Kizuna

Thank you to everyone who attended our Open Community Space, and thank you to Changing Tides for helping us hold a space for inter-generational connection and healing. It was wonderful to spend time getting with community and hearing about everyone's experiences. Check out and share these resources to learn more about how to #StopAAPIHate! Asian American Advancing Justice: https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org Stop AAPI Hate: https://stopaapihate.org/... How to Report A Hate Crime Booklet: https://www.hatecrimebook.com/ PBS Asian Americans: https://www.pbs.org/show/asian-americans/ (education tool for everyone, and a great introduction to history for allies)

In light of the horrific events in Atlanta, in addition to the drastic rise in AAPI hate over this last year, Kizuna and Changing Tides will be hosting a discussion and listening session for anyone age 14 and older this coming Tuesday, March 23 from 7:00-8:30 PM. Join us and Changing Tides in a discussion led by Dr. Koko Nishi, a Clinical Psychologist at San Diego State University as we hold space to grieve and process together in community. We hope that this virtual space... will allow for open dialogue about what community members are experiencing, and give folks a chance to process the emotions and experiences that have been affecting the AAPI community. Register here: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSelRFEIRYkOxRhIHs/viewform

Former Kizuna volunteer, participant, and dear friend, Paul Goodman (aka Shrekachu!) is in urgent need of a life-saving bone marrow match as he battles a recurrence of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Paul grew up at the Orange County Buddhist Church. His love for community has led him to the current day, where he volunteers as a tech advisor for OCBC programs and serves as a counselor for the Los Angeles Buddhist Coordinating Council (LABCC) church camp. This weekend A3...M will be holding their first drive-thru bone marrow registrations. Each event will be held at a different location, so visit hope4paul.com or ganbattepaul.com for more information. We're calling on our Kizuna community to help support Paul and spread the word!

We're excited to unite the dream team of Kizuna x Japanese American Cultural & Community Center - JACCC x COLD TOFU Improv for this very special Storytime TOMORROW, Wednesday, 20 Jan 2021 at 4 PM PST. RSVP HERE: https://kizuna.typeform.com/to/FwngCMoq

On this #GivingTuesday, please consider a gift to Kizuna to help build the next generation of leaders. Vice Chair Megan Ono reflects on her journey with Kizuna from a youth participant to serving on the Board. "Thanks to Kizuna, I was empowered to give back to the community, and through our pipeline of programs teach the next generation after me to do the same. Now as a Board Member, I have the pleasure of witnessing our value of Giving in action. From our elementary students... who give back to their peers through candy philanthropy, to high school and college-aged participants organizing their own service projects, to volunteer counselors who give their time each summer, and supporters like you who are committed to the future of our community. My hope is for all of our participants to reap the same benefits of Kizuna’s impactful programs and to be inspired to enact real change in their communities." - Megan Ono To donate visit https://www.gokizuna.org/support/donate

Join our team! We're looking for an Executive Director to take us into our next chapter and continue empowering the next generation of leaders. See the link in bio for details on how to apply.

This week Elaine Hang will be reading How Raven Got His Crooked Nose - an Alaskan Dena’ina Fable retold by Barbara and Ethan J. Atwater and illustrated by Mindy Dwyer. Part picture book, part graphic novel, this beautifully illustrated story is about Chulyen, a mischievous raven who lost his nose! Using his special powers, he rushes to get it backbut oh no, in his haste, he got his nose back all crooked. This story reminds us that it’s important to not rush, to slow down an...d try your best to avoid making mistakes while doing something and comes from Denaina mythology. The Denaina people are the original inhabitants and caretakers of the South Central region of Alaska. We hope you can join us on Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at 5 PM. For security purposes, we require attendees to complete a 1-minute registration for our readings, please follow this link to reserve your spot! https://kizuna.typeform.com/to/HQypnlS8

Justin Kawaguchi was one of our Nikkei Community Internship interns placed at Little Tokyo Community Council this summer. Near the end of his internship, Justin shared with his supervisor Kristin Fukushima that he wanted to continue his work with the community and build further project management skills. What came as a result was the creation of a special collaboration between two small businesses, Anzen Hardware and CRFT by Maki, to honor and elevate legacy small businesses ...during the pandemic. "I learned a lot about the need for newer businesses to assume the role of a community steward, sharing their knowledge of social media, consumer trends, and marketing with our legacy businesses. I’ve never considered myself the idea-guy in a group project, preferring to orchestrate and delegate tasks. However, after this experience supporting the launch of a collaboration project for a cause I genuinely care about, I’m excited to continue exploring opportunities to push the envelope and find innovative ways to bring people together while building community." - Justin Kawaguchi If you’re interested in learning more and pre-ordering the Anzen x CRFT by Maki collaboration capsule, check out: CRFTbyMaki.com.

Last Friday was Stephanie (aka Beast Mode!) Nitahara's last day with us as Executive Director. We want to show our #Kansha by saying "Thank You! for the laughs, the memories, and most importantly, helping us continue to build our community. We wish her all the best and are excited to see what is next for her. Please join us in our gratitude!

This week our very own Stephanie Nitahara will be doing our live reading one last time. Since Veterans Day is on Wednesday we will be having our weekly live reading on Thursday. Stephanie has decided to read two stories this week, Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty and I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Scientist Ada has a boundless imagination and has always been hopelessly curious. Why are there pointy things stuck to a rose? Why are there hairs growing inside your ...nose? When her house fills with a horrific, toe-curling smell, Ada knows it’s up to her to find the source. What would you do with a problem like this? Not afraid of failure, Ada embarks on a fact-finding mission and conducts scientific experiments, all in the name of discovery. But, this time, her experiments lead to even more stink and get her into trouble! Some books are about a single wish. Some books are about three wishes. The infallible team of Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld have combined their extraordinary talents to create this exuberant book of endless good wishes. Wishes for curiosity and wonder, for friendship and strength, laughter and peace. Whether celebrating life's joyous milestones, sharing words of encouragement, or observing the wonder of everyday moments, this sweet and uplifting book is perfect for wishers of every age. We hope you will join us this Thursday, November 12, 2020, at 5 PM for Stephanie's last live reading . For security purposes, we require attendees to complete a 1-minute registration for our readings, please follow the link to reserve your spot! https://kizuna.typeform.com/to/bB5FkdR7