An Introduction to the Japanese American Citizens League
National JACL:
The national Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) has over 23,000 members in 112 chapters located in 26 states and Japan. The organization operates within a structure of 8 District Councils. Its headquarters is in San Francisco, California. A public affairs office is also maintained in Washington, D.C. Four regional offices (in Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles) provide support to Chapters and District Councils. The newspaper for the JACL network, the Pacific Citizen, is published in Monterey Park, California.On a national scale, the Japanese American Citizens League provides leadership for many important issues that affect our daily lives. These programs have included in recent years the monitoring of anti-Asian violence; the promoting of accurate accounts of the Japanese American experience in our nation's textbooks; the promotion of leadership skills for Japanese Americans; the creation of the Legacy Fund, a perpetual endowment that is helping to ensure that we can carry on our work into the future; and the campaign for Redress, in which we successfully fought for compensation and an apology from the U.S. government for our World War II internment camp survivors.
Hoosier JACL:
The first newsletter of the Hoosier Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, published in March 1976, carried the following statement: "The Hoosier Chapter of JACL will be a moving, vibrant organization that will epitomize those principles that make American tradition and Japanese heritage respected throughout the world....We are located at the crossroads of America. What better place to show, in this our Bicentennial Year, that Japanese American citizens are fully involved in community activities?"
Increasingly sensitive to the changing societal, political, and educational issues and concerns that affect Japanese Americans today, the Hoosier Chapter's top priority continues to be the development and implementation of programs that meet the evolving needs of its members and community. Through local projects and social activities, JACL connects and reconnects people with the spirit of Japanese American life.
2007 Board of Managers:
| President | Dinah Montgomery | |
| Vice President | George Hanasono | |
| Secretary | Yoshie Nahmens | |
| Treasurer | Ron Campbell | |
| Membership | Jean Umemura | |
| Ways & Means | Yas & Ken Matsumoto | |
| Program | Yukie & Toshi Ogawa | |
| Newsletter | George & Elinor Hanasono |