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JACL Condemns “Operation Aurora” and Calls for the Passage of the “Neighbors Not Enemies” Act.

On October 11th, 2024, Former President and current Presidential Candidate Donald Trump told a host of people at his rally in Aurora, Colorado, that if he were to win the 2024 Presidential race he would invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to enforce country-wide mass deportations of so-called migrant criminal networks which he has dubbed “Operation Aurora”. In the days following, Former President Trump repeated these statements at rallies in Prescott Valley, Arizona, and Coachella, California. The JACL strongly condemns the words of Former President Trump and renews its call on Congress to pass the Neighbors Not Enemies Act (H.R. 3610/S.1747) introduced by Representative Ilhan Omar and Senator Mazie Hirono, which would repeal the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. 

As the only remaining component of the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Alien Enemies Act grants the president with the power to authorize the arrest, detention, and deportation of citizens of an “enemy nation” during wartime. While detained, foreign nationals of enemy nations would be treated as prisoners of war and could even be detained after hostilities with an enemy nation ceased. This controversial act was first used by President Roosevelt in 1941 to arrest and detain citizens of Japan, Germany, and Italy without due process. In 1942 President Roosevelt expanded the scope of his wartime powers to issue Executive Order 9066 which led to the mass incarceration of over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry. The Alien Enemies Act was also referenced by Former President Trump in 2016 when he issued Executive Order 13769 also known as the “Muslim Ban” that prohibited individuals from predominantly Muslim nations from entering the United States, under the false guise of national security. 

The utilization of the Alien Enemies Act as a broad immigration enforcement tool is a gross misapplication of a centuries-old law meant specifically for use in wartime. The suggestion that migrant communities originate from enemy nations and that the United States is at war with migrants is poisonous rhetoric that only seeks to divide the American people, distance the United States from neighboring countries and dehumanize migrant families and communities seeking a better life in the United States.

JACL Executive Director, David Inoue stated “Former President Trump has peddled a false narrative of immigrants as a broad threat to our country. While there are many in this country who face challenges in an economy that has benefited a wealthy minority and any potential for violence can strike fear in any community, the source of these difficulties is not from immigrants who actually bring economic growth and vibrancy to the communities in which they reside. Spreading lies that incite escalating fear will lead to dire consequences such as the Japanese American community experienced during WWII.”

We at the JACL renew our commitment to protecting the rights of all people, regardless of their citizenship status or nation of origin. We urge the public and our partners to stand with us and call on Congress to pass the Neighbors Not Enemies Act before the Alien Enemies Act can once again be used to violate the due process and equal protection rights of people residing in the United States. Additionally, we call on the public and our leaders of good conscience to stand against increasing xenophobic rhetoric and condemn Former President Trump’s continuing attacks on immigrant communities.

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Reparations now

A Call for President Biden to Sign an Executive Order to Establish a Reparations Commission Before Leaving Office
Join us in calling President Biden to sign an executive order establishing a commission to study reparations for African Americans before leaving office. This action will also honor the legacy of the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who passionately advocated for HR 40 and its pursuit of justice and equality. We call upon citizens, elected officials, organization leaders, and faith leaders to stand united with us by signing our letter to make this crucial step toward racial healing a reality. Rev. Redeem Robinson, All Souls Movement – Los Angeles, CA 
Sign the Petition Here
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JACL statement on crisis in Gaza and hate crimes

Last month at its 54th National Convention, the JACL National Council adopted R-1, a resolution addressing the humanitarian crisis in Palestine and opposing domestic hate crimes and bias against Palestinian, Arab, and Jewish Americans. The resolution outlines several actions that JACL National and JACL chapters partake in. These include the release of several statements, of which this is one, announcing the adoption of the resolution. In accordance with the resolution, we call for the United States government to continue to work with our allies in the region to pressure the Israeli government and Hamas to release all hostages, negotiate a ceasefire, and establish an enduring peace agreement. We denounce and call for an end of the U.S. government’s funding of the Israeli military where it is in violation of international humanitarian laws or the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and call for the increase and assurance of the free flow of humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza. JACL condemns all forms of hate and bias that occur in the United States, especially those targeting Muslim, Arab, and Jewish Americans. The related documents and additional information will be sent to President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary of State Blinken, and Congressional leadership.During WWII the Japanese American community was falsely associated and accused of being in collaboration with the hostile actions of the Japanese government. We are acutely aware of the challenges faced by members of the Jewish and Palestinian communities here in the United States today who face similar stigma today due to what is happening in the Middle East. Earlier this month, many Japanese Americans joined in services to commemorate the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, joining in a call for peace, and in solidarity with the country of our ancestry in a way we could not 80 years ago. In this spirit of calling for world peace, we recognize the desire for Jewish Americans and Palestinian Americans for their affiliated places and people of ancestry to live in peace and with the right of self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians alike.If you would like to read the adopted resolution in full, it can be found on the JACL National website HERE
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Stand in solidarity against hate

Asian Americans are facing increasingly dire safety conditions in the greater Portland area and throughout Oregon. Recently, a 73-year-old Asian man was brutally attacked and seriously injured while fishing near Waterfront Park. Shockingly, the perpetrator remains at large.

In an effort to demonstrate our collective strength and unity, we urge members of our Chinese and Asian community to peacefully gather at Waterfront Park on April 6 at 2pm. This is not a protest; rather, it is an opportunity for our community to come together in this beautiful park, enjoying the warmth of spring and the blossoming cherry trees. Most importantly, it is a declaration that we are stakeholders in this city, and our safety demands the utmost attention and respect.

Yours faithfully,

Chinese Friendship Association of Portland+14 other organizations

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Applications are open for JACL Leadership Summit

March 9-12, 2025 in Washington, DC

Established by JACL in 1984, the four-day annual leadership summit program introduces community leaders from across the nation to the national policy-making arena. Co-convened with OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates since 1994, the JACL/OCA Washington, D.C. Leadership Conference is structured to provide a broad overview of the decision-making process at the federal level, including meetings and briefings by public officials, key policymakers who serve in Congress, the White House, federal agencies, advocacy organizations, and the media. Participants also will be briefed on legislative issues affecting AAPI communities and will examine the role Asian Pacific American civil rights organizations, such as JACL and OCA, play in affecting public policy and pursuing civil rights legislation in the nation’s capital!

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JACL Comndems Vandalism at Wing Luke Museum

Last Thursday evening, a man destroyed several windows of the Wing Luke Museum in the historic Chinatown International District (CID) of Seattle, Washington. At the time of the attack, several members of the Japanese American community, including Seattle JACL chapter co-president Stan Shikuma were attending a meeting at the museum for our partner organization Tsuru for Solidarity. Attendees rushed outside to find the perpetrator outside sledgehammer still in hand spewing anti-Chinese and anti-Asian rhetoric. 

This attack is deeply saddening and symptomatic of the anti-Asian hate that is still ongoing nationwide. More troubling was the inadequate response from the Seattle Police Department. Stan Shikuma was quoted by the Seattle Times on the attack and in the Seattle JACL chapter’s statement on the incident that the police refused to respond initially despite calls from multiple witnesses. It took nearly an hour for police to arrive, and the responses some callers received from emergency dispatchers seemed to imply indifference or annoyance. 

This also comes on the heels of further criticism surrounding the Seattle Police Department. Earlier this year, an Indian student was struck and killed by a police vehicle while crossing the street. One of the responding officers to the accident is overheard on bodycam footage stating the student, Jaahnavi Kandula, had little value. Our community is hearing that message loud and clear, that we are of little value.

We expect the attack on the Wing Luke Museum to be given the priority that a high profile crime such as this deserves and is prosecuted for the clear intent that it had to intimidate and directly attack the Asian American community. We also call upon the Seattle Police and 911 response to recognize the impact their disregard for our community has not only in eroding our faith in the ability and willingness of law enforcement to adequately serve and protect us, but the role it may play in perpetuating the devaluation of our community that can lead to further prejudice and anti-Asian hate incidents.

The safest communities are those that have the most resources, not the most police presence. The Wing Luke Museum is one such community resource that is vital to providing education and community engagement to combat anti-Asian hate. We look forward to the restoration of the museum so that it might continue its mission of serving the Seattle community in teaching about Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander experiences to advance racial and social equity.

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JACL celebrates 60 years since the March on Washington, DC

Monday, August 28, 2023, will mark the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington, organized by A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin and featured Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. On Saturday, August 26, JACL will join the National Action Network who will be leading the anniversary march, with the theme titled, “Not a Commemoration, A Continuation”. This theme is an acknowledgment that the fight for civil rights today, as it was 60 years ago, is unabating, tenacious, and uninterrupted. From the Supreme Court’s dismantling of Affirmative Action to the book and curriculum erasure happening around the country, it is clear that there is still work to be done and the forces of White Supremacy continue to flourish and exert their hatred and bigotry. 

In 1963, JACL leaders and members marched in solidarity, in recognition that the racism they faced was no different from that which formed the basis of segregation laws targeting African Americans. They wanted to ensure that the injustices that led to the mass incarceration of 125,000 people of Japanese ancestry in the United States never befell any other marginalized community. They also wanted to demonstrate that the Japanese American community also had a place in the growing civil rights movement. Engagement in the 1963 march would pave the way for JACL to take a leading role in issues such as the Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court case, and ultimately, empowering our community to achieve redress for WWII incarceration 35 years ago.

In this year’s coming march, we are honored to take part again and to share our voice and our community’s voice. While JACL was the only Asian American organization to formally join the 1963 march, this year we look forward to being joined by hundreds more of our partner Asian American organizations. JACL Executive Director, David Inoue will be one of several other Asian American voices speaking out on Saturday morning where he will highlight the unfinished work to achieve social and economic justice for all in this country.

We acknowledge, just as we did then, that there is much to be done. This Saturday is just one further step we take to ensure the dreams of 60 years ago become a reality.

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National JACL Statement

JACL Denounces June 30th Supreme Court Decisions

Following the disappointing decision yesterday by the Supreme Court on affirmative action, the Court has followed up with two more abysmal rulings, again highlighting the radical ideological turn that the Roberts court has taken wielding its 6-3 supermajority.

Despite clear authorization from Congress to act, and in line with relief provisions granted to many wealthy business owners and corporations, the Court demonstrated its contempt for the average American, striking down the President’s student loan forgiveness plan. Combined with the affirmative action decision, the Court affirms its perspective that education should be reserved for an aristocratic minority.

In its other decision today, the Court voted to allow businesses to discriminate against LGBTQIA+ individuals on the basis of religious beliefs. Ironically, the court ruled against affirmative action on the basis of the equal protection clause but does not see our LGBTQIA+ friends and family worthy of the same protection from radical religious zealotry that holds dehumanization and hate as part of its theology.

Combined with yesterday’s decision on affirmative action, these three decisions by the Court are a serious blow to millions of Americans, many of whom are marginalized individuals who now face an uncertain future in varying aspects of their lives. 

In the wake of these decisions, the JACL stands clear in its support of educational access and equity for all students, but especially those most disadvantaged by the extreme financial burden of higher education and the barriers to admission for minority students. We also reaffirm our support yet again for our LGBTQIA+ members, friends, supporters, and the entire LGBTQIA+ community. It has been a year of continued rulings that have taken the liberties of millions of Americans and it is a sad reminder that we must continue to stand against discriminatory laws and legal decisions. 

It is clear from these decisions that the Supreme Court does not stand for justice, nor the American people.


June 30, 2023

For Immediate Release

Seia Watanabe, VP Public Affairs

Matthew Weisbly, Education & Communications Coordinator

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National JACL Statement

JACL opposes xenophobic laws

On Monday, May 8th, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed three new laws with the intent to target the Chinese government in the name of national security. The new laws will restrict the Chinese government and many non-resident Chinese citizens from the purchase of farmland, or property near military bases and critical infrastructure, prohibit Florida’s state colleges and universities from partnering with foreign counterparts without approval from the state and will implement a list of banned applications such as Tik Tok that might be utilized by the Chinese or other governments for possible espionage against the United States. 

While the three newly introduced laws in Florida use the broad language “foreign country of concern”, and efforts were made by the legislature to carve out exceptions to the law, the legislation and Governor DeSantis’ own words are often very specific in targeting China. No amount of effort to soften the laws can hide the racist and xenophobic intent and effect. These laws rely upon two age-old hysterias of our country: Anti-Communism, and the perpetual foreigner perception of Asian Americans and that of dual or continued loyalty to the ancestral country. 

This current wave of nativist legislation in Florida parallels efforts elsewhere in the country and is nothing new. During World War II, the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans proved that prejudice can be legitimized through public policy in the name of national security. In 2017, the Muslim Travel Ban subjected nationals of several majority-Muslim countries to various travel restrictions from entering our country. The just-expired Title 42 restrictions blocked immigrants from entering through our southern border under the facade of a public health emergency. 

Beyond the direct impact of these laws, the more likely result will be when a homeowner is considering two offers to purchase their home, and chooses not to sell to the Asian couple because they are perceived to be foreign, and refusing the sale would be an act of patriotism. These new laws give the green light to anti-Asian discrimination, even as our nation continues to experience unprecedented increases in anti-Asian hate. According to The Uniform Crime Reporting Program at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from 2020 to 2021, reported hate crimes rose by more than 11%. Incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders increased 267% from 279 incidents in 2021 to 746 incidents in 2022. 

Bias-motivated attacks and racial scapegoating are nothing new to this country; however, for the State of Florida to actively perpetuate national origin discrimination by issuing laws that broadly attack individuals and families from targeted countries such as China is not only harmful but also highly irresponsible. The correlation between hate-fueled rhetoric, discriminatory laws such as those passed in the state of Florida, and the rise in hate crimes amongst targeted communities cannot be ignored. 

It has been only five years since Florida became the last state to repeal its existing Alien Land Law. It has now become the first to reinstate such a law and we call upon them to repeal this and urge other states to not follow their bad example.

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National JACL Statement

Day of Remembrance 2023

Seia Watanabe, VP Public Affairs, swatanabe@jacl.org

Matthew Weisbly, Education & Communications Coordinator, mweisbly@jacl.org

This Sunday, February 19, 2023, marks the 81st anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, resulting in the mass incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans. Similarly, thousands of Japanese Latin Americans and Japanese Canadians were incarcerated en masse in their own countries or, in some cases, were kidnapped to the United States against their will to serve as “prisoners of war.” As we look back and mourn one of the darkest moments of our community’s and nation’s history, we also celebrate the many triumphs as well.

This past year for example, we saw the passage of legislation to study the creation of a National Museum of Asian-Pacific American History and Culture, where the stories of all AANHPI communities will be celebrated and remembered. Towards the end of 2022, we saw the passage of two major bills, namely, the Norman Y. Mineta Japanese American Confinement Education (JACE) Act, and the World War II Japanese American History Network Act. Both bills will support organizations that work to educate the public about the experiences of Japanese Americans during World War II.

This year also marks the 35th anniversary of one of the greatest triumphs of our community in the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 as a response to our history of incarceration. It was the culmination of nearly two decades of multigenerational work by former incarcerees, their children and grandchildren, members of Congress, community leaders, supporters, and thousands of allies across multiple communities. While no amount of money could heal the traumas of everything our community lost, it was our government’s acknowledgment of its wrongdoing that allowed our community to begin the healing process. The Civil Liberties Act showed the power of community organizing in how it forced our government to acknowledge and apologize for the suffering it caused to its people. In the 35 years since the passing of this bill, our journey toward achieving true reparatory justice continues. 

HR 40, or the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act, has been introduced in some form in every Congressional session since 1989, the year after the passage of Japanese American redress. It was first introduced by Representative John Conyers, and more recently by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee. Much of the framework of HR 40 is based on the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) which helped pave the way for the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. The African American community was one of the first to support the Japanese American community in its path toward redress, and now it is time that Japanese Americans do the same. Late last year, the JACL, the National Nikkei Reparations Coalition, and over 70 other Asian American organizations joined together to send a letter to President Biden calling for the creation of a commission to begin the process for the African American community toward reparations and healing. 

As we continue into 2023 and beyond, we look back on our triumphs and hardships, as well as our solidarity in the hopes that we can make a change for a better future for all people in this nation. When our country seems more divided than ever, let us stand together and show that the unimaginable tragedies our ancestors suffered are not forgotten and are worthy of our government’s recognition and repair.