In May 2020, the NAJC established the Japanese New Immigrants Ad Hoc Committee (JNIC) with the following purposes:
1. Endeavour to get Japanese new immigrants much more involved in the activities of the National Association of Japanese Canadians, and to establish a network that brings together the Japanese Canadian community and the Japanese new immigrant community for mutual benefits.
2. Promote human rights and social justice for Japanese new immigrants and for all Canadians, and provide Japanese new immigrants with opportunities to learn the history of Japanese Canadians.
3. Promote cultural exchanges between Japanese new immigrants and Japanese Canadians.
4. Expand social services in Japanese language to Japanese new immigrants across Canada.
5. Receive authority from the National Executive to achieve these proposes prescribed above.
The term of the New Immigrants Ad-hoc Committee is one year from the approval of the Committee by the National Executive Board. At the end of the term, the National Executive Board examines the contributions of the New Immigrants Ad-hoc Committee to the Japanese Canadian community and decides either to elevate it to the New Immigrants Standing Committee, extend its term one more year, or abolish it.
At present, the JNIC is composed of Fumihiko Torigai (Chair, Whitehorse), Takashi Ohki (Secretary, St. Albert, Alberta), Kiyoshoi Dembo (Toronto), Mariko Kage (Lillooet, BC), Miki Takabayashi (Victoria), Yosh Inoue (Toronto), Yukari Peerless (Victoria), Yusuke Tanaka (Toronto), Kevin Okabe (NAJC, Kenmore, Alberta)
The JNIC is planning to conduct the following research by its sub-committees.
• A survey o Japanese new immigrant organizations
• Japanese new immigrant networks
• Bilingual NAJC website
• Online seminars in Japanese
• Sessions in Japanese at NAJC Annual General Meetings
• A survey of social and health services needs of Japanese new immigrants
• Collecting and archiving materials for the history of Japanese new immigrants
• “Line” consultation project
• “Talk and pass Japanese Canadian history and culture to future generations” project
Projects are not limited to the above. We welcome suggestions for new projects. Once project plans are ready, we will announce them and recruit those who want joint project teams.
Contact: Fumihiko Torigai: ftorigai@gmail.com
