SJ JACL Youth in District and National Leadership

Austin Fujii

Austin Fujii is a second-year Political Science and Economics student at Foothill College. Formerly a Marketing & Policy Intern, he has since returned as a mentor for many youth interns. This past summer, Austin represented the NCWNP district as the 2025 Vision Award recipient at the JACL National Convention. In addition to his role as District Youth Board Vice-Chair, Austin has also enjoyed reuniting with the National Youth/Student Council (NY/SC) as the NCWNP District Youth Representative. In his free time, he enjoys playing taiko, taking photos, and scrapbooking. Recently with his team, he launched the Japanese American Professionals Network (JAMPN)—a fast-growing network connecting JA professionals and Japanese professionals working in the United States—expanding Japanese American career support mentorship to a national level. Austin extends his gratitude to the anonymous donors for their generous contributions as he continues to reinforce the importance of investing the next generations of Japanese American leaders.

Ryan Idemoto

Ryan Idemoto is a first-year student at UC Berkeley double majoring in Political Science and Asian American & Asian Diaspora Studies. He currently serves as a Legal Affairs Intern and a State Government Relations Associate for the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC). In his free time, Ryan enjoys running, hiking/backpacking, and playing intramural basketball for Berkeley’s Nikkei Student Union. Post-graduation, Ryan hopes to attend law school and continue his Asian American advocacy. On the NCWNP District Youth Board, he hopes to use his policy experience and civic leadership to advance legislative awareness and empower youth voices.

Alisa Sonehara

Alisa Sonehara is a senior at Palo Alto Middle College High School and a dual-enrolled student at Foothill College. She plans to pursue a degree in business and has reconnected her campus’ Japanese/Japanese American community as the current Foothill Japanese Cultural Club President—additionally overseeing the historic Foothill Japanese Cultural Center located in the campus’ bamboo garden. Originally from the Bay Area, Alisa is excited to become more involved in the local Japanese American community through the NCWNP District Youth Board. In her free time, she enjoys running, traveling, spending time with friends, and doing crafts. She is looking forward to meeting and working with others with similar goals!

Kiyone Tanaka-Gacayan

Kiyone Tanaka-Gacayan is a first-year Computer Science & Linguistics major, with a double major in Anthropology, at San Jose State University. She is a docent at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose and involves herself heavily with the South Bay Japanese American community. When she can, she enjoys to draw, write, read, hike, or research about different cultures and languages. In the future, Kiyone wants to preserve dying languages, to keep various cultures as alive as they can be, and advocate the civil rights of minorities to ensure equal protections for all. Through the NCWNP DYB, she hopes to educate people about the issues that Japanese Americans, and the broader Asian American community, face.

2025-26 J-Town Community TV Internship

Managed by: San Jose JACL

Term: 2025–2026 School Year 

Application deadline: Open until positions filled

Please submit resume to Naoko Fujii  📧  nfujii@jacl.org.

Summary

The J-Town Community TV Internship is an unpaid, experiential learning opportunity focused on video production, storytelling, and cultural programming located in San Jose Japantown. Interns will film local events, work directly with professional filmmaker Duane Kubo and Henry Nakata, and receive peer mentorship from returning SJSU interns.

For the 2025–26 school year, the San Jose JACL is accepting applications for up to four (4) new interns. This program offers valuable real-world experience while fostering a deeper connection to Japanese American history, culture, and community. 

About J-Town Community TV

J-Town Community TV (JTCTV) is a YouTube channel that films events and cultural programs throughout San Jose Japantown, also ensuring that San Jose's history is archived at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose. The YouTube channel is a platform for recording events held at Japantown venues. The channel provides a resource for people to stay informed about events and initiatives within Japantown when they are unable to attend in person.

About the San Jose JACL

The San Jose chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) was founded in 1923 as the American Loyalty League. The JACL, founded in 1929, is the nation’s oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization. The San Jose JACL offers educational, civil rights, cultural, and community building activities of interest to the local community.

Internship Details

Position:
Volunteer (unpaid); related expenses, transportation to filming locations, are the responsibility of the intern’s family.

Mentorship & Training:
Hands-on experiential learning under the guidance of J-Town Community TV

Eligibility:

• Students from San Jose State University or other local colleges with the ability to provide their own transportation to film events in San Jose Japantown.

• Have an interest in community service, San Jose Japantown and cultural programming.

Requirements:

• Attend at least 3 events and participate in filming; many events are on weekends

• Take and upload photos or clips to the JTCTV Instagram page relating to the events attended 

Time Commitment:
Flexible; interns sign up to cover events as schedules permit.

Duration:
2025–26 school year; may be extended upon approval.

Location:
On-site event filming in San Jose Japantown; editing and post-production can be done remotely.

Program Mentors

Duane Kubo
Duane Kubo founded J-Town Community TV as a retirement project after a distinguished career in education and media. He previously served as Dean of Intercultural and International Studies and taught Ethnic Studies at De Anza College. Earlier in his career, Duane co-founded Visual Communications, a groundbreaking media organization amplifying Asian American voices, and became a prominent filmmaker. His notable works include Hito Hata: Raise the Banner (1980), Cruisin’ J-Town (1972), and Claiming a Voice: The Visual Communications Story (1990). Cruisin’ J-Town, set in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, was one of the first feature-length films with an all-Asian cast. Duane also founded the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest. A San Jose native and lifelong member of the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, Duane was active in many Japantown youth programs, including judo, Sunday school, and CYS sports. He studied film at UCLA.

Henry Nakata
Since retiring, Henry Nakata has been an essential part of the J-Town Community TV team, filming, editing, and producing video content since 2019. His technical skill and dedication have helped document and share countless Japantown stories and events with the broader community.

School Credit

For students seeking SJSU or other school internship credit, here is our organization Information:
Japanese American Citizens League – San Jose Chapter
565 North Fifth Street
San Jose, CA 95112
EIN: 94-6073117
For any questions, please contact:  Naoko Fujii,  San Jose JACL at  📧 nfujii@jacl.org, LinkedIn profile