JACL Featured Articles

Happy New Year to our Portland JACL Family

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone enjoyed a very happy holiday season which I consider started in October with Halloween (cute costumes and candy!) then on to Thanksgiving (turkey and pie!) and culminating in Christmas (gifts and celebration!). For me, the theme that ties all these events and activities is family.

Congressional Gold Medal Celebration, Washington, DC October 31st – November 3rd 2011

On May 13, 2009, Congressman Adam Schiff from California introduced the Congressional Gold Medal Bill HR 347 to award the CGM to the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT). Senator Barbara Boxer also from California introduced SB 1055 in the Senate.

Make a Difference in Your Community:

This is no time for apathy. From the Tea Party to the Arab Spring, to the worldwide Occupy movement, citizens are taking to the streets to demand that their voices be heard. No matter your political leanings, you are a member of Portland JACL, one of the oldest, most respected civil rights groups in America.

It’s Scholarship Time Again!

For those of you who get the Pacific Citizen, the official newspaper of JACL, the recent special youth issue included announcements of the National JACL Scholarship winners.

How Can We Create a Nuclear-Free World

August 6th marked the 66th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and a few days later, Nagasaki. These horrific events which killed over 220,000 people was the first time that nuclear weapons were used in war.

The Spirit of Nadeshiko

Millions of viewers watched last month, as Nadeshiko Japan, the Japanese women’s soccer team, won its first World Cup ever, in a stunning defeat over the highly favored U.S. team. Their triumph lifted the spirits of a stricken country and one couldn’t help but feel, even if cheering for a U.S. victory, great joy for the country of Japan.

Keep Portland Safe!

Our unofficial motto of “Keep Portland Weird!” is in jeopardy. Portland’s quirky image of naked bike parades, middle-aged business people playing organized kickball games, and friendly food carts on every corner is being tarnished by a rash of disturbing violence.

Japanese American Graduation Banquet

Congratulations to the class of 2011. The Japanese American Graduation Banquet was held on the first of May with a dinner and celebration at the Multnomah Athletic Club. All graduating high school students of Japanese heritage as well as family and community members are invited to this annual event.

When Your World Turns Upside Down

On Friday, March 11, 2011, the world for thousands in Japan turned upside-down.

I know many of you have read this article I’ve included. I felt it was worth printing, in hopes that we would learn from our neighbors to the East.

The following blog was written by a woman in Sendai, Japan. She eloquently speaks of the love that emerged from a challenging condition:

A Glimpse of Hope

The Portland JACL would like to express our heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families who have been affected by the recent disaster in Japan.

On Friday March 11, 2011 at 2:46 pm JST a massive 9.0 magnitude megathrust earthquake lasting over six minutes occurred 81 miles off of the east coast of Japan near Sendai.