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The JETAA Chicago Leadership is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for everyone in our community. To learn more review our Community Conduct & Agreements.
Join the WI Subchapter for a Karaoke party at Sunny Pho in Madison, WI (602 S Park St, Madison, WI 53715) on Saturday, December 7th, 6:00-9:00pm CST!
The cost will be split between participants but expect around $10-15 per person. Bring a friend! There is a cash bar available.
The Japanese Culture Center and the International Museum of Surgical Science are collaborating on some upcoming events:
On November 25th, there is a performance by Asian Improv aRts Midwest, featuring shamisen and traditional Japanese dance that revives the philosophical sensibility of fluidity, flexibility and rawness of sound that is at the core of the Tokyo geisha house musical culture.
On December 5th, there is an event featuring City-Pop DJ Van Paugam for an evening of Showa-era tunes.
Thank you to many of our community members who joined us last week for Part 2 with academic, Dr. Yuki Miyamoto, Ph.D and/or for Part 1 with artist, Derrick Fields! We invite you to complete our trilogy (of course new attendees are welcome too!) with our third and final installment of the J-Talks: Godzilla Edition - Care & Consumption webinar series with aficionado, Gabriel Coronado (he/him), this Wednesday, November 20th at 7:00pm CT - RSVP Required via Guestlist:
Gabriel Coronado (pronouns: he/him), Lifelong Godzilla fan & President of Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Program Alumni Association - Chicago. Gabriel brings the aficionado perspective to our webinar series as his love for Godzilla is grounded in family connection and cultural understanding. Read more about Gabriel:
Born and raised in a mixed race family on the southwest side of Chicago, Gabriel Coronado has been watching Godzilla films as long as he can remember. Thanks to a father who spent his own childhood watching the original Showa era Godzilla films, Gabe grew up with all of the classic Godzilla films on VHS that his family could find. The interest in Godzilla inspired a broader curiosity about Japan’s culture and history and led him to pursue studying Japanese language and literature at Whitney M. Young High School and DePaul University.
After spending a year post-undergrad on the Japan Exchange and Teaching(JET) Program in southern Japan, Gabe returned to Chicago and found a career in event production, project management and community impact programming. Eventually, he became involved in the JET Program Alumni Association of Chicago as a volunteer helping at events before becoming President in 2019. As a leader in the local Japan-America community for the last 5 years, Gabe works hard to build community through mutual respect and understanding of other cultures.
Random G-Fan Facts about Gabe:
Favorite Kaiju - Anguirus
Favorite Godzilla films - Minus One, Godzilla Vs. Biollante
Favorite Non-film Godzilla Media - Marc Cerasini Novel Series
Favorite Non-Godzilla Kaiju films - Rodan (1956), Gamera Heisei Trilogy
The J-Talks: Godzilla Edition Trilogy is supported in partnership of Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Program Alumni Association - Chicago and The Japanese American Citizen League (JACL) - Midwest District Council (MDC), Young Professionals Caucus (YPC). J-Talks: Strengthening Ties Through Dialogue, which centers around themes of identity, social issues, cultural understanding, and leadership as experienced by people with meaningful connections to Japan. In honor of Godzilla’s 70th anniversary, this year’s J-Talk Webinars are a series of interviews that center around the themes of Care & Consumption in relation to the King of the Monsters origins, history and cultural impact. Join us as we connect with JET alumni and members of the US-Japan community about how we interact with Japanese culture and how our perception evolves over time.
This online event is open to the public including our fellow JET Alumni, JACL members, community partners, and our Friends of JET/JACL (FOJ).
Questions? Contact mdc.ypc@jacl.org or vicepresident@jetaachicago.com