WASHINGTON — The 2013 JACL National Convention will be held at the Renaissance Hotel at 999 9th St., NW in Washington, D.C. from Wednesday to Friday, July 24-26.
“We promise this to be a very historic and special convention as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 and recognize individuals who helped make redress possible,” said JACL President David Lin and Executive Director Priscilla Ouchida.
“With the theme of ‘Justice for All,’ we have very special events planned for all convention attendees, including: the Opening Banquet, where we will be honoring individuals who played integral roles during redress; a private reception at the National Archives, where the original redress bill and signed Executive Order 9066 will be on display side-by-side; Hill visits to advocate for current issues impacting the AAPI community; and an exclusive closing reception at the residence of Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae and the presentation of the Governor Ralph Carr Awards.”
The honorees at the opening gala will include:
• Wade Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
• Norman Mineta, former congressman, secretary of commerce and secretary of transportation
• The late Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii (1924-2012)
• The late Sen. Spark Matsunaga of Hawaii (1916-1990)
• The late Rep. Robert Matsui of Sacramento (1941-2005)
If you register before June 15, you can still receive early-bird pricing and save $50 on the convention package. If you can’t attend the entire convention, a la carte tickets may be purchased for our premier events.
Tables of 10 may also be purchased for the Opening Banquet at the price of $2,500 for corporations and $1,500 for non-profits. Those who are part of a table of 10 are welcome to attend the plenary sessions, workshops and exhibits during convention without additional charge.
Click here to register for early-bird pricing. For more information, call the JACL DC Office at (202) 223-1240.
The JACL, the nation’s oldest and largest Asian American civil and human rights organization, has been holding conventions for over 80 years. The 2013 convention will be the second off-year convention since the JACL went to a yearly convention schedule.
Washington, D.C. was chosen as the location because it was there that the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 — which provided an official apology and some monetary compensation for the injustices committed against Japanese Americans during World War II — was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Reagan.
As this is an off-year convention, this will be an opportunity for delegates and boosters to have some extraordinary experiences in the nation’s capital. The format for this convention will be different from previous conventions for various reasons. A banquet will be held on the first evening in order to gain more participation from leaders in Congress and the civil rights arena. Speakers and plenary session participants will feature high-level government officials.
“Washington, D.C. is a truly amazing and beautiful place,” convention organizers said. “We hope members and friends of the JACL from around the world will take advantage of the opportunity to attend and be part of this historic convention.”
On the Web: http://jacl.org/2013/