NIC’s 2008 interns: (front, from left) Tristan Sedillo, David Oda, Nate Imai, Edward Kobayashi, Max Nihei; (rear, from left) Katherine Furukawa, Fiona Potter, LiAnn Ishizuka, Wendy Sekimura, Megan Terasaki, Kristin Fukushima, Janet Hiroshima, Mimi Yang.

The closing luncheon of the 2008 Nikkei Community Internship (NCI) was held Aug. 15 at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) in San Francisco.

The eight-week summer program, now in its seventh year, is sponsored by the California Japanese American Community Leadership Council (CJACLC).

NCI is a statewide program that offers college students an opportunity to obtain experience by supporting the work of various community organizations and increasing their understanding of contemporary issues facing Japanese Americans. It is coordinated by the Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) in San Francisco and the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) in Los Angeles.

The internship includes meetings with various community leaders and visits to other organizations to expand the students’ knowledge of available services and resources in the community.

The goal is to support the development of the next generation of community leaders. Many alumni continue to be actively involved in the community in a variety of capacities. To date, 90 students have participated in the program.

This year’s interns, the organizations to which they were assigned, and their areas of study are as follows:

Northern California

• Katherine Furukawa, JCYC. UC Berkeley, third year, architecture, city and regional planning.

• Edward Kobayashi, JCCC-NC. UCLA, third year, psychobiology, Japanese.

• Max Nihei, Kimochi Inc. UCLA, third year, history, film and TV.

• Annie Kim Tomita Noguchi, National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS). UC Berkeley, second year, ethnic studies, political science.

• David Oda, JCCCNC. UC Berkeley, third year, political economics of industrialized societies, Japanese.

• Wendy Sekimura, JCYC-Tomodachi Summer Program. Brown University, second year, undeclared.

Southern California

• Kristin Fukushima, Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), Pacific Southwest District. Pomona College, fourth year, sociology, Asian American studies.

• Jane Hiroshima, LTSC, CSU Long Beach, graduate, Class of 2008, human development, certificate in gerontology.

• Natsuma (Nate) Imai, Nikkei Federation, Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC). UCLA, fourth year, architectural studies.

• LiAnn Ishizuka, Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches (A3M), LTSC. UCLA, third year, international development studies, global studies.

• Fiona Miyoko Potter, Japanese American National Museum (JANM). UC Berkeley, second year, undeclared.

• Tristan Sedillo, Rafu Shimpo Newspaper. UC Berkeley, second year, undeclared.

• Megan Terasaki, Pacific Citizen Magazine. Seattle Pacific University, second year, English.

• Mimi Yang, Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California (JCCSC). UCLA, third year, economics/international area studies, Japanese.

Speakers at the luncheon included Kaz Maniwa, chairman of CJACLC, and Jon Osaki, executive director of JCYC. Mickie Okamoto, a 2005 intern, offered reflections on behalf of NCI alumni.

Four of this year’s interns shared their experiences. Excerpts from their written statements follow:

Nate Imai: “The Nikkei Community Internship has been a fantastic opportunity for me to engage with the community, develop my identity as an East Coast Japanese American, and learn leadership skills that I will use as next year’s president of the Nikkei Student Union at UCLA.”

Edward Kobayashi: “From the moment I walked into the JCCCNC office ... I felt like I was thrown into the rushing current of San Francisco Nihonmachi, becoming immediately involved in what seemed like 10 events at once. At first it felt a little overwhelming, but I discovered that this was the normal pace, and that this is the energy that makes our dynamic community what it is today.”

Kristin Fukushima: “Although things can get hectic, overall, my internship has been extremely rewarding ... I’ve forged bonds and connections that irrevocably intertwine me with both the JA and the Little Tokyo community.”

Wendy Sekimura: “I learned about the fading of today’s Japantowns from our intern days with Japantown community leaders while, on the other hand, I experienced daily the vibrancy and exuberance of the Tomodachi kids. Through this internship, I feel like I have gained a whole new community to feel a part of and learn from.”