JACL youth meet to increase engagement and cultivate leadership and mentorship opportunities.
By NY/SC
This year, the NY/SC was excited to hold its Spring Retreat in Salt Lake City.
During its April 10-12 retreat, members of the NY/SC participated in conversations with JACL Interim Executive Director Saki Mori about the future of JACL youth and youth programming. Beginning this fall, the NY/SC aims to roll out new NY/SC committees, run collaboratively through the NY/SC’s regional district youth boards, that will focus on policy, advocacy, culture and community building. The primary goal is to increase youth engagement by giving youth outside of the NY/SC more leadership and mentorship opportunities.
NY/SC members (from left) Austin Joyce, Cameron Sueoka, Boone Nakasone, Eli Nishimura, Katie Marumoto and Remy Kageyama enjoy a meal together. (Photos: Courtesy of the NY/SC)
The NY/SC also had the opportunity to work on planning youth events for July’s 2026 National Convention in Las Vegas that will include a Youth Orientation and Young Adult Mixer. In addition, MDC Youth Representative Eli Nishimura will be collaborating on a workshop developed in response to a youth engagement survey conducted by Ada Shido. And the NY/SC will also be hosting a 50/50 Raffle to fundraise for future youth programming, so stay tuned (and ready your wallets!) for the chance to win big.
JACL Interim Executive Director Saki Mori (center) with NY/SC’s (from left) Simon Kutz, Lauren Iwamiya, Alex Tokita and Eli Nishimura
After lunch at a local Utah establishment, the NY/SC had the opportunity to tour and learn about what remains of Salt Lake City’s Japantown. NY/SC members were grateful to be introduced to information previously not known about the shared history between Japantown and JACL, and participants were inspired to learn about the local efforts of the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple and the Japanese Church of Christ to revitalize the area and spread awareness.
NY/SC members enjoy time together in Salt Lake City. Pictured (clockwise from bottom) are National Youth Rep. Claire Inouye, National Youth Chair Remy Kageyama, EDC Youth Rep. Simon Kutz, IDC Youth Rep. Alex Tokita, MDC Youth Rep. Eli Nishimura and At-Large Youth Rep. Lauren Iwamiya.
Later, the NY/SC hosted its inaugural in-person Civic Dinner (a revitalization of an NY/SC program started during the Covid-19 pandemic to bring the community together despite physical distance) at the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple.
There, members were honored to be joined by former JACL Executive Director and State Assemblyman Floyd Mori, along with IDC District Gov. Kelly Asao, who spoke to attendees about the planned ICE detention center in Salt Lake City.
Participants then discussed the role that Japanese Americans must play in immigration and detention justice, given its own community’s history, as well as how to get involved in youth advocacy more broadly, with discussions facilitated by NY/SC youth reps.
Following these discussions, NY/SC Youth Chair Remy Kageyama led the group through a power-mapping exercise, intended to help attendees come up with actionable steps they could take toward an issue that is of significant importance to them.
To end the retreat, the NY/SC reflected on its accomplishments and what each member has learned over the past two years. It also held discussions about off-boarding, as almost the entire youth board will be terming out following July’s National Convention.
As a result, the NY/SC has begun writing transition documents for its successors and looks forward to seeing what direction the next generation of leaders takes the NY/SC and the JACL.
For more information about the NY/SC, visit https://jacl.org/nysc.
