JACL is now accepting applications for its Youth Legacy Program, funded through a grant from the National Park Service.

The JACL Youth Legacy Program connects Asian Pacific Islander youth with the legacy of the Japanese American incarceration during World War II, and draws parallels to the hysteria that targeted Muslim Americans following 9/11.

The project aims to address the search for personal identity experienced by many young Asian Pacific Islanders who seek greater affirmation and understanding about their collective history. The program also aims to foster within the next generation the importance of historical preservation by connecting them to the Manzanar concentration camp, a National Park Service historic site that has significance to Asian Americans.

The program will take place Wednesday through Saturday, Aug. 15 to 18, in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, one of three remaining Japantowns in the U.S. It is open to Asian Pacific Islander youth between the ages of 18 and 25. Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.?All expenses to participate will be covered.

Program information and an application can be accessed here.?The application filing deadline is July 6.

For additional information, contact Youth Legacy Program Coordinator Diane Matsuda at [email protected].

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