JACL Programs

Our Story

Our Story is a resource of knowledgeable speakers who tell the story about the Japanese American incarceration during World War II. The speakers provide insight into the causes of the incarceration and its impact on individuals, the community, and the Constitution. The speakers share stories about the way the incarceration affected the lives of individuals and families.

The Kansha Project

The Kansha Project is a JACL Chicago program that connects self-identified Japanese Americans, ages 18-25, to the continuing legacy of the Japanese American community’s incarceration during World War II. The program centers around an educational trip to Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo neighborhood and the Manzanar concentration camp site.

Kansha, Too!

Kansha, Too! is an adapted version of the Kansha Project for participants over 25. Kansha, Too! explores the history of the Japanese American WWII incarceration and its continued legacy in the Japanese American community.

Intergenerational Conversations: Ripples of the Past

Intergenerational Conversations: Ripples of the Past is a JACL Chicago and Nikkei Uprising program that brings Chicago-area Nikkei (people of Japanese ancestry) together to connect and process the trauma of WWII forced displacement and incarceration through personal story sharing. It was created to bridge the gap in programming for the community’s need for containers to reflect on and heal from the generational impact of incarceration.

The goals for this program include:

• expanding understanding and awareness of impacts of the WWII displacement and incarceration,
• creating a space where participants feel brave to explore difficult subjects and feelings with one another,
• encouraging community members to develop deeper connections with one another,
• catalyzing intergenerational processing and healing, and 
• beginning to consider hopes and dreams for our community moving forward.

Camp Daikon

Camp Daikon is a two-day retreat hosted by Nikkei Uprising and JACL Chicago with workshops on activism and identity. Through stories, art, games, and community building activities, we examine historical and cultural forces that impact our community and influence the world around us. 

Next Generation Nikkei

Next Generation Nikkei is a group organized by young adults for young adults. Next Gen Nikkei has regular social events and hangouts.

Education and Civil Rights

The Chapter continually seeks to inform the public about the Japanese American experience. It carries this out in teacher training workshops and through the dissemination of educational resources. In keeping with its long-standing goals, the Chapter also continues in its endeavor to support and defend human and civil rights. It accomplishes this by organizing community activity, by monitoring against defamation and the use of racial slurs, and by coordinating with National JACL and other groups.

Scholarship Program

Scholarships range from $1,500 to $5,000+ and are open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students who have demonstrated a commitment to JACL’s mission of advancing social justice and promoting the legacy and cultural heritage of the Japanese American community.