Growing Community Since 2002: The Nikkei Community Internship Program - Class 11 - Summer 2012
Licensing |
There seems to be a propensity to celebrate anniversaries in multiples of five. Tenth anniversaries, twenty-fifth anniversaries, fiftieth anniversaries—those are the big ones, the ones that insist on pyrotechnics, photo slideshows, and festive celebration. Lest we fall into the shadows of the forgotten years in between, here are the stories of the Nikkei Community Internship program in its eleventh year. Sponsored by the California Japanese American Community Leadership Council, the Nikkei Community Internship (NCI) program is a statewide program that provides college students the opportunity to gain leadership, cultural, and professional knowledge and skills. Coordinated by Kizuna in southern California and the Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) in northern California, the goal of the program is to develop the next generation of community leaders by
- giving young people greater exposure to opportunities and needs in the Japanese American community
- promoting interaction and networking between existing Nikkei organizations and institutions
- connecting interns with mentors in the Japanese American community
- providing a fun learning experience that creates energy and a desire to engage in the community
In the summer of 2012, eighteen interns were placed with non-profit and for-profit organizations in and around California's three Japantowns in Los Angeles, San Jose, and San Francisco. (In 2012, the NCI program featured for the first time a Community Career Track, which places interns at local businesses and for-profit organizations that have a strong community focus. Before 2012, the only participating host organizations had been non-profit community-based organizations.) For eight weeks, interns in the Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area work on a wide array of projects with their host organizations; they also learn about the non-profit community work being done in their respective Japantowns. In San Jose, the interns do not remain at a single organization; they visit various community-oriented organizations in an eight-week themed rotation program. These are the stories of the NCI Class 11 interns--in their own voices. Southern California (Greater Los Angeles)
Yuriko Castillo - Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) Nicole Tsugawa - Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (GCJVI); Venice-Culver Japanese American Citizens League (VC-JACL) Kim Kobashigawa - East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center (ESGVJCC) Lucy Truong - Kizuna Scott Shima - Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) Elena Inamine - The J. Morey Insurance Company, Inc. Jarred Kozaki - Union Bank Lawrence Lan - Japanese American Bar Association (JABA); Japanese American National Museum (JANM) San Jose
Stacie Sakuma Mika Kennedy San Francisco
Eryn Kimura - Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) Alex Kahng - National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) Kaz Kitagaito - National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) Sara Matsumoto - Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) Miya Yung - Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) Drew Mametsuka - Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) Erika Geer - Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC)
Slides in this album |
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The Nikkei Community Internship Program - Class 11In the summer of 2012, eighteen interns were placed with non-profit and for-profit organizations in and around California's three Japantowns in Los Angeles, San Jose, and San Francisco. (In 2012, the NCI program featured for the first time a Community Career Track, which places interns at local businesses and for-profit … |
Southern California NCI InternsThe southern California interns posing in the James Irvine Japanese Garden of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC). Photo taken June 26, 2012. Photo courtesy of Erika Tamura. |
Lucy Truong - Kizuna - Southern CaliforniaWho are you? |
Lucy Truong - Kizuna - Southern CaliforniaLucy Truong (right) and her supervisor, Craig Ishii (left), working and playing in the Kizuna office. The office dynamic is electrifying. Read more about Lucy's NCI experience! Photo taken July 26, 2012. |
Scott Shima - Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) - Southern CaliforniaWho are you? Tell me more.
Scott Shima - Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) - Southern California |
Scott Shima - Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) - Southern CaliforniaScott Shima with his supervisors at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC). From left to right: Janet Hiroshima, Jessie Kikuchi, Scott Shima, Robert Hori. Read more about Scott's NCI experience! Photo taken July 27, 2012. Photo courtesy of Lucy Truong. |
Katie Mori - Keiro Senior Healthcare - Southern CaliforniaWho are you?
Katie Mori - Keiro Senior Healthcare - Southern California |
Katie Mori - Keiro Senior Healthcare - Southern CaliforniaKatie Mori (right) with her supervisor at Keiro, Brandon Leong (left). Read more about Katie's NCI experience! Photo taken July 27, 2012. Photo courtesy of Lucy Truong.
Katie Mori and Brandon Leong - Keiro Senior Healthcare |
J. Kozaki, Union Bank intern extraordinaire - Southern CaliforniaWho are you?
J. Kozaki, Union Bank intern extraordinaire - Southern California |
Nicole Tsugawa - Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (GVJCI) and Venice-Culver Japanese American Citizens League (VC JACL) - Southern California |
Elena Inamine - The J. Morey Company - Southern CaliforniaWho are you?
Elena Inamine |
Elena Inamine - The J. Morey Company - Southern California(Main photo) Elena Inamine with her supervisors, Josh Morey (right) and Kevin Fukuyama (left). Read more about Elena's NCI experience! Photo taken August 6, 2012. Photo courtesy of Elena Inamine.
Elena Inamine and her supervisors - J. Morey Company |
Kim Kobashigawa - East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center (ESGVJCC) - Southern CaliforniaWho are you? Where are you interning this summer? Who is your supervisor? How do you like working with her?
Kim Kobashigawa - East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center (ESGVJCC) - Southern California |
Kim Kobashigawa - East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center (ESGVJCC) - Southern CaliforniaKim Kobashigawa (left) and her supervisor, Pearl Omiya (right), at the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center. Read more about Kim's NCI experience! Photo taken July 11, 2011. |
Southern California NCI Interns at the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community CenterThe southern California NCI interns on their site visit to the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center. Photo taken July 12, 2012.
Southern California NCI Interns at the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center |
One LoveIn this photo, the southern California interns are just chilling on the steps of Powell Library at UCLA. From left to right: Katie Mori, Yuriko Castillo, Elena Inamine, Scott Shima, Lucy Truong, Kim Kobashigawa, Nicole Tsugawa, Jarred Kozaki, Lawrence Lan. Photo taken July 20, 2012. Photo courtesy of Paul Matsushima. |
Mika Kennedy - San Jose JapantownWho are you? |
Stacie Sakuma - San Jose JapantownWho are you? Where are … |
Northern California NCI InternsThe northern California NCI interns pose in the James Irvine Japanese Garden at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo. From left to right: Eryn Kimura, Sara Matsumoto, Erika Geer, Stacie Sakuma, Mika Kennedy, Miya Yung, Drew Mametsuka, Alex Kahng, Kaz Kitagaito. Photo taken … |
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) InternsFour NCI interns were placed at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC). From left to right: Miya Yung, Erika Geer, Sara Matsumoto, and Drew Mametsuka.
NCI interns with the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) |
San Jose's JapantownAll the NCI interns headed up to San Jose for the program's midsession retreat, where they had the opportunity to explore San Jose's Japantown and learn more about the organizations and institutions of the Japanese American community there. |
On To The Next OneSo there it is. The Nikkei Community Internship (NCI) program is indubitably one of the greatest life-changing experiences out there. If you're interested in learning more about the amazing and diverse array of community work being done in the Japanese American community, be sure to check out the Nikkei Community …
NCI Class 11 Interns at the Japanese American National Museum |