Densho Digital Repository - Karen Yoshitomi Interview (Densho ID: ddr-densho-527-10)

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So then from JACL to my current position at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington. You know, working in civil rights, dealing with hate crime, it's kind of exhausting sometimes, mentally, psychologically, emotionally. And I wanted to do something a little bit different to help people. I felt like I could provide support to people, but maybe in a different way, and not so much anger, but it's a different side of the emotional spectrum in terms of I wanted to be more on the healing side. Less on the activism, maybe.

BY: A different kind of activism, maybe.

KY: A different kind, yes.

BY: Okay. And so how long have you been in our position with the J?

KY: I think I'm in my ninth year now.

BY: Okay, so quite a while. And what kinds of things have you done, are you doing that you enjoy doing in that position?

KY: It's meeting all of these different people, whether they come to volunteer, they come to donate things for our thrift store, or they come for information and research or they just have some type of affinity towards the cultural center or language school. I think that's the main thing in terms of providing service to people, I guess, public servant.

BY: Is how you see your role there?

KY: Yes, supporting role.

BY: Okay, great. I mean, it seems like, looking back on your career, you have dedicated your career to helping other people, to fighting against injustice, to being sort of a background player in helping people become activists or being active in their communities. So what inspires you to do that kind of work, do you think?

KY: I had to -- oh my goodness, I'm going to start tearing up here -- I had to take some time to think about that, I mean, in terms of why, why do I do what I do? And I think it goes back to the realization that for the Issei, I'm living their future, what they wanted. Because I enjoy privilege, from world standards, unprecedented wealth. I am the beneficiary of that. So I am their future, but I'm also the future's past, if you get what I mean, in terms of what I'm doing now, I'm hoping will impact future generations. So it's this sense of obligation. I don't subscribe to the "I pulled myself up by own bootstraps and success," or whatever. There has to be acknowledgment about all of the sacrifices and the effort, I think the causes and circumstances that all had to come together for me to be here. So it's this obligation to the past but also to the future, and that's why now, I get that now is important. [Laughs]