| | Volunteer for Read Across America Day! Join us for Read Across America Day with the theme: Read, Create, Celebrate! Naomi Wise says, "I am seeking collaborators who will join me in meeting with elementary school students and reading to them and giving them some exposure to Japanese culture. I plan to read some stories about Japanese culture, and to teach the youngsters about using chopsticks. Can you join me and make this even more interesting for the kids? What's your idea? "Come be a part of this exciting event and help inspire young minds!" Date & Time: March 21, 8:00 AM - 2:45 PM Place: Jackson Elementary 4340 Edwinstowe Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 Anyone who is interested in this event, please contact Naomi Wise at naomi@japanamerica.org for more detailed information by March 3, 2025. | | | Conversation over Cookies At this event, Japanese speakers will stay in place at a table with a board/card game and English speakers will jump around where they want to play. We will try to speak in Japanese as much as possible! Any level of speakers are welcome! This event usually takes place at the CreateSpace at Library 21c (1175 Chapel Hills Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80920) Saturday, March 8, 1:30pm to 3:00pm Saturday, April 12, 1:30pm to 3:00pm Saturday, May 10, 1:30pm to 3:00pm. See the Events page on our website for details and to register. | | | | | Kusudama Crafting Class Janis Couey will be hosting a crafting workshop three times in March at various PPLD locations in town. March 15, 18 and 24. Janis says, "Kusudama (薬玉; kusuri (“medicine”) tama (“ball”), is a paper origami sphere that is created by gluing or sewing multiple identical folded units together. Originating from ancient Japanese culture, where they were used for aromatherapy originally made of flowers or herbs. Given as a gift to ailing friends or to family as a symbol of perseverance. They are now typically used as decorations, or as gifts. I have been making kusudamas for 40 years. Making them as ornaments and for family weddings. I especially like the floral and traditional types." See the Events page on our website for details and to register. | | | Ikebana Sogetsu Demonstration Sahshah Middleton, Sogetsu Riji from San Francisco, CA will present dynamic and inspiring arrangements for a special demonstration on March 19th from 12:00 - 2:00 pm. The special demonstration is open to the public and there is a $20 guest fee. The demonstration will be held at the Broadmoor Community Church, 155 Lake Ave., Colorado Springs. For more information, email ikebana95chapter@gmail.com. | | | | | | | JASSC Children’s Day Save the date for this fun annual event! It will be on May 3, 2025, at the United Way Family Success Center (same place as Mochitsuki in January). | | | Annual Amache Pilgrimage Date: May 16-18, 2025 Pilgrimages to WWII concentration camps for Japanese descendants began in the late 1960s, with the first formal pilgrimage to Amache occurring during Colorado's centennial in 1975-76. The annual one-day Amache Pilgrimage usually takes place on the Saturday before Memorial Day, with this year's event on May 17, 2025, marking the 50th Anniversary. Nikkeijin Kai of Colorado and the Amache Preservation Society will coordinate the memorial services and potluck lunch, continuing a tradition of over 40 years. Here are the related sites: https://amache.org/current-activity-news/ https://www.amachealliance.org/projects-nonprofit | | | | | 2025 Young Artists and Authors Showcase
Sister Cities International is proud to present the 2025 Young Artists and Authors Showcase, inviting youth from around the world to express their creativity through the theme “Friendship: The Heartbeat of Global Peace.” This year’s theme highlights the power of friendship to foster understanding, collaboration, and peace across borders. By participating in this inspiring competition, young creators will have the opportunity to share their vision of a peaceful world and contribute to the international dialogue about the importance of building friendships across nations. Winning entries will be featured in Sister Cities International’s global network, inspiring communities and leaders worldwide. This year, we are hosting two separate competitions based on age groups. Applicants aged 12-14 will compete in one showcase, while those aged 15-18 will compete in another. In each age group and each art medium, there will be a first, second, and third place winner. Categories are Classic Art, Digital Art, Essay, Poetry, Original Music and Photography. Awards will be given out to YAAS winners who place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category and in each age showcase. 1st Place: $1,000 2nd Place: $500 3rd Place: $250 Click here for more information and to apply. The deadline is April 1, 2025. | | | Call for Native Japanese Speakers We are looking for native speakers to lead small group discussions in Japanese. Each group will interact for 15 to 20 minutes before rotating to another table. Participants bring cookies and snacks to enjoy during each session. There are also Japanese language games to further facilitate discussion. If interested, please contact Ayumi Peek (ayumiohishi@gmail.com) 日本語を母国語とする方々へ。この集まりは月に一度の土曜日に、クッキーを食べながら4〜5人のグループに分かれて日本語で話したりカードゲームをする交流会です。参加者のグループは15分から20分ごとにテーブルを移動します。そこで、それぞれのテーブルで会話を率先していただけるボランティアさんを随時募集しています！もしご興味のある方はお手数ですがピーク歩(ayumiohishi@gmail.com)までご連絡ください。よろしくお願いします。 | | | Amache: An American Injustice is Airing on PBS A new short film Amache: An American Injustice is now showing on the PBS app and PBS website through October 1, 2028. To view the film, visit https://www.pbs.org/show/amache-an-american-injustice/. The film features Amache survivors and the DU Amache Field School. | | | The Denver Art Museum is featuring an exhibit on the work of Japanese American artist Tokio Ueyama, including work created during his time incarcerated at Camp Amache. The exhibit is included with general admission to the museum and will run through June, 2025. The Life and Art of Tokio Ueyama features more than 40 paintings loaned to the museum by the Japanese American National Museum and Ueyama’s family, whose combined efforts to preserve his work have allowed the story of this accomplished and cosmopolitan artist to be told at the Denver Art Museum for the first time. https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/exhibitions/tokio-ueyama | | | APABA Free Legal Hotline The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado (APABA) is a professional organization of Asian Pacific American Attorneys in Colorado. Their legal hotline can provide legal resources regarding: - Landlord/ tenant issues
- Business operation questions
- Labor/ employment issues
- Immigration issues
- Estate planning/ probate questions
APABA has also created an informational handout which provides useful information, resources, and reporting avenues for victims of hate crimes and incidents. Please email us at apabacares@gmail.com if you have any questions about hate crimes. (From the Asian Pacific Islander Business Community of Colorado Springs newsletter. See their link below under “Other Interesting Organizations”)
| | | Keidanren USA is the U.S. liaison entity for Keidanren, the Japan Business Federation. Keidanren is a comprehensive Japanese economic organization with a broad membership consisting of 1,494 Japanese companies, 108 industry associations, and 47 regional economic organizations. Keidanren USA’s office is located in Washington, DC. Its core mission is to facilitate more engagement by the Japanese business sector with the U.S. policymaking community, and to promote the very real contributions (in terms of investment and jobs) being made by Japanese companies to the U.S. economy. Keidanren USA – Japan Business Federation | | | Other Interesting Organizations Want more news? Check out these other organizations supporting Asian Americans in Colorado and beyond!
- Golden Lotus Foundation - The GLF is working hard to build a botanical garden and tea house in Colorado Springs. They are always looking for volunteers, so sign up for their newsletter if you are interested!
- NAJAS - the National Association of Japan America Societies is the hub of all other JAS in the US.
- Japan America Society of Colorado (Denver) - JASC is our closest sibling organization, with most of their happenings located in Denver. They have a community e-bulletin which they send out monthly as well.
- El Pomar Foundation - Elevating Leadership Development Program. The ELD program is run by the El Pomar foundation and creates "greater access and support for people of color in Southern Colorado to tap into their leadership potential for the benefit of community." Their quarterly meetings are free to attend and convene advisory councils for the following groups: Asian / Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, and Native American.
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- Asian Pacific Islander Business Community of Colorado Springs - this new organization is building better connections to and awareness of Asian-led businesses in Colorado Springs. The link is to their linktree, which includes a newsletter signup.
| | | | | About JASSC JASSC web site Send us your news! Let us know what you’d like to see in the next newsletter. Please email the editor, Rayna Lindsey
rayna@japanamerica.org Did you know that you can edit your own address, phone and email information right on the japanamerica.org website? Simply enter your email and password in the upper-right corner and click Login. Don't know your password? Click Forgot Password and the website will help you out. You will also find a secure password-protected online member directory. Use it to look up names, addresses, phone numbers and emails for other members.
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