The goal of this project is to raise awareness for and mitigate AAPI (Asian-American and Pacific Islander) hate and crime. This issue parallels the issues Japanese Americans faced as a result of Executive Order 9066 because Japanese Americans were discriminated against during WW2. EO 9066 made this problem even worse, increasing microaggressions and racism against Japanese people and people with Asian descent. Our project aims to bring awareness to these microaggressions and racism that still take place today.

This film is necessary because most people don’t understand the importance of reparations or how they may affect our lives. In fact, most people don’t understand what reparations are, let alone the fact that a board in California recently proposed a $5M payment to every African American descendant of slaves. By highlighting the debate on reparations, the film project seeks to address the civil liberties issue of racial justice and equality. It aims to spark important conversations and encourage action toward addressing the systemic inequalities that have persisted for far too long, no matter what form that action may take — whether it be reparations or something different. Ultimately, the film aims to contribute to the movement toward a more just and equitable society where civil liberties are protected for all individuals, regardless of race or ethnicity.

The reason discussion on reparations for slavery connects with the issues Japanese Americans faced as a result of Executive Order 9066 is that after the internment camps, Japanese American survivors were awarded $20,000 each in reparations.

So, in essence, the JA community has been caught in the middle of this debate, with one side stating they received reparations because they experienced the event directly (meaning that descendants of slaves today shouldn’t be entitled to anything) and the other side pointing to their example as unfair — because JAs received reparations while African Americans did not.

This project addresses the need for youth engagement in culturally significant areas of Los Angeles. These volunteer programs will be implemented by nonprofits and organizations that serve these communities. One of the neighborhoods in Los Angeles that we have chosen to highlight is Little Tokyo. We plan to work with local nonprofits such as Go for Broke National Education Center and LTSC to provide educational resources about Little Tokyo, which we will include on our website. Our goal and main objective is to create a website that connects high schoolers with volunteer opportunities in different communities within LA.

This project is necessary because food equity is an issue in the city of Los Angeles. Nutritious, culturally relevant, and affordable options for food are scarce to come by, especially in low socioeconomic areas. By creating a community garden with vegetables and herbs, members of the community can partake in receiving these produce items for free. This issue parallels the Japanese American experience as a result of Executive Order 9066 because those who were incarcerated during WWII were not provided with adequate options for food while in camp. Japanese Americans ultimately farmed their own food while in camp that had cultural relevance to them, and many worked in agriculture either before the war began and/or after it was over.