Nikkei Progressives is a grassroots, all-volunteer, multi-generational community organization.
Our mission is to engage and unite the Nikkei community to stand against injustice, inequality and white supremacy and to work in solidarity with others for a more just society.
Where We’re From
We formed in 2016 partially in response to the Trump Administration’s expected attacks on the civil liberties of Muslim Americans, immigrants, and other minority groups and in recognition of the need to offer support and resistance. We care deeply about issues of justice and fairness within the Japanese American community and beyond. Current initiatives include advocating for immigration justice, Black reparations, electoral and political engagement, and the Little Tokyo community, as well as supporting BIPOC arts and culture.
Rooted in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, Nikkei Progressives carries on the values and principles of earlier groups, like the Little Tokyo Peoples Rights Organization (LTPRO) that worked to preserve Little Tokyo during the City’s 1970s redevelopment and Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress (NCRR) that led the grassroots struggle for Redress and Reparations and supported Muslim Americans following 9/11.
The Electoral Committee registers new voters and educates on local and statewide propositions
What We Stand For
We support the human and civil rights of immigrants, the Black diaspora, Muslim Americans, and other groups who face marginalization and discrimination. We believe in building bridges and solidarity between people, not walls, registries and travel bans. We believe families belong together, children separated from their parents must be reunited immediately, and migrants and asylum seekers deserve safety and freedom from violence and modern-day prison camps. We believe Black Lives Matter. We believe Little Tokyo is the heart of the Southern California Japanese American community and its 141-year history, culture, values, legacy businesses, and community institutions must be protected for future generations.
The Immigration Committee protests at Adelanto Detention Center in the Inland Empire
What We Do
Nikkei Progressives’ active committees include: Arts and Culture, Electoral, Immigration, Little Tokyo, Reparations (NP/NCRR), and API Action for Palestine.
The Reparations Committee joins the crowds in Selma and fights in solidarity for Black reparations
Follow us @nikkeiprogressives
