History
A number of years ago Mrs. Mieko Sasaki together with
Mmes. Masuko Aratani, Shizue Yamashita, and Sumako Kimizuka had a dream that
someday Japanese women, educated in the universities and colleges in
The
purpose of the AAJUW, as stated in its original constitution and the by-laws is
as follows and is still followed by our members. However, we have expanded our eligibility requirements
to include more people for our membership and scholarship. Please refer to the Membership
and the Scholarship sections for our current requirements.
1.
To
promote the fellowship of women from different nation backgrounds,
2.
To
unite the women from schools of higher education and universities of
3.
To
develop the advancement of women in education,
4.
To
facilitate cultural exchange between Japanese women, American women, and women
from around the world,
5.
To
help the members integrate into American community life,
6.
To
assist the women in learning about American culture and social value,
7.
To
provide an international fellowship and service, and
8.
To
help build bridges of peace and understanding between
Although we are involved in community relation
activities in southern California, our major emphasis has been providing
financial support to young girls and women who are pursuing college or university
education meeting any one of the above AAJUW objectives from the
beginning. Funding of the scholarships
is supported by our members’ volunteer activities and donations, and from some
outside donations. The amount of the
scholarship has increased from $100 for the first award to $1,500 per recipient
for 2005.
In 1983, the AAJUW was recognized by the
State of