About Japanese American Citizens League Riverside Chapter
In 1968, the Riverside Chapter included the communities of Riverside, San Bernardino, Colton and Redlands. Today, the Riverside chapter has 120 members that reside within the entire Inland Empire.
The Chapter continues to provide programs in these areas through its various committees such as Civil Rights, Scholarship, Youth/Student, Sunshine and the Harada House. Many people became acquainted with the Riverside Chapter through the annual Sendai Festival it sponsored for many years. It included cultural exhibits and demonstrations and the sale of Japanese foods.
The Japanese American Citizens League was established in 1930 and is a national organization whose ongoing mission is to secure and maintain the civil rights of Japanese Americans and all others who are victimized by injustice and bigotry. The JACL currently has 110 chapters in 25 states including Washington, D.C. and Japan.
There are regional offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. There is also a legislative office in Washington, D.C. and the Pacific Citizen, the publication of the JACL, operates out of Los Angeles. Within the Pacific Southwest District (PSW), there are 32 chapters that represent the district (including the Riverside Chapter). The PSW region covers the southwest region of the U.S, westward to the Pacific Ocean, south to the Mexican border, east to Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada and to the north as far as San Luis Obispo.
The leaders and members of the JACL also work to promote cultural, educational and social values, and preserve the heritage and legacy of the Japanese American community.
