Applicants Sought for NorCal Cherry Blossom Queen Program

2018 Northern California Cherry Blossom Queen Nicole Tachiki and her court rode in the Nisei Week Grand Parade in Los Angeles last month. (J.K. YAMAMOTO/Rafu Shimpo)

SAN FRANCISCO — The 2019 Northern California Cherry Blossom Queen Program Committee seeks enthusiastic, community-minded, young Nikkei women to participate in the 2019 Northern California Cherry Blossom Queen Program.

Held in San Francisco’s historic Japantown, the 52nd annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival dates are the weekends of April 13-14 and 20-21.

The Queen Program will be take place on April 13 at a location to be announced, at which time the new 2019 queen and court will be selected.

The Queen Program Committee is seeking qualified young women who will:

• Serve as goodwill ambassadors for the Japanese American Community of Northern California for one calendar year.

• Endeavor to preserve, promote and perpetuate the Japanese American culture through active participation in civic and community events.

• Who will uphold the highest values and morals as role models for today’s youth while striving to preserve the traditions and values of past Japanese American generations.

Qualified candidates must:

• Be female of at least 18 years of age and not more than 26 years of age as of April 13, 2019.

• Be of at least 50 percent Japanese ancestry.

• Have graduated from high school by June 2019.

• Single, not have been previously married and not have any children.

• Be one of the following: A U.S. citizen who has resided in Northern California for at least two years prior to application date; a permanent resident who has resided in Northern California for at least three years prior to application date; a foreign national who has resided in Northern California for at least three years prior to application date with a visa that will not expire for another two years.

• Plan on residing in and being an active member of the Northern California Japanese American community for at least another two years.

• Be available for a preliminary interview for the 2019 Queen Program selection process.

• Understand that the preliminary interview shall NOT be considered in the final judging for those selected as candidates for the 2019 Queen Program.

• Have been or currently be an active participant/volunteer in a Northern California community organization (ie: nonprofit, volunteer, performance group, etc.).

• Submit one or more personal reference letters attesting to the aforementioned Northern California community service organization involvement.

• Not currently be a representative court member of another organization nor will vie for a title in a similar program of another organization between Jan. 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020.

• Submit a speech of no more than 200 words, typed in English, on the following subject: “As part of this court and a future community leader, how do I hope to contribute to the Northern California Japanese American Community?” This speech and verbal execution SHALL be considered in the final judging for those selected as candidates for the 2019 Queen Program.

• Submit a typed personal statement in English of no more than 250 words addesssing the question “What do the Japanese American community of Northern California and the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival mean to me?” An answer submitted in Japanese must be accompanied by an English translation. This written submission shall NOT be considered in the final judging for those selected as candidates for the 2019 Queen Program

Forward completed applications to Northern California Queen Program Committee no later than the deadline of Dec. 7, 2018. Applications can be completed online or mailed to:

c/o Union Bank

1675 Post St., San Francisco, CA 94115

Attention Mrs. Glenda Okamura

For further information, application and other requirements, visit www.nccbfqueenprogram.org or www.facebook.com/NCCBFQP.

Direct any questions to Miki Novitski, (650) 642-4671.