The Nikkei Basketball Heritage Association (NBHA) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to secure and perpetuate the foundational cultural values and traditions of the Japanese American community basketball leagues in Southern California. NBHA’s mission is to provide leadership development and education of the cultural history of Nikkei values and community.
NBHA formed out of the concern of a number of problems occurring in today’s Japanese American (JA) basketball leagues. These problems include a lack of sportsmanship, over-competitiveness, and disrespect for officials and others. These are problems that were rarely seen during the early decades of Japanese American basketball, when players, parents, and others acted in accordance with Japanese cultural values.
As a solution, NBHA will develop educational programs which emphasize the cultural value foundation of Japanese American (JA) basketball. Programs will include documenting the origins of JA basketball and their historical evolution to present day. Oral histories of JA basketball pioneers will be collected and data incorporated into the curriculum. The result will be comprehensive learning resources to educate present and future generations what makes JA basketball unique. These programs will be offered to the NBHA organizational members and other community non-profit partners.
MISSION
To provide leadership development and education of the cultural history of Nikkei values and community.