JJ Express Magazine

JJ Express is a children’s magazine that uses comics to teach kids about a variety of social issues. In the last couple of years, we have worked with over 20 amateur, student, and professional artists from countries across the world, including France, Poland, Brazil, and Vietnam. JJ Express has been recognized by grants and awards from Youth Venture, the Best Buy Children’s Foundation, and the Disney Minnie Grant Foundation. The founding principle of the magazine is to include people of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life in a dialogue that inspires the next generation to create social change.

1.Children of immigrants and foreign-born youth make up one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. And yet, studies show that this important demographic is less likely to volunteer in their communities than their non-immigrant counterparts. Foreign-born youth with foreign-born parents in particular, show only a 9% volunteer rate. With service groups traditionally focused on recruiting volunteers from affluent neighborhoods, this is not surprising. But this needs to change. Problems like poverty, pollution, and discrimination are universal and cannot be solved by youth from affluent neighborhoods alone. Furthermore, studies show that youth who engaged in serve at 12 years old or younger were more likely to continue being active in their communities. Thus, it is crucial to empower youth of immigrant origin so that they can be among the leaders of tomorrow.
2. Born in Germany and having since moved over 8 times in 5 different countries, I am what you might call a child of the world. I understand the obstacles that immigrants face – the language barriers, the cultural difference, and the loneliness. But I have also met many people who I’ve admired for their resilience and resourcefulness and I know that underlying all of our differences is a fundamental desire to help create a better community. I initially started JJ Express Magazine with a profound desire to connect people from all walks of life with one language – laughter and art – towards a common goal – a better world for all of us. My work with the magazine in the last couple of years has convinced me of both the energy and potential of young people, and the necessity of incorporating all perspectives in creating change. Our work with artists from all over the world pushed us to recognize the need for reaching out specifically to youth of diverse backgrounds who may not feel at home in this country.
3. To empower middle school aged youth of immigrant origin to take ownership of their communities by establishing a network of local Editorial Panels made up of elementary and middle school students in the DC metropolitan area. Panelists will work with local and international artists and editors to create, edit, and publish comics and articles about social issues for JJ Express Magazine. The goals are to introduce immigrant youth to pertinent social issues around the world, encourage them to take ownership of these problems through creativity, and finally to introduce them to possible avenues for engaging in the community and participating solving the problems.