• Please join us in celebrating the reuniting of partners, family and kids that have enjoyed the Nichi Bei Times for many, many years.

• On the launch of the new Nichi Bei Foundation — publishers of the first nonprofit ethnic newspaper of its kind in the country, the Nichi Bei Weekly — we are raising much-needed funds in order to keep the Japanese American community connected, informed and empowered.

• We will be watching Japanese American catcher Kurt Suzuki and the Oakland A’s take on Japanese baseball legend Ichiro Suzuki and the Seattle Mariners, which is managed by the Bay Area’s own Don Wakamatsu, the first Asian American manager in Major League Baseball.

Click here to purchase tickets or become a sponsor!

The grant, one of three, represents the first awards under the Center’s Media Greenhouse, which supports ethnic media, community media, and nonprofit groups in an effort to incubate and test innovative models for gathering and distributing news. This support includes grants, technical assistance and training for news organizations.

The goal of the Media Greenhouse is to foster growth and improvement in journalism. All projects awarded the grant will share what is learned with the greater journalism and philanthropic communities.

The grant to the Nichi Bei Foundation will support the launch of an online community hub to serve the news and information needs of the pan-Asian American community. The award will help the Foundation expand its content, audience and fundraising capabilities by going online.

The other two grants were awarded to the Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) and Oakland Local.

The Nichi Bei Foundation expresses our deep appreciation to the Renaissance Journalism Center, its executive director Jon Funabiki, and the individuals associated with the Media Greenhouse program for their support and belief in our efforts to advance not-for-profit journalism.

Sunday, Dec. 6
1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California
1840 Sutter St., SF’s Japantown.

How will the community be kept informed with the closure of Northern California’s two Japanese American bilingual newspapers? How will this impact community organizations? Arising out of the ashes of the Nichi Bei Times, how is the Nichi Bei Foundation and its nonprofit publication — the Nichi Bei Weekly — functioning? Does the community need a Japanese-language press?

Co-sponsored by the Japanese American National Library, National Japanese American Historical Society, the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, the Nichi Bei Foundation and the Nichi Bei Weekly.

For more information: (415) 673-1009 or info@nichibeifoundation.org.

The New Nichi Bei Weekly: Sacramento Community Forum and Fundraiser

Sunday, November 15
2 to 4 p.m.
Asian Community Center
7375 Park City Drive, Sacramento, CA
(off Greenhaven Drive by I-5 & Florin Road Exit West)

Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by Nov. 10 to: andynoguchi@hotmail.com or Andy at (916) 978-6121.

• Learn about the new Nichi Bei Weekly, a nonprofit publication of the Nichi Bei Foundation arising out of the ashes of the Nichi Bei Times.

• Share your ideas

• Meet Nichi Bei Weekly Editor and Nichi Bei Foundation President Kenji G. Taguma, writers, and supporters such as Nichi Bei Foundation board member Wayne Maeda (CSU Sacramento Ethnic Studies) and Advisory Council members Andy Noguchi and Twila Tomita (Florin JACL).

• Tax-deductible donations to “Nichi Bei Foundation,” a charitable and educational nonprofit organization, are welcome

Sponsored by more than 20 community leaders — including California State Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada (honorary), SMUD Board member Genevieve Shiroma (honorary), CSU Sacramento VP Carole Hayashino, Isao Fujimoto (UC Davis Asian American Studies Professor Emeritus), Sharon Ito and Ryan Yamamoto (News 10 TV journalists), Georgette and Roy Imura (public interest consultant and partner), Florin JACL President Marielle Tsukamoto, Barbara Takei (Tule Lake Committee), Fumie Shimada (Florin JACL Civil Rights Co-Chair), Sacramento City College Counselor Keith Muraki and Nichi Bei Weekly political columnist Bill Wong — and the Florin JACL [partial list and positions for ID purposes only].

The Nichi Bei Foundation is a sponsored project of Community Initiatives, which is an exempt organization as defined by Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and, accordingly, your gift is deductible to the full extent permitted by law. Federal nonprofit identification number is 943255070.

Read an excerpt of Robinson’s book in the Oct. 8-14, 2009 issue of the Nichi Bei Weekly.

We have, probably, the most talented and enthusiastic staff that we have ever had — in both sections, English and Japanese — who continue to impress me on a daily basis.

I have been blessed with being charged to maintain a historical legacy that I feel is unsurpassed — from the Nichi Bei Shimbun founded in 1899 by legendary newspaperman Kyutaro Abiko, to the postwar Nichi Bei Times, whose main founder Shichinosuke Asano utilized our pages to raise awareness and funds for postwar relief to a war-devastated Japan.

Their legacy, and the work of countless other unknown soldiers along the way who committed themselves to community service, have fueled us each and every day.

Today’s news, a decision made by the board of directors and shareholders — most of whom are descendants of the original founders of the Nichi Bei — is a sad one indeed. Adding to this morose ending is the lack of community input into what could be done to save this storied legacy.

However, out of the ashes, we shall rise again.

To counter this move by the Nichi Bei Times board of directors, a group of community leaders, some Nichi Bei Times staff and contributors have been rapidly forming a new nonprofit entity — the Nichi Bei Foundation — whose main charge is to publish a community-serving newspaper in the same vein as our predecessors, seeking to keep the community connected, informed and empowered.

We will engage the community like never before, and have an energetic board of directors who are committed to a broad vision of community empowerment.
We hope that you, our cherished readers, will join us.

At this time, when community organizations are being hit hard by funding issues, and mainstream newspapers are cutting down on coverage of communities of color, the community may need us now more than ever.

In order for the new Nichi Bei Foundation and its nonprofit publication to work, however, it will take a lot of urgent help. Because of the late notification of the closing of the Nichi Bei Times, we are not able to obtain 501(c)3 status in time to attract large foundations. Thus, the new foundation will initially rely primarily — if not solely — upon private, individual donations.

So, the ball is in your court. If you feel as passionate about saving the Nichi Bei as we do, and for continuing a publication that speaks to community preservation as much as it speaks to community empowerment and historical documentation, then we hope you can contribute.

Brick by brick, we will build this foundation together.

For more information, please visit www.nichibeifoundation.org, e-mail me at kenji@nichibeifoundation.org, or write to Nichi Bei Foundation, P.O. Box 15693, San Francisco, CA 94115.

Look for a community forum in the coming days. As we wind down this chapter, we have invited former Nichi Bei Times staff and intern alumni to share their thoughts about “What Nichi Bei Meant to Me.” We invite you to do the same.

In closing, I would like to thank all of our dedicated staff and interns, past and present, who have made tremendous contributions to the Japanese American and Asian American mosaic, and who continue to serve as inspirations to me each and every day.

And mostly, thank you for being such a dedicated audience. Please join us as we enter the next phase, going boldly where no newspaper has gone before.

Sincerely,
Kenji G. Taguma
Nichi Bei Times Vice President and English Edition Editor
Nichi Bei Foundation President
August 20, 2009