draft speech for nkhr at 2008 jacl convention

in 1929, the jacl was established to defend the rights of the issei and nisei. in those dark days, the jacl paved the way so that our ancestors could remove themselves from shadows and emerge in the sunlight. it was the wish of that generation that jacl be that beacon of hope, the light, that would guide our community. that generation engaged discrimination and bigotry wherever it was found. jaclers, then, fought, not just for their own rights, but so that we could stand here today. they endured through internment. through world war ii. through a hatred that ran deep in american society. and in the end, they prevailed as americans.

as jacl progressed from its infancy, it incorporated the struggles of the various eras. during the civil rights era, jaclers joined forces alongside african americans as they marched peacefully through the segregated south. jacl was the sun for same sex couples, that were denied, and are still very much denied the freedom to love their partners.

today, jacl continues in that tradition as it defends the right to vote, to freedom to immigrate to this country, and to live without fear of oppression. these examples i have listed are not strictly japanese american issues. yes, they may have been the things that jacl cared deeply for upon its conception, but today, jacl represents the voice of oppressed people everywhere. jacl represents the freedom that america preaches.

however, there are those that are not able to share in that freedom. in fact, there are many millions of people in north korea that are living without basic necessities that neither you or i think about on a daily basis. these things are food, water, and shelter. reminiscent to the bygone years of hitler and of stalin, kim jong il holds an iron fist over the north korean people. tens of thousands die each year of starvation. thousands of north korean women are being trafficked into china as sex slaves. more thousands are imprisoned in nazi-like work camps. and for what? listening to a non-north korean radio station. making a crease in a picture of kim jong il. and the most saddening part, millions of north korean children are born without the glimmer of a brighter tomorrow that i or your own children share.

therefore, the jacl national youth/student council presents this resolution to the floor of the 2008 national jacl convention for your consideration. we humbly ask for you to support this resolution along with us. as we embody the future of this organization, we see this resolution as the next evolutionary step of the jacl. we, the nysc, wish for nothing more than for jacl to continue being that beacon of hope for oppressed and marginalized people. because, while we may not know of that degree of despotism, we know, all too well, the bitter taste of injustice. and we refuse to remain silent. thank you.