Preservation Through Evolution: Erika Braun’s Data-Driven Approach to JACL’s Centennial
In the inaugural Bolder Futures Fellowship, Erika Braun created and disseminate the first membership survey for the Japanese American Citizens League in 16 years. Motivated by a desire to make data visualization more accessible and is part of building interdisciplinary and participatory systems, Erika’s survey is uncovering important insights for this historic organization.
Honor the Past: Share a photo (from childhood or some other time) that embodies this motto and share a bit more about the story behind the photo.
This photo of my Japanese grandfather and I reminds me that the most important knowledge is rarely written down. Across my family, communication took different forms. Some stories were shared openly across the dining table, while others were carried more quietly through gestures, habits, and what went unsaid. Long before I ever worked with data, I was listening and observing—learning to recognize patterns in what was said, what wasn’t, and how people moved through the world. That instinct to observe carefully and make sense of what is not immediately visible still shapes how I approach both research and people.
The “Spark” Moment: Bolder Futures is rooted in the belief that personal narratives drive change. Can you share a specific moment or experience from your life that fundamentally shaped your path as a changemaker?
My path started with a question: how do you make institutions respond to what people are experiencing? In high school amid rising police brutality, anti-Asian hate, and COVID-19 isolation, the suicide of an Asian American classmate and two Hispanic underclassmen revealed how students’ needs, particularly those of students of color, were being overlooked. When my initial appeals for increased mental health services were dismissed, and requests for more counselors, funding, and investment went unanswered, I designed and conducted a survey to quantify what students were experiencing. Presenting that data shifted the conversation. It led to new resources, funding, and the first school-wide wellness assembly I organized as Student Body President. That experience showed me that data, when grounded in lived experience, can move institutions in ways that stories alone sometimes cannot.
The Audacious Dream: Bolder Profiles highlights leaders who dare to dream big. What is the “bold idea” or future possibility that inspires you?
My audacious dream is a cultural revolution that dissolves the wall between analytical rigor and human storytelling. I envision a future where data visualization is treated as high art, not just to be “read,” but to be felt and inhabited. I want to build interdisciplinary, participatory systems where urban development, economic structures, and community narratives converge. Where tools bend to local contexts, breathe with evolving conditions, and are built alongside the people they’re meant to serve. Where data moves beyond representation to shape how people understand and act on information in accessible and meaningful ways, across borders and disciplines. Not just to inform, but to move people toward clarity, agency, and each other.
Intergenerational Wisdom: How has working across generations influenced your approach? What is one lesson you’ve learned from a mentor or a younger peer that changed how you lead?
The lesson that has stayed with me most is that the most powerful thing you can do for someone is bring them in from day one, not ease them in from the margins, not protect them from the hard work, but make them a real collaborator before they even feel ready. I had a mentor who did exactly that: brought me on as a co-author in university research, trained me along the way, and made genuine space for my ideas rather than just assigning me tasks. That experience shaped how I think about collaboration entirely. Growth is something you create conditions for, and being supported and then supporting others is how knowledge and care actually move through generations — something closer to a form of generational stewardship.
The “Why” Behind the Work: Describe a specific project, model, or idea you are currently leading. What community challenge does it address, and what was the catalyst for this specific approach?
As JACL approaches its 100th anniversary, the organization stands at a meaningful crossroads. Membership has declined from approximately 15,000 members across 113 chapters in 2009 to about 7,000 across 96 chapters today, even as the broader Japanese American population has grown and become increasingly diverse. More than half now identify with multiple racial categories, reflecting identities and experiences that have genuinely shifted over time. Meanwhile, the generation with direct ties to WWII incarceration is aging, making the preservation of institutional memory both urgent and delicate. The catalyst for my work was discovering that the last serious survey of JACL’s membership needs was conducted sixteen years ago. My project uses survey data analysis to help JACL better understand who its community is today, what they need, and how it can evolve without losing its foundation.
A Call to Action: What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to “dream audaciously” but doesn’t know where to start?
I would suggest spending time crafting your vision first. It can be hard to dream audaciously in a world shaped by constraints, but giving yourself the space to sit with an idea — to see it, feel it, and describe it in detail — is often what gives it enough form to move toward. What does it look like? Who does it reach? What actually changes? Go find out! Talk to people, use the resources around you, and show up. To me, audacity isn’t just ambition. It’s the discipline to build clarity, conviction, and consistent action around what you want to bring into the world.