Jessica Kanai
Konnichiwa Little Tokyo
The Nikkei Community Internship has been an amazing experience this summer. As the Program Leader for the Konnichiwa Little Tokyo Program, I was able to help with every aspect of planning, organizing and executing this wonderful project for American foster youth. When I started back in June, I must admit that I was overwhelmed with the amount of work that had to be done since this is only the second year of the project. Thankfully, my supervisor Isako Kashino and I worked very well together and executed seven successful tours in Little Tokyo and even one pilot expansion, “Ni Hao Old Chinatown”, in El Pueblo. Working with foster youth was a very rewarding experience and seeing the smiles on their faces at the end of the day made all the hard work worth it. I am so glad I was able to apply my B.S. in Recreation and Tourism Management to a project that was very near and dear to my heart. Preserving the remaining three Japantowns in the U.S. is very important to me and my fellow NCI Interns. And if gaining the experience of building the foundation for KLT was not enough, we had our Intern Days every week where we were able to meet community leaders, spend time with the other interns and really build our network and gain information that is sure to help us in our future endeavors. My NCI experience has solidified the fact that I want to be more involved in the JA community, so I hope to one day return to Little Tokyo and work at the organizations that help to provide the JA community a place to call home.
Mark Hara
Japanese American Cultural and Community Center
Through my NCI internship at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center I have learned many valuable lessons about what it takes to run a nonprofit, met many inspirational hardworking individuals who are passionate about the community, and had the privilege of getting to know 18 NCI interns who all share the same enthusiasm and passion to preserve Japan Towns for future generations. Working with the staff at the JACCC (Jessie, David, Janet, Chris and Robert) has been a rewarding experience. Each day I learned something new, whether it be how to mail merge on excel to make labels, the difficulties of running a nonprofit organization dependent on outside contributions, or the process it takes to make a brochure from scratch. There was also the occasional history lesson from Robert where I learned how ninjas would swim with swords in their mouths, but overall the JACCC staff has made my internship a very memorable and enjoyable one. The big event that I was working on for most of my internship was to help organize AutumnFest, which will be a huge silent/live auction dinner on the JACCC plaza September 25th, which we hope will be a big fundraiser so the JACCC can put on many more cultural events. I also helped with side projects, such as when the Saishin Dojo kids took a field trip to the JACCC and learned about calligraphy from Mr. Kosaka. Another event that I helped out at was Movies on the Plaza, which was a screening of a show or movie out on the JACCC plaza for parents and kids to enjoy at night. People always hear about nonprofit organizations, whether it be on T.V. or the newspaper, but few actually get the chance to work in a nonprofit and learn exactly how hard their jobs are. My internship at the JACCC has really opened my eyes and given me a greater appreciation for all the hard work that nonprofits go through. The Nikkei Community Internship has been a fantastic learning experience that has made me even more excited about what we, the upcoming generation, can do to help preserve the legacy of Japan Towns.
Beth Uno
Pacific Citizen
For the past eight weeks, I have worked as the marketing intern at the Pacific Citizen newspaper. In the beginning of July, I had the amazing opportunity to attend the National JACL Convention in Chicago, where I worked at the PC booth in the exhibit hall of the convention, showing JACL members how to access a special section of the PC website. Back in Little Tokyo at the PC office, I redesigned the PC media kit and worked continuously on advertisements for the PC’s biggest special issue, the Holiday Issue. My experience at PC has exposed me to a variety of exciting Asian American issues and the inside world of the JACL. I have also gained valuable experience in the field of marketing. As my final year at UCLA approaches, my experience with NCI has shown me several ways to continue to be involved with the Japanese American community into my adulthood. All of the organizations that we have visited, and the community leaders who have taken the time to speak to us have shown me that there are a lot of people who truly care about the Japanese American community and Little Tokyo. These Nikkei organizations and Issei, Nisei, and Sansei, have given so much so that my generation of Japanese Americans can thrive today, and it is now the responsibility of the Yonsei to continue this legacy. NCI has also shown me that my peers and I are the next leaders of the community who must take on the responsibility of keeping our community together and its history alive.
Michael Murata
Gardena Japanese Cultural Institute
With the Nikkei Community Internship and the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute, I was able to fully understand the amount of work that would be required to maintain the Japanese American community. In these short eight weeks, I took part in many programs such as the JCI Carnival, TANOSHII Fun Camp, and Tomo No Kai senior group and filled many roles including a laborer, truck driver, garbage man, youth camp counselor, musician, medic, website designer, librarian, and office assistant to name just a few, but each added to the idea that this community was worth fighting for. NCI challenged me to recognize the various aspects of my daily life, including my values and way of thinking, and analyze how each is affected by this abstract and difficult notion of being Nikkei. What I learned from my short summer with NCI and at the GVJCI is difficult to put into words, but what I was able to absorb will stick with me for many years to come and influence how I view my community, its future, and my place in it. I am very thankful for the Nikkei Community Internship and the privileged opportunity to learn about and help this dynamic Japanese American community to which I belong.
Todd Kushigemachi
Japanese American Citizens League Pacific Southwest District
By giving me the opportunity to work in Little Tokyo, NCI showed me the importance of both protecting the past and shaping the future of the Japanese American community. As the public policy intern for the Pacific Southwest District of the JACL, I focused on the Downtown Regional Connector, a proposed transit project that could hurt Little Tokyo businesses. I advocated for the build option favored by the Little Tokyo community, the fully underground alternative, by creating an educational website and discussing the issue with different organizations. My internship also allowed me to engage others in important issues with the programs Project: Community, designed for high school students, and Little Tokyo Roots, for young adults. It was exciting to watch the participants in these programs learn about the community and interact with each other. Looking at the variety of projects I worked on, I saw the importance of preserving our community and also cultivating an excitement for our always-changing Japanese American identity.
Molly Serizawa
East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center
For the past eight weeks, I have had the privilege of working as the first NCI Intern at the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center in West Covina, California. Although my time at the Center has been relatively short, I have learned and gained invaluable lessons and insight unique to this non-profit organization. Working intimately with the community members, I have learned how the magnanimous machine that is the Japanese Community Center functions and relates to those like it. I have been fortunate enough to participate in a multitude of programs, including the Leisure Club’s Senior Wellness Program, which is designed for senior citizens to help them remain active in the community and encourage them to socialize with each other. In this program, I coordinated activities for the seniors and surveyed them in order to find ways to better accommodate and assist them. In addition, I had the opportunity to teach seniors and older adults computer programs in the DisKovery Center. Apart from these two programs, I helped design the monthly Newsette, writing an article detailing my involvement with the center and explaining the NCI Program. My supervisor, Pearl Omiya, provided me with many different projects so I could become more familiar with the Center and understand its inner workings. From designing the Thirteenth Annual Akimatsuri Golf Tournament’s program, to coordinating the exchange program with students from Ohtawara, Japan, in August, to managing the Business Directory, I feel as though I have had an exceptionally multifaceted internship at ESGVJCC. My original intent for applying to the NCI Program was to become reconnected with the Japanese American community and better understand its needs. Through this internship and my placement, I have not only reconnected and become more knowledgeable of my community’s needs, but also gained a newfound appreciation for non-profit organizations, especially Japanese Community Centers. What I found so inspiring about the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center was how its intergenerational community manifested itself. I want to sincerely thank the Center and its members, especially Pearl and Brandon, for the countless lessons and opportunities they provided me and for reminding me how important it is to be an active part of our community. For me, the NCI program held deeper meaning than an internship opportunity – it has been an open door to greater cultural and community understanding.
Greg Yamaguchi
Japanese American National Museum
It is a great privilege to be a part of this year’s 2010 Nikkei Community Internship Program. This has been both an inspiring and gratifying experience, being provided with the opportunity to become more involved in the JA community and network with a number of influential individuals. I have learned a lot from this program, ranging from how to give a proper handshake, to the present issues that are occurring in Little Tokyo. This memorable experience will be remembered for the rest of my life, and has truly inspired me to continue to stay involved in the community. During the past eight weeks, I have enjoyed my intern experience at the Japanese American National Museum, working on three main projects. I have been helping publicizing and providing feedback on the museum’s newly developed Discover Nikkei website. This website is a place to connect with others and share the Nikkei experience. I have also been doing research on Japanese American newspapers, along with interviewing individuals who were involved in the barrack relocation from Heart Mountain to the National Museum. Lastly, I have helped design and make this year’s decoration for their annual Tanabata Festival. This was an incredibly fulfilling experience, and hope to continue volunteering at the Japanese American National Museum.
Sara Seto
Little Tokyo Service Center
In the 8 weeks of my Nikkei Community Internship at the Little Tokyo Service Center, I was able to learn about the Little Tokyo community and the Japanese-American community as a whole and the hard work and dedication it has taken to become as successful as it is today. Before this summer, my vision of Japanese-American culture was confined to JA basketball, the annual Hanamatsuri and Obon back home, and the Nikkei Student Union I am a part of at UCLA. I have come to realize that even just in the Little Tokyo community, it goes beyond that with various organizations, events and leaders paving the pathway for us. I had the privilege of working with two dedicated supervisors on different projects, both supporting the Little Tokyo community. One was the Budokan of Los Angeles, formerly known as the Little Tokyo Recreation Center. My main project was to work on updating the contact list of Japanese American basketball leagues, martial arts and volleyball leagues in preparation for the capital campaign. In doing so, I was able to learn the history of the project and the progress we have made so far. I have also been helping out with the BoLA-Thon, which is the 2nd annual fundraising bowling tournament they will be having in Las Vegas on August 15th. Event planning is the career path I am heading towards and helping with the project has enabled me to get hands on experience with it. My other project was working on the senior service needs for the upcoming retiring Nikkei baby boomer generation. I visited several community centers and worked with the senior needs committee in trying to figure out what sort of activities and services could organizations such as Little Tokyo Service Center provide for the boomers, who are much more active than the seniors now, once they retire. It was great to hear that many of the community centers are preparing for this as well, and I hope that in the future, the community centers will be able to work together in helping to mobilize the boomers. This summer has been one of the best I have ever had. I can honestly say, I have made Little Tokyo my 2nd home. Not only was I able to grow a deeper connection with my JA identity, but also was able to make 18 new friends who I know are dedicated in the preservation of the Japanese-American community whom I hope to keep in touch with, and hopefully get to work with in years to come.
Michelle Mitsuda
Japanese Community Youth Council
While my fellow NCI interns are still busy at work during Week 8, I am sitting here reminiscing about my past 7 weeks at the Japanese Community Youth Council’s Tomodachi Teen Summer Camp Program. The sleeping in and relaxing is a relief; however, there is no place I’d rather be than back with my teen group. The JCYC Tomodachi Teen Program is a nine week summer camp for kids entering 7th-9th grades. The program offers biweekly field trips, as well as teaches the kids responsibility and leadership skills through assistant counseling days. As one of the supervisors, I not only participated in many fun field trips, but also had the ability to assist on workshop days, facilitating discussions on prepubescent issues, ranging from bullying to self-esteem. The relationships I established with the kids in Teen Group are ones that I will cherish forever. It may sound cliché, but in the short seven weeks, I honestly bonded and became very much attached with my teen groupers. I will never forget their countless questions about friendship, academics, the opposite sex, and the many trials of growing up. The experience has inspired me to pursue teaching or counseling in the future.
The Nikkei Community Internship has opened my eyes to how much the Japanese American Community has influenced my life. The opportunity to network with so many prominent people of Japantown has been an invaluable experience, providing much inspiration to continue to be active within the JA community in the years to come. My goal for this summer was to learn new ways to stay active within the JA community after college and I believe this has been fulfilled. The NCI program has made me realize that as young adults, we have the power to influence our community for the better with new ideas and innovations. It is up to our generation to take up leadership roles in our community in order to ensure the same opportunities are available to future generations, and I’m sure all of us have been inspired to do so.
Jared Wong
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California
Thanks to the NCI program, I was able to spend my summer weeks in one of the most exciting, hectic, awesome places in San Francisco Japantown. In the programs department, I was tasked with numerous jobs like updating class information, interviewing instructors, setting up a workshop from start to finish, and publicizing the center. Despite the long walks around Japantown in the freezing SF weather distributing flyers, I’ve learned from the entire JCCCNC staff how much work it takes to run such an important facet of the Japanese American community. However, meeting the various leaders of the JA community made me realize how much more work our generation needs to put in so our ideas and our future will come about. But working and meeting the other NCI interns from all over California has given me hope for this vision as well as eighteen great friends that I can connect to and simply hang out with. The work experience, friends, memories and inspiration I have gained from this internship have given me a completely new outlook on what Japantown and the Japanese American community can do. No matter what paths we may take in the future, the NCI program has given us the option and the tools to really make a difference.
Stephen Yoshizawa
National Japanese American Historical Society
The NCI internship was one of the best experiences of my life. What was so great about this internship was the fact that it was not the conventional trivial cubical job – rather, it was an interactive, exciting, and most importantly, enriching experience that was relevant to my identity as a JA. The interns met with several community leaders every week and worked on unique, hands on projects at their respective non-profit organizations. I, along with Devin Yoshikawa, were interns at the National Japanese American Historical Society. Our primary project was the digital storytelling project, in which the interns were given free creative control to reflect on their experiences as Japanese Americans through a topic of their choice. My project, titled the Shin-Nisei experience, reflects on my life as the son of Japanese immigrants after World War II – how my family’s experiences in America differs from other Nikkei families who faced discrimination and incarceration. The NCI internship has allowed me to reconnect back to my Japanese roots and discover many aspects of the Japanese American experience that I never learned about. The internship has also given me the opportunity to collaborate with other brilliant NCI interns and has opened my eyes to how lively and motivated the Japanese American youth are towards the preservation of Japantown. I have developed both personally and professionally in the last nine weeks, and in the future I hope to get more extensively involved in the Japanese American community.
Blake Tamaki
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California California Nisei College Diploma Project
If we go to college to learn, meet young girls, and acquire important life skills, then NCI is the JA version of this. If it were a university, it would be no less than the ivy league level. I was placed in a wonderful hands on internship in which I got to share and record the tribulations of Nisei who received their honorary degrees. It was a pleasure working with the staff and meeting community leaders on retreats and intern days. Before NCI, I had a vague understanding of the hard work these dedicated people do for the community. Now, I possess knowledge passed down to me and gained close friends in my own generation. In addition to hands on training on life skills, technical training, and work experience, I now have a stake in the future of our community.
Megan Sawamura
San Jose Japantown
My participation in the NCI program has opened my eyes to challenges that we are facing within the Japanese American Community. Growing up involved in many JA organizations such as basketball and the temple, I think a lot of us take for granted how strong of an influence this community has on shaping our lives. To be able to have the opportunity to grow up among others who have the same background and culture as myself is truly something that we need to appreciate. What we are facing now, as the times are changing, is being able to sustain these community organizations and few remaining Japantowns that we have left. If there is one thing that I am taking away from this internship, it is the fact that it is our generation who will have to step up and find a way to preserve this sense of community. I believe that the Nikkei community has played a large role my own upbringing and I would like to try to remain involved in order to keep it strong for generations to follow.
Corey Yamamoto
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California California Nisei College Diploma Project
During my time working at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, I was privileged to work on the California Nisei College Diploma Project alongside three other interns. Our team video documented the oral histories of the Niseis who were forcibly removed from their college education during World War II. Unfortunately, I was never able to sit down with my grandparents and talk to them about their life experiences. This project, in some sense, has enabled me to revisit my past and learn so many details about our history as Japanese Americans. In addition, the bonds that have been created amongst the interns, has grown exponentially. Starting out as complete strangers, our ties to each other now seem as that of family. Though we may never see each other after the internship is over, we will still have the memories of the great times we had working, hanging out and connecting with the Japanese American Community. The NCI program has given me the opportunity to meet with community leaders, which has opened my eyes to the intricacies and the importance of the community. The NCI program has opened many doors for me and soon I will have to choose which door to walk through. Though many of us may not have a future in the non-profit world, I do believe that it is important for us to give back to the community that has provided so much in my cultural upbringing, heritage and adolescent life.
Sami Michishita
San Jose Japantown
The NCI program gave me an incredible community experience with long lasting friends and memories. I learned so much about Japantown, from government and advocacy to the arts and spirituality, while expanding my social network to a new level. With every week being a new learning experience, it’s hard to pinpoint one favorite memory. But meeting George Takei and Kristi Yamaguchi is definitely at the top. The most remarkable aspect of San Jose Japantown is the strength of people’s dedication and diligence to Japantown, not just the “community leaders” but also almost everyone in the community. I applied to the internship in hopes of closing the gap between the Japanese and Japanese American communities, which I feel goes beyond a language barrier. I have yet to figure out a solution, but I have definitely learned much more about the Japanese American culture. I feel more inclusive to the JA culture and community than the start of the program – now I just have to start playing basketball!
Casey Ikeda
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California California Nisei College Diploma Project
My first summer in San Francisco was filled with fog, the ocean breeze, and a wealth of new experiences. I’ve never been an active participant in the Japanese American Community and looking back I don’t think I’ve really had a JA friend growing up. So the NCI program and working at the JCCCNC was filled with first times. First time editing videos, first time setting up lights, and first time I’ve connected to a JA community other than my family. The Nisei College Diploma project has been a lot of work, but it has been very rewarding. I have loved sitting down with the Niseis, not only from a Yonsei’s perspective, but as a US history major the opportunity to sit down with these Niseis is invaluable.
Devin Yoshikawa
National Japanese American Historical Society
Through the NCI program, I have enjoyed learning about the inner-workings of the three remaining Japantowns. It has been interesting to learn about the dynamics of the Community Based Organizations within them and the community leaders who are working to maintain them. Simply getting to know the other interns has been a very rewarding experience. Even though we were able to meet with many significant community leaders, each of the interns have and will make major contributions to the community as well. I was placed at the National Japanese American Historical Society. One of the projects that we worked on included a digital storytelling video workshop where we expressed our individual identities in a short film. Another project was called, “$25 A Day in Japantown,” where we recorded a fun day visiting the many shops in Japantown.
Emily Furutani
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California California Nisei College Diploma Project
This summer I had the great opportunity to be a part of the NCI Program. Giving back to the community was always something I wanted to do, I just never thought it would be as rewarding as it has been. My thoughts on Japantown were taken to new levels and discussions challenged my pre-existing thoughts. While working on phase two of the California Nisei College Diploma Project, I had the chance to conduct video interviews with three Niseis who had their college educations put on hold due to Executive Order 9066. Hearing their stories helped me realize how important education really is and to not take it for granted. Talking to these Nisei has also helped me gain perspective on what times were like back then. On top of working on the Diploma project, working at the JCCCNC has been such a pleasure. It instantly felt like a second home, and I couldn’t be happier here. The staff as well as the other interns have been like a family to me, and I thank them for the awesome environment I called ‘work’. The NCI program has taught me that change is possible, and while not always instant, any thing can make a difference. I am proud to say I am a JA, and working in a community that is so strong really makes me realize I am home.
Masao Taylor
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California
I first became involved with the JCCCNC when I participated in the Shinzen program from 2004-2007. The program really influenced my perspective on my JA roots and how important the JA community actually was to me. This greatly motivated me to become active in the JA community where I have played basketball, participated in YBA, and participated in Japantown events already. When the chance came up to apply for the NCI program I jumped at the opportunity. I have always been a participant in the Japanese American community but I have never taken an active leadership role, which I wanted to pursue through NCI. Through the NCI program and interning at the JCCCNC, I have learned how important it is for my generation of JA youth to take up the leadership of our future communities because of our aging population. The responsibility of keeping this community alive and thriving that has for so long been carried out by the Sansei and Nisei is going to have to be passed onto younger generations of JA youth. The future of the community is on our shoulders. We as college youth are now armed with the knowledge of how to build a brighter future of the communities we have grown to understand and love.