Rob Buscher
The P.C.’s Spring Campaign is now underway with a fundraising goal of $25,000 to support the general operations of our newspaper.
While Nichi Bei Weekly and the Rafu Shimpo are great resources for their local communities in the S.F. Bay Area and Los Angeles, the Pacific Citizen is the only Japanese American newspaper that is truly nationwide in its coverage, with contributing writers located throughout the country.
For those of us residing outside of the Japanese American ethnic enclaves of the West Coast, the P.C. is a lifeline to help us stay connected to the happenings within our national community.
In the years before I was involved in my present professional work in the Japanese American community, the P.C. gave me an insight into experiences and stories that helped me feel connected to the larger narrative of Japanese America.
In this sense, the P.C. is a gateway for community members to learn about the goings-on within our community in a way that empowers people to become involved with both the JACL and other Japanese American organizations and movements.
Considering the aging demographics in many of our Japanese American community organizations, the P.C. also serves as a proving ground to develop younger generations as members of this community, giving them opportunities to present their views to a national audience and engage in the discourse.
The P.C. gives voice to the concerns of the Japanese American community and is a valuable space for intergenerational exchange.
As a young writer, the P.C. gave me a platform to explore my mixed-race Japanese American identity through writing and share content that was not considered newsworthy by other mainstream publications. I know I am not the only Yonsei who has found their voice through this newspaper.
Lastly, the P.C. is a valuable resource for early career journalists and others who aspire to work in this field. While the Asian American Journalists Assn. fulfills this function to some extent, the majority of its members are first- and second-generation Asian Americans.
For the Yonsei and Gosei in our midst whose connection to the culture of origin and immigration experience are more distant, community spaces with predominantly immigrant and second-generation Asian Americans are not always comfortable.
The P.C. staff and editorial board are a culturally competent and supportive team that come from similar multigenerational backgrounds.
Together, they are helping to hone our next generation of community journalists in this highly welcoming and encouraging environment.
For the many reasons I have stated above, I hope you will join me in supporting the Pacific Citizen during this year’s Spring Campaign.
