Help LGBTQ+ Nikkei and Families Find Community
Your donation helps Okaeri build programs that center LGBTQ+ Nikkei voices, capture community stories before they are lost, and create safe spaces for those without support around them.
To date, we are the longest-running organization in the U.S. dedicated specifically to supporting Japanese American (Nikkei) LGBTQ+ individuals and their families.
About Okaeri
Okaeri has been a leader in cultivating safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ Nikkei the last 10+ years. The community we’ve created provides essential connections and resources to LGBTQ+ Nikkei and families nationwide, and your support has been integral to everything we have achieved so far. Now as an official program of Little Tokyo Service Center, our ability to serve the Nikkei and LGBTQ+ communities is even greater.
However, we need your help. This year alone, there have been over 616 anti-LGBTQ+ bills put forward, many of which target transgender people. By making a donation this giving season, you ensure that we can continue to build inclusive spaces where all LGBTQ+ Nikkei are accepted and loved, providing community and hope to those who need it most.
Learn more about our work!
“The essence of Okaeri isn’t going to change. With the support of LTSC, we see a bright future and the realization of our mission to create a world where LGBTQ+ Nikkei are visible, accepted, and loved."
- Eric Arimoto, Okaeri Steering Committee Chair
“It brings me so much joy and hope for the Nikkei LGBTQ+ Community that Okaeri will now be an official program of Little Tokyo Service Center. This collaboration makes it possible for Okaeri to continue uplifting and providing necessary resources and support for Nikkei LGBTQ+ people and their families.”
- Marsha Aizumi, Founder of Okaeri
"Hearing that Okaeri is now an official program of LTSC has extra special meaning for me. As the founding Executive Director of LTSC, I hoped the organization would always be inclusive and supportive of helping others. Now both are working together to provide important resources to help make our community a better place for all."
- Bill Watanabe, Former Director of LTSC