Greetings!   I would like to welcome you to the website of the Venice Japanese Community Center (VJCC). For over eighty-five years, the VJCC has been serving residents living in the Venice area and proximal communities. The overarching goal of the Venice Japanese Community Center is to preserve and perpetuate the Japanese American heritage and culture. The VJCC achieves this goal through providing a venue for numerous classes, programs, and organizations that emphasize Japanese and Japanese American traditions. 

Reminder - 2010 Census

As Census 2010 is coming to an end, there is still some time for those who have yet to fill-out their Census forms!  Enumerators (or the Census takers) will come knocking on the doors of those who did not turn in their forms starting May 1. This is not only bothersome for many, but very costly as well – using approximately $1.5 billion of taxpayer money last year. According to the Washington Post, the 2010 Census response rate seems to reflect the 2000 Census turnout rate. Moreover, the Census bureau still finds that large cities and minority populations have a low response rate compared to other parts of the national population. Depending on the area and communities that did not turn in their Census forms, the enumerators may cost the taxpayers more than $1.5 billion – the taxes that could be used for more useful, efficient purposes such as education, roads, and welfare. So please remind your friends, family, relatives, and others who have not yet turned in their Census forms!  This would not only save an enormous amount of taxpayer money that could be put to good use, but also would save you from the hassle of meeting a random stranger who will attempt to contact you 6 times if you don’t turn in your Census!

Information and Opportunities at the VJCC for Students

by Gail Sharp

Graduating High School Seniors: Thinking about college finances?

Now that the dream of attending the college of your choice is becoming a reality, it is time to think about ways to help pay for your education. Try doing some research through your high school, college or on the internet. There are a surprising number of scholarships available to those who look and apply for them. If you look through the pages of this newsletter, you will notice that the VJCC awards scholarships!

Post-High School, College and recent Post-College: Looking for an extra-curricular experience?

You have high school and some college under your belt and you are looking for something productive to do this summer. If you earn a little cash, that would be a welcome bonus. You have a strong interest in the VJCC and/or the Japanese American community in the Venice area. There may be a Summer Internship opportunity for you at the VJCC. Take a look at the VJCC Summer Internship information sheet and consider the possibility!

VJCC 88th Anniversary - Add to the Memories

By Alexa Giffen

As many of you may or may not know, next summer will be the 88th anniversary of the Venice Japanese Community Center. This is a very special moment in the Center’s history and we are working to preserve and collect more of it through oral history interviews and photographs. While efforts have been made to collect both photographs and memories from community members, we are looking to expand upon this. Over the past summer, I’ve had the pleasure of listening and talking to people who have helped build, supported, and grown up at the Center. They have all shared fond memories and stories ranging from Boy Scout trips to hanging out at the summer carnivals. Our goal is to continue to record more stories like these, and we need your help to do it.

Along with stories, we are also looking to collect photographs that have been taken at the Center over the years. Old or new, all are instrumental in helping us create a great visual history of the Center to match the memories that we have been gathering. At the moment we do have a collection of stories and photographs upon which we hope to build. This project is very important to all members of the Community Center and it is essential that we work together to make it the best it can be. If you are interested in volunteering any of your time to help out with this task through sharing stories, photos, or any other memories, your assistance will certainly be appreciated! Please contact me at alexakifumi@gmail.com or Sharon Kumagai at sakwhy@aol.com if you have any questions or information you would like to share.