2025-26 J-Town Community TV Internship

Managed by: San Jose JACL

Term: 2025–2026 School Year 

Application deadline: Open until positions filled

Please submit resume to Naoko Fujii  📧  nfujii@jacl.org.

Summary

The J-Town Community TV Internship is an unpaid, experiential learning opportunity focused on video production, storytelling, and cultural programming located in San Jose Japantown. Interns will film local events, work directly with professional filmmaker Duane Kubo and Henry Nakata, and receive peer mentorship from returning SJSU interns.

For the 2025–26 school year, the San Jose JACL is accepting applications for up to four (4) new interns. This program offers valuable real-world experience while fostering a deeper connection to Japanese American history, culture, and community. 

About J-Town Community TV

J-Town Community TV (JTCTV) is a YouTube channel that films events and cultural programs throughout San Jose Japantown, also ensuring that San Jose's history is archived at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose. The YouTube channel is a platform for recording events held at Japantown venues. The channel provides a resource for people to stay informed about events and initiatives within Japantown when they are unable to attend in person.

About the San Jose JACL

The San Jose chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) was founded in 1923 as the American Loyalty League. The JACL, founded in 1929, is the nation’s oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization. The San Jose JACL offers educational, civil rights, cultural, and community building activities of interest to the local community.

Internship Details

Position:
Volunteer (unpaid); related expenses, transportation to filming locations, are the responsibility of the intern’s family.

Mentorship & Training:
Hands-on experiential learning under the guidance of J-Town Community TV

Eligibility:

• Students from San Jose State University or other local colleges with the ability to provide their own transportation to film events in San Jose Japantown.

• Have an interest in community service, San Jose Japantown and cultural programming.

Requirements:

• Attend at least 3 events and participate in filming; many events are on weekends

• Take and upload photos or clips to the JTCTV Instagram page relating to the events attended 

Time Commitment:
Flexible; interns sign up to cover events as schedules permit.

Duration:
2025–26 school year; may be extended upon approval.

Location:
On-site event filming in San Jose Japantown; editing and post-production can be done remotely.

Program Mentors

Duane Kubo
Duane Kubo founded J-Town Community TV as a retirement project after a distinguished career in education and media. He previously served as Dean of Intercultural and International Studies and taught Ethnic Studies at De Anza College. Earlier in his career, Duane co-founded Visual Communications, a groundbreaking media organization amplifying Asian American voices, and became a prominent filmmaker. His notable works include Hito Hata: Raise the Banner (1980), Cruisin’ J-Town (1972), and Claiming a Voice: The Visual Communications Story (1990). Cruisin’ J-Town, set in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, was one of the first feature-length films with an all-Asian cast. Duane also founded the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest. A San Jose native and lifelong member of the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, Duane was active in many Japantown youth programs, including judo, Sunday school, and CYS sports. He studied film at UCLA.

Henry Nakata
Since retiring, Henry Nakata has been an essential part of the J-Town Community TV team, filming, editing, and producing video content since 2019. His technical skill and dedication have helped document and share countless Japantown stories and events with the broader community.

School Credit

For students seeking SJSU or other school internship credit, here is our organization Information:
Japanese American Citizens League – San Jose Chapter
565 North Fifth Street
San Jose, CA 95112
EIN: 94-6073117
For any questions, please contact:  Naoko Fujii,  San Jose JACL at  📧 nfujii@jacl.org, LinkedIn profile