Happy 50th JBBP! We share the same birth year. 🙂 I look forward to celebrating the founding of this uniquely San Franciscan educational experience! Please join us! Ticket information here. 

Quote from the Rosa Parks JBBP website history page:

In partnership with the Japanese American community, San Francisco’s first elected Board of Education established JBBP in 1973 to preserve and share the legacy of Japanese Americans and Japanese language and culture with future generations of San Franciscans.  A product of the Civil Rights and Asian-American movements of the time,  the program was founded through a grass-roots effort by a core group of 8 dedicated parents and community leaders who were interested in regaining for their children, the cultural identity that had been lost in the aftermath of the forced internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.  Language instruction by native-Japanese speaking teachers in the context of authentic cultural experiences, as well as access to the program by any interested elementary school student, were the defining priorities of JBBP’s pedagogical model.

地域の日系アメリカ人組織と共同し、1973年、サンフランシスコ市で初めて選出された教育委員会により先祖より受け継いだ日本語と文化をサンフランシスコ市民が受け継ぎ続け、ひろめる目的でJBBPが設立されました。 公民権運動やアジア系アメリカ人運動の禍中、第二次世界大戦中に起きた日系アメリカ人強制収容によって子供たちの代が失った日本人としてのアイデンティティー(帰属性)、日本語力と日本文化を取り戻すため、家族や地域のリーダーからなる８名のメンバーによって立ち上げられました。 JBBPの教育方針として、日本語を母国語として話す先生方により、希望する小学生なら分け隔てなく、誰でも生きた日本語を学び日本文化に触れるよう取り組んでおります。

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Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of illustrating artwork for fundraising events at Rosa Parks Elementary Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program (JBBP) where both of my children are alumni. 2023 marks the 50th anniversary since the program was originally founded in 1973. I illustrated and designed their “Save the Date” poster and postcards for the gala scheduled for the fall.

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Written by Judith Kajiwara
Illustrated by Felicia Hoshino
Published by Lowkey Publishing (Nov 2022)
email: [email protected]

Learn more about illustrating Silly Green Mask.

where to buy

Special events: J-Sei Artisan Faire

Local Bookstores: Green Apple Books

Online Stores: Barnes & Noble, Amazon

$24.99
38 Pages
8.5″ x 11″
Hardcover ISBN: 9781667879260

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As usual I like sharing my illustration process from thumbnail sketches to final artwork. For this book I did all the line drawings in pencil by hand on tracing paper, scanned them into photoshop and applied the colors and textures digitally. Learn more about the book and author Judith Kajiwara here.

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Written by Jane Park
Illustrated by Felicia Hoshino
Published by Lee & Low Books (May 2022)

Learn more about illustrating Juna and Appa.

where to buy

Available at your local bookstores, online stores and Lee & Low Books

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Despite being isolated in the art-making corner of my home and never meeting face to face, illustrating children’s books is a very collaborative effort. I would not be able to do what I do without the feedback, insight and generous patience of the editor, art director and of course the author. Thank you Jessica Echeverria of Lee & Low Books, David Neuhaus of NeuStudio and Jane Park for making Juna and Appa (and Juna’s Jar) the best it could be. Needless to say, having the support of a loving partner and two teens picking up on neglected household chores when mom’s MIA is also an essential part of this whole book illustrating business. Oh and… coffee.

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