Background: Every 10 years the city of San Francisco goes through a redistricting process, in which all 805,000 residents must be split up into 11 evenly distributed districts determined by the city Redistricting Task Force. Japantown is currently located within District 5, which includes the Fillmore and Western Addition. On a preliminary proposed map released by the San Francisco Redistricting Task Force, Japantown was placed in District 2, which includes the Marina and Pacific Heights. Japantown community advocates were initially concerned that removing Japantown from District 5 would separate Japantown from its historical ties with the Fillmore and Western Addition, and would also diminish the voice of the Japantown community amongst the concerns of existing interests within District 2.

Thanks to input from members of the Japantown community at a recent public Redistricting Task Force meeting, the proposed northern boundary of District 5 was moved further north to Pine street, thus keeping most of Japantown in District 5. Unfortunately, the new border still excludes prominent Japantown community institutions, including the Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) building. Concerned members of District 5 are pushing for the adoption of a map reflecting the needs of District 5’s communities, which further modifies the Redistricting Task Force’s proposed map by also including in District 5 all of Japantown, Westside Courts Public Housing, Hamilton Recreation Center, Booker T. Washington Community Service Center, Chibi-Chan Preschool and the Western Addition Public Library. The public has until March 29th, 2012 to submit proposed district maps and recommendations to the Redistricting Taskforce before they finalize their maps of the new city supervisorial districts on April 15, 2012.

For more information on the redistricting process, go to the SF Redistricting Task Force website at: http://sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=2622://

Why You Should Care: JCYC provides programs for the youth and future leaders of the Japantown community. Given the importance of JCYC to Japantown’s future, it is all the more important that we keep this valuable institution included in District 5 with the rest of Japantown. Retaining additional community institutions and resources such as the Hamilton Recreation Center, Booker T. Washington Community Service Center, Chibi-Chan Preschool and the Western Addition Public Library gives the residents of District 5 a greater ability to control local resources and serve the needs of their community.

How Can You Help: The Redistricting Task Force Committee is comprised of 9 members appointed by different bodies of the San Francisco city government. They will send their final draft of the new districts on April 15, 2012. We have the month of March, and half of April to let the Task Force know that it is unacceptable to split up Japantown. It is crucial for the Japantown community and supporters to demonstrate to the Redistricting Task Force that there is overwhelming public support for a District 5 map that will keep all of Japantown in District 5, including Japantown.

Please join nihonmachiROOTS in our Week of Action to Keep Japantown Together. For each day of the week of March 11-17, 2012, we will engage the city Redistricting Task Force using different methods and media to make Japantown’s voice heard, culminating in our attendance in person at the public Redistricting Task Force meeting on Saturday, March 17. Join us for each day of our Week of Action to ensure that the SF Redistricting Task Force hears the voices of the Japantown community! Check back regularly at www.japantownnow.com or on our Facebook page for updates on our Week of Action, and please help us by sharing and distributing this information widely!

nihonmachiROOTS WEEK of ACTION: KEEP JAPANTOWN TOGETHER

SUNDAY 03.11: SIGN A LETTER

Please print, sign and mail our petition letter to the SF Redistricting Task Force at:

Redistricting Task Force
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
City Hall, Room 244
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689

Dear members of the San Francisco Redistricting Task Force,

I am a member and supporter of the San Francisco Japantown community. I am concerned that the current (February 23) proposed District 5 map still excludes areas that are essential to the Japantown-Fillmore community. On the north, the District 5 boundary does not extend up to California Street, and thus separates the Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC), the Nichiren Buddhist Church and the St. Benedict/St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, all on Pine Street between Octavia and Buchanan, from the rest of Japantown. In particular, because JCYC provides important programs for the youth and future leaders of Japantown, it is vitally important that this valuable institution is included in District 5 with the rest of Japantown. On the west, we commend the Task Force for including Hamilton Recreation Center, Booker T. Washington Community Service Center, and the Western Addition Public Library in District 5, but it is also vitally important to me that the District 5 map be further redrawn to include other essential community institutions and resources, the Westside Courts housing residents between Baker and Broderick, who have long been part of the District 5 Fillmore community, and Chibi-Chan Preschool, a JCYC program serving to introduce our youngest members and their families to the Japantown community. I urge the Task Force to adopt a District 5 map that does not divide Japantown into separate districts and one that will keep the vital institutions listed above within District 5.

Sincerely,

__________________________
Feel free to access and share this letter online on Google Docs at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14tdmSzE5YBDK3aKHOf5J8fVRNuHUKZvidlffHchWkCU/edit

MONDAY 03.12: PETITION ONLINE

Please sign and share our online petition on Change.org at:

http://www.change.org/petitions/san-francisco-redistricting-task-force-adopt-new-district-5-borders-that-will-include-all-of-japantown

TUESDAY 03.13: EMAIL THE REDISTRICTING TASK FORCE

Directions: Send an e-mail to the SF Redistricting Task Force voicing your concerns regarding Japantown at: rdtf@sfgov.org

WEDNESDAY 03.14: FACEBOOK THE REDISTRICTING TASK FORCE

Go on the Redistricting Task Force Facebook page and post your concerns on their wall at:

www.facebook.com/redistrictingsf

Example post: I’m a member and supporter of the Japantown community. It is very important to me that the Redistricting Task Force adopts a map of District 5 that includes all of Japantown, including JCYC on Pine Street.

THURSDAY 03.15: TWEET THE REDISTRICTING TASK FORCE

Tweet your concerns to the Redistricting Task Force at:

www.twitter.com/redistrictingsf

Sample Tweet: @RedistrictingSF: Keep Japantown Together in District 5!

FRIDAY 03.16: CALL THE REDISTRICTING TASK FORCE

Call the Redistricting Task Force between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and tell them how you feel Japantown should be redistricted!

Phone: (415) 554-7710
TYY: (415) 554-5227

You can use the following sample script:

“Hello, my name is ________ and I’m a member and supporter of the Japantown community. It is very important to me that the Redistricting Task Force adopts a map of District 5 that includes all of Japantown, including JCYC on Pine Street. Thank you for your time.”

SATURDAY 03.17: SPEAK OUT AT THE REDISTRICTING TASK FORCE MEETING

Join nihonmachiROOTS and other members of the Japantown community to attend the Redistricting Task Force meeting in District 5 on Saturday, March 17, 2012. We encourage you to speak out at the meeting and make the concerns of the community heard. Even if you don’t speak at the meeting, your presence will show the members of the Task Force the strength of the community support to keep Japantown together through the redistricting process. Time and location are listed below:

SF Redistricting Task Force Special Meeting
Saturday, March 17, 2012, 10:00 a.m.
Ella Hill Hutch Community Center
1050 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94115

Continue to check back to JapantownNOW.com or visit nihonmachiROOTS’ Facebook page to see how you can help us send this message to the Redistricting Task Force.

Location:
New People Building
1746 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94115

Join us for JTALK!, the first NihonmachiROOTS language & cultural exchange event in Japantown.  We hope JTALK! will give non-Japanese speakers the chance to practice their nihongo and exchange culture with a native Japanese person.

Details

• JTALK! will have five native Japanese speakers to informally teach Japanese and share Japanese culture

• JTALK! will be divided into two parts:

1. The first 30 minutes or so will focus on a grammar theme: How to properly introduce yourself and/or someone else
2. The remainder of the time will be devoted to free conversation

• Please feel free to bring any pictures of yourself e.g. family, interests/hobbies, hometown map, pets, etc. that will help facilitate conversation topics and add more information  cultural exchange

Please Read

**Please indicate your level of proficiency in Japanese before attending.  This is very important so we can organize the groups properly.

E-mail: nihonmachiroots@gmail.com

**Our host, the New People Building, has been generous enough to offer their cafe space for one hour free of charge.  They would greatly appreciate it ifevery participant purchase one item at their cafe as a token of appreciation. Thank you.

Come hear MORE at the June 16^th Community Meeting!

• GOOD NEWS!

-  The San Francisco Planning Dept. has re-allocated a half-time Senior Planner to our planning effort and a part-time Cultural Preservation Staff

- Introduction of the NEW Japantown BNP Senior Planner, Paul Lord

• GREAT ANNOUCEMENT!

- The City through the leadership and support of Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi will look into conducting a new feasibility  study on the Japan Center

• A NEW JAPANTOWN COMMUNITY PLANNING COUNCIL TO BE DISCUSSED

-  Discussion on a NEW organizing structure, composition and process

-  Discussion on Electing community members and stakeholders to the new Council

-  Discussion on Council members voting on issues and to approve or disapprove the community recommendations of the Japantown BNP, prior to submission to the City Planning Commission

• BAD NEWS FOR THE OWNERS OF THE JAPAN CENTER AND THE HOTELS!

-  Their Waikiki Trade Center in Honolulu was foreclosed on!  $25 million in debt

-  Their Little Tokyo, Kyoto Grand Hotel and Weller Court in default! $33.8 million in debt

-  Forced to sell Waiane Shopping Mall in Oahu

-  Japan Center Next???

DON’T MISS THIS IMPORTANT MEETING!

When         Wednesday, June 16^th

Where       JCCCNC, 1840 Sutter Street (Issei Memorial Hall)

Time           7:00pm

Food and drinks provided

It was confirmed that full funding for JCYC’s Japantown Youth Leaders program will be included in the budget the Mayor submits to the Board of Supervisors next week!  The community came together and delivered over 1200 letters to the Mayor, called his office and spammed his Facebook and Twitter accounts.  The $94,000 in full will be reallocated back to the Youth of our community and we thank all of you for all your efforts!

THANK YOU

• 350 letters were collected
• 294 individuals signed our online petition
• Over 100 Facebook posts and tweets on Twitter were posted and seen by City Hall.

The letters, a printout of the online petition, as well as a visual piece will be presented to City Hall by NihonmachiROOTS representatives this Thursday.

The fight to save Japantown Youth Leaders isn’t over yet.  Continue to spread the word and stay tuned to Japantownnow.com for updates!

Mayor Gavin Newsom (http://twitter.com/GavinNewsom) loves tweeting, so what better way to get his attention about our campaing to regain city funding for JCYC that to tweet?!

Just REPLY to any one of his tweets on his twitter page: http://twitter.com/GavinNewsom with the following message:
“I support Japantown and I urge you to do the same by reinstating city funding for the Japantown Youth Leaders project!”

If you don’t have a twitter account, now is a good time to start one! It’s really easy and only takes a minute. http://www.twitter.com/