commends Obama Team for Selection of Steven Chu  

December 11, 2008

Washington, D.C. -- The National Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), a coalition of Asian Pacific American organizations, commends the Obama Team for their selection of Steven Chu, a distinguished physicist, as the nominee to become the next Energy Secretary.

Click here to read more

JACL Announces Fellowship Opportunity

January 5, 2009

Washington, D.C. -   The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) seeks applicants for its Daniel K. Inouye Fellowship, which will be based in the JACL Washington, D.C. office.  This fellowship will be focused on public policy advocacy as well as healthcare programs and issues of importance to the Asian Pacific American (APA) community at large. The fellowship is named for the Honorable Daniel K. Inouye, current United States senator from Hawaii, and is funded by Eli Lilly.

JACL Announces Pacific Southwest District 2009 Programming Slate

Los Angeles, CA - JACL PSW announces its slate of youth leadership programs in 2009. Those programs include the following:

Bridging Communities Program (co-sponsored with Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress) – connecting high school youth of the JA community with the Muslim community

• Mobilize for Policy 2009– educating and training collegiate youth to effect change in policy affecting the API community
• Project Community 2009 – creating high school community advocates to be active in the Little Tokyo community

Click here for more information

JACL Applauds Nomination of General Eric Shinseki

December 7, 2008

Washington, DC – Members of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the nation’s oldest and largest Asian American civil and human rights organization, are elated to hear that President-elect Barack Obama nominated Retired Army General Eric K. Shinseki as Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the Obama Cabinet.  The JACL applauds the President-elect for his selection of General Shinseki, a Japanese American native of Hawaii, and former Army Chief of Staff.

JACL/OCA Leadership Conference

This annual leadership training conference is a joint program organized by the JACL which includes participants from the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), the second largest Asian Pacific American civil rights organizations in the United States. This four-day conference, held from March 6 to March 10, 2009, provides an opportunity for thirty emerging leaders of the JACL and OCA to learn firsthand about current national public policy issues facing our communities.

Click here for more information.

Car Dealer Apologizes for Racist Ad

Washington, DC -   December 17, 2008  

The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) took issue with a South Carolina car dealer’s advertising campaign which ran a radio ad entitled “Wake Up America” in which he characterized Japanese-made cars as “rice ready” rather than “road ready.” The car dealer, O. C. Welch, criticized people who buy Japanese cars and asked why vehicles made by Toyota don’t have that new car smell.

JACL Congratulates Anh Joseph Cao on Election

Washington, DC -- December 7, 2008

The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the nation’s oldest and largest Asian American civil and human rights organization, congratulates Ahn Joseph Cao on his great victory in being elected to the United States House of Representatives as the first Vietnamese American to serve as a Member of Congress.  The 41 year old community organizer and GOP attorney will represent Louisiana’s Second District which is a heavily black and Democratic district.

JACL Applauds Inclusion of Tule Lake in the Pacific National Monument

Washington, DC -December 4, 2008

The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the nation’s oldest and largest Asian American civil and human rights organization established in 1929, applauds President Bush and the Department of Interior for the naming of the Tule Lake Internment Camp Site as part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. The JACL has worked closely with the Department of Interior, including the Fish, Wild Life and Parks Department and the National Parks Service, The Conservation Fund, The Tule Lake Committee, and others in helping to develop this designation.

JACL and NCAPA Mourn the Loss of Mo Marumoto

Washington, DC-- November 26, 2008

The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and the National Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) express deep sadness at the untimely passing of William “Mo” Marumoto, President and CEO of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS).  Mr. Marumoto suffered a heart attack on November 25, 2008, and passed away shortly thereafter.

JACL Commends Hiring of Don Wakamatsu

San Francisco, CA- November 20, 2008

The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the nation’s oldest and largest Asian American civil and human rights organization, commends the Seattle Mariners Baseball organization for its hiring of Don Wakamatsu as manager for the Mariners and as the first American of Asian ancestry to become a manager in major league baseball.

Tri-District Conference To Be Held in Conjunction with Remembrance Plaza Dedication Ceremony

November 19, 2008

The JACL Tri- District Conference will be held on February 14, 2009 to February 16, 2009 in conjunction with the dedication ceremony of the Pinedale Assembly Center Remembrance Plaza.

Click here for information about Pinedale Assembly Center. 

Click here for more information about the Conference.

JACL Congratulates U.S. Representative Becerra

Washington, DC – November 19, 2008

The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) congratulates United States Representative Xavier Becerra on his election as Vice-Chair of the House Democratic Caucus.  Representative Becerra becomes the fifth ranking Democrat in the House with this position as Vice Chair

Click Here for More News