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RB: And I guess this probably happened when you were away, too, but I'm just kind of curious, do you know the extent to which the Seabrook JACL was involved with the redress movement?

MA: I think they were tangentially involved with the redress movement. I don't think they were active participants as I understand it. I've asked around, there might have been one or two individuals that went to Washington, but I'm not sure how engaged they were. I don't think that Seabrook, the members of the Seabrook JACL were that much on the forefront of the redress movement. They were very excited when it was happening, I remember the father said that things might be happening, there might be some compensation and might be some apology from the U.S. government. Then he was very, very excited about this transpiring.

RB: So thinking more about the chapter, as you know from your previous role as the EDC governor, chapters take a lot of different shapes and forms and some are more activist-oriented, others were more social oriented. Do you feel that the Seabrook chapter was more one or the other or a blend of those two?

MA: I believe the Seabrook chapter, again, and I equate this back to the seniority in the membership age. We are more interested in the cultural events of the heritage. On the political front, not so much. Even though I try to educate them on the issues at hand, whether it was with Black Lives Matter and the issues that happened after 9/11 about the attacks on the Muslim American community, they are aware of it, but I don't feel that they were ever going to get engaged like the Philadelphia chapter or the New York chapter or the Washington, D.C. chapter. And as the EDC governor, in my role, tried to understand and appreciate that. But at the same time, I felt it was my role to make sure that the chapters in EDC were going to get engaged in some context. But again, I refer back to the fact that if there was a millennial movement in the Seabrook chapter that would maybe pick up this baton and move forward with it, it would have helped out. But it's a challenge with the Seabrook chapter membership.

RB: It's interesting, too, thinking about the other chapters, and you see it because, with the exception of the Southeast chapter, it's also kind of spread out. The other chapters are all based in major metropolitan areas which changed the dynamics slightly. But again, from your perspective as someone that's worked closely with each of these groups, do you have a general sense of are the East Coast JACL chapters different in your opinion than how some of the chapters functioned in the West Coast? Are there more heavily populated JA areas?

MA: I do feel that there is a slight distinction between chapters on the East Coast versus the West Coast, and I think that might be because of the demographics that exist on the West Coast, whether it's Los Angeles or San Francisco or even in Seattle. You have a, sort of a population of JAs or Asian Americans that can rally for a particular topic or subject. It's not that it's not happening here on the East Coast, but as you mentioned, even though in Philadelphia, you have a core and you have a high level of interest, it's still a little bit spread out because of where they might be living. Washington, D.C., the same thing. Even though it's a hub of activity and a lot of interest and passion, those people are living not so close by. So it's not easy to get together, whether it's a picnic or a meeting. So even New York, I mean, I know those are very, very active people in the politics of things, but it's not easy to get together. So I think that's the challenge that I see on the East Coast chapter versus maybe the West Coast chapters.

RB: And maybe this is somewhat related, I guess, to the population density on West Coast areas that still had some Japantowns and other congregation hubs.

MA: Yes.

RB: So I guess segueing into another question around that, what is your thought on the differences if any between West Coast Japanese American and East Coast Japanese American identity? Do you feel that there are significant differences based on the experience of growing up in a region of the country that has fewer multigenerational Japanese Americans?

MA: Yeah, I think there is a distinction between the West Coast Asian Americans, and especially JAs that have either gone to school together or participated in sports leagues together or activities together. There is that connection, and then if it's a competitive organization, they're moving, they're traveling to compete against other organizations within, along the Coast there. So I think that has a different, I guess, connection, rather than on the East Coast. The East Coast is aware, they do have the opportunity to get together when there's a Asian American or JA event, very well supported. But it's not as easy as it is on the West Coast. I mean, it's almost like they're brothers and sisters that can just connect, talk. But it requires some effort here on the East Coast.

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2023 JACL Philadelphia. All Rights Reserved.