Japanese American Families for Justice
Japanese Americans for Justice (JA4J) was originally organized by Japanese American activists who came together in the wake of 9/11 to organize in solidarity with and to protect the human and civil rights of Muslim and Arab Americans who were being racially targeted.
Japanese Americans for Justice has been a network of individual activists and organizers working to engage the broader Japanese American community in the movement to Close the Camps, end anti-Black racism, and ensure the injustice our community experienced during WWII, never happens again. Since 2018, Japanese Americans for Justice has engaged our community in the work of actively standing in solidarity with Black, Indigenous, and people of color who continue to face racism and discrimination, with a focus on Bay Area communities. Right before and throughout the global pandemic, our members fought to close ICE prison camps and to end anti-Black racism. We co-organized family inclusive events at Yuba Detention Center, a BLM solidarity rally at Tanforan, and a rally to pardon Lam Le Hong at the capitol in Sacramento. Because many of our members have small children, we have made it a point to make sure our movements are spaces where our community’s youngest members can be present and participate meaningfully. It is in this spirit of centering the next generation of wave makers, that we are changing the name of our organization to reflect where our hearts have already been for many years. We will now be known as... Japanese American Families for Justice! To us, the word family is all encompassing and includes all iterations and imaginings of what family can mean. To us, our Japanese American family spreads far and wide and includes all ages, all races, all sexualities, all genders, and all people who are committed to taking action to make our world a more just and free place for everyone. Let’s get ready to make even more waves!!! |