Licensing

Chicago Resettlers Committee/Japanese American Service Committee

Japanese American Service Committee -
The Chicago Resettlers Committee (CRC) was incorporated in August 1946 with a mission to assist with resettlement. The Committee helped new residents find interpreters for medical/social services and English classes; counseling for family and business issues, employment, and housing; and general information on services available in the city. The CRC, along with the Japanese American Citizens League, Japanese Mutual Aid Society, and Chicago Japanese American Council, developed an intentional strategy to organize and rebuild the community, help restore the Issei to leadership and gain the right to become U.S. citizens, address social problems and find sources of funding for their initiatives.

From 1945 to 1948, the CRC assisted 5,851 persons with direct services. In 1948, close to 10,000 Japanese Americans particpated in social and recreational group activities sponsored by the CRC. In 1954, as resettlers were becoming permanent residents of Chicago, the CRC changed its name to the Japanese American Service Committee (JASC) and focused efforts on serving the needs of the aging Issei population.

Today the mission of the JASC is to preserve and raise awareness of Japanese American culture and heritage, and promote the physical and spiritual well-being of Japanese Americans and the greater multicultural community in the Midwest.

The JASC continues to serve the community through its many social service programs, including adult day services, home support services, casework and counseling, and wellness programs. The JASC also perpetuates the practice of traditional Japanese American cultural arts through classes and resident artists partnerships, and preserves Japanese American history and heritage through its Legacy Center, which includes a community archives and library.