JACL Concludes 2023 National Convention with the Help of the Amazing Little Tokyo Community!
August 14, 2023
For Immediate Release
Seia Watanabe, VP Public Affairs, swatanabe@jacl.org
Matthew Weisbly, Education & Communications Coordinator, mweisbly@jacl.org
On Sunday, July 23, 2023, JACL National concluded its 53rd National Convention after 5 days of business sessions, socials, workshops, a youth luncheon, a Sayonara gala, and a historically last-minute location shift. Less than a week before the start of the convention on July 19, JACL staff had to make the difficult decision to move the majority of convention to new locations following news of an ongoing strike by hotel workers across Los Angeles, including at the original convention hotel. In only a matter of days, staff and volunteers were able to coordinate new venues, caterers, and shuttle buses to accommodate everyone.
Despite the setbacks, staff, supporters, and members from across the country gathered and were able to host an extremely successful convention! On Thursday, July 20th, delegates gathered at the Aratani Theater in Little Tokyo to conduct JACL National business. Three resolutions were passed by the National Council, all of which support marginalized communities. Resolution One broadens JACL’s support of the LGBTQIA+ community, focusing specifically on transgender and nonbinary folks, by creating new programs to help teach the JACL community about gender and sexual identity, while also seeking to make JACL National functions more inclusive for all.
Resolution Two was presented in response to the growing number of discriminatory laws targeting Asian immigrant communities from owning land. This resolution calls on the JACL to combat and publicly denounce any and all “Alien Land Laws” which are introduced or passed across the country. Finally, Resolution 3 is to reaffirm JACL’s support for reparations efforts for African American communities nationwide.
The convention featured more workshops than any previous convention with 28 workshops in total. Among the featured guests to appear throughout the convention were the Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, CA Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (CA-66), actor and activist, George Takei, Congress member Mark Takano (CA-41), and many more! Workshops and plenary sessions focused on the theme of community, with a focus on Little Tokyo’s special history and solidarity with other communities.
The Sayonara Gala on Saturday, July 22 was emceed by actor and activist, Tamlyn Tomita, who also presented a riveting performance earlier in the week, with “Question 27, Question 28.” The program included performances from the Taiko Center of Los Angeles, the comedy troop Cold Tofu, and a grand finale by local artist Kyori the Okapi. The awards portion of the gala included a special introductory performance of each awardee by the Grateful Crane Ensemble.
This year’s awardees included five Ruby Pin recipients who have given countless hours of dedication to the JACL over the years. This year’s awardees include Sharon Ishii-Jordan, Carol Kawase, Alan Nishi, Travis Nishi, and Paul Uyehara. The other awards given out this year were the Edison Uno Civil Rights Award, given to Don Tamaki for a career of fighting for justice through the law, and most recently his leadership on AB3121, the California Reparations task force. The Governor Ralph Carr Award for Courage was given to Jack Svahn for his leadership in the Reagan administration toward the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. The first of two President’s Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to community leader and activist Alan Nishio. Finally, the second President’s Lifetime Achievement Award was given to world-renowned scientist, Dr. Syun-Ichi Akasofu. You can read more about each of the awardees HERE.
JACL Youth and Programs Manager, Cheyenne Cheng, said of this year’s convention, “I’m extremely proud of the work that the JACL staff and Little Tokyo community put in to make this convention successful! I hope that everyone who attended enjoyed the many programs and events and were able to connect with friends new and old.”
JACL is grateful for the support of convention sponsors State Farm Insurance, AT&T, Comcast Universal, AARP, MGM Resorts International, Verizon, The Umami Fund, the Motion Picture Association, East/West Bank, T-Mobile, USC Dornsife Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religion and Culture, IW Group, MLB, US Bank, the JACL Credit Union, Caesar’s Entertainment, Compassion and Choices, Keiro, the Japanese American National Museum, Visual Communications, Toji Law, Zwig Strategies, and the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation.
The final versions of resolutions one and two are available at the JACL website at jacl.org/2023-jacl-national-convention. Recordings of the convention workshops and plenary sessions will be posted for convention registrants at a later date. Please keep a lookout for updates in the coming months.
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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.
