Welcome to the Japanese American Service Committee (JASC) Legacy Center archives!

What can I find on this site?

When you enter a search term(s) in the box above, you’ll be searching across all available finding aids for the JASC Legacy Center’s archival collections. The Legacy Center holds approximately 850 linear feet of material organized into hundreds of individual collections, and includes personal papers, business records, photographs, diaries, scrapbooks, audiovisual material, artifacts, and JASC’s own institutional records. These materials reflect the history and heritage of the Japanese American community in Chicago and the Midwest region.

A finding aid is a guide to a single collection, and may include a detailed inventory of a collection’s contents, biographical and historical information about the creator, source, or subject of the collection, and information about any restrictions on access.

In some cases, a finding aid may also include links to digitized copies of items found in our collections.

How do I access materials that haven’t been digitized?

As with most archives, only a small portion of our holdings have been digitized. To access materials that haven’t been digitized, you must schedule an appointment to visit the Legacy Center in person. For more information about procedures and policies for on-site visits, please see our website.

Are all of the Legacy Center’s holdings represented here?

No. It’s important to note that not all of our collections have been fully processed, so this site represents only a portion of our holdings. We continue to process existing collections and we continue to acquire new collections, so the amount of material that is discoverable via this search interface will increase over time.

Help! Can somebody assist me with my research?

Yes! You are always welcome to contact Legacy Center staff for reference and research assistance. To request help, please email us at jascinfo@jasc-chicago.org and describe your information needs in as much detail as possible.