Seattle Japanese American Citizens League
Seattle Japanese American Citizens LeagueAkemashite omedetō gozaimasu!
Happy New Year to All from the Seattle Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)! We look forward to another year of serving our Nikkei (Japanese American) community. We are grateful to the North American Post for continuing to be the respected voice of the community for the Seattle area and Washington State. The North American Post keeps us connected with current news and our rich history in the region.
This year, we continued our work to keep alive the civil rights lessons learned over 80 years ago from the incarceration of 125,000 Japanese Americans. In February 2024, we co-sponsored a moving Day of Remembrance at the Puyallup fairgrounds and joined the following demonstration protesting the deplorable treatment of immigrant detainees at the Northwest ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Processing Center (NIPC), formerly the NWDC [Northwest Detention Center) in Tacoma, Washington that echoed the treatment of our ancestors in the World War II concentration camps. Many of our members also supported other actions by our partner organization, Tsuru for Solidarity against incarceration at the NIPC. With a JACL member event, we learned about the legacy of the historic Japanese American Mukai Farm on Vashon Island, in Washington, now a community institution.
We spoke out on important issues to educate and advocate for justice. We have issued strong statements against Islamophobia and anti-semitism, as well as a humanitarian call for a cease-fire in the war in Gaza. We co-sponsored a film and panel conversation in October to show why Asian-Pacific Islander communities need to support the ongoing campaign to support Black reparations for slavery and the 150 years of continued discrimination and racism. And we are working with others to replace the stolen statue commemorating Sadako Sasaki, the young survivor of the Hiroshima A-bomb whose effort to create thousand origami cranes have become a testimony for world peace.
Seattle JACL has worked this year in solidarity with others in our Asian-Pacific Islander community, advocating for our city and county governments to improve the safety in the face of continued anti-Asian violence and discrimination. We lent critical support to the successful establishment of statewide hate crimes hotline. We provided strong statements supporting the re-establishment of the King County Civil Rights Commission.
In the New Year, we hope to expand our reach to the community, and to connect with the next generation that will carry Seattle JACL into the future!
Kyle Kinoshita,
President, Seattle Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
P.O. Box 18558 Seattle Wa 98118
http://seattlejacl.org
info@seattlejacl.org
Membership: https://jacl.org/member/
Puyallup Valley Chapter of the
Japanese American Citizens League
Puyallup Valley Chapter of theHappy New Year … – Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!
Puyallup Valley JACL proudly opened the Remembrance Gallery at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup, Washington with a ribbon cutting ceremony in August 2024; welcoming over 16,000 people during the fall fair season. The Gallery presents the wartime incarceration experience in 1942 through the Nikkei (Japanese American) lens and voices with accurate, authentic, and respectful perspectives.
These visitors explored the stories, oral histories, and maps within the “Throughline”, reflected on over 7500 names listed on the “Monument”, and contemplated living in the 8 by 10-foot horse stall. Engaging and interactive screens provide a unique approach to learning about the various assembly centers and permanent camps. Overall, the technology offers inspiration and empowerment to encourage visitors to advocate for other groups experiencing discrimination.
The Gallery is located inside the grandstands near the original Fisher scones and across from the Fair Museum. While the Gallery is currently closed to the public, tours may be scheduled for groups. Please contact Sharon Sobie Seymour, interim Gallery manager at ssproevents@comcast.net.
Eileen Yamada Lamphere
President, Puyallup Valley JACL
Left to right: Bill Weyerhaeuser, Penny Fukui, Frank Fukui, Alice Hikido, Mary Abo, Cho Shimizu, Elsie Taniguchi, Jim Yamaguchi, Renee McCain, Barbara Mizoguchi-Asahara, Liz Dunbar, Sharon Sobie Seymour, and Eileen Yamada Lamphere.
