Densho Digital Repository - Ryan Chin Interview (Densho ID: ddr-sjacl-2-25-5)

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CN: So just in terms of like Seattle JACL outside of redress, what would you say are the biggest, the three biggest accomplishments that Seattle JACL has done?

RC: I'd have to think about that. But I think that a lot of the work that the chapter did that really predates me, that's why I'm having a little bit of trouble with it, but a lot of the work that they would have went in doing in regards to segregation, anti-defamation, and those kinds of things, were very important. I mean, things are quite... yeah, I mean, it's like a totally different world. So Bill knows this, but the chapter used to always do, participate in the Seafair parade, which is such a weird concept right now, to have like a float in the Seafair parade. Oh, I don't know if you know the Seafair parade. Okay, it's like, it was like Seattle's Macy's Day Parade. I guess I could say, like that. And so that's such a weird concept, like an organization, a nonprofit has a float. Usually... well, some nonprofits do nowadays, but a lot of it's like commercial and a lot of it, I mean, it just takes a lot of money and effort just to put together, decorate a float, to maintain it to house it, everything like that. But it's... why it's interesting is because there was a lot of stuff that the organization had to do to combat anti-defamation and other things, to kind of go the extra mile to say that we're Americans and we're a part of your community as well. We're just not within our own segregated enclave. So I kind of think about those kind of things when I'm thinking about, like, the things that the organization did outside of redress. I mean, redress they did a lot of stuff. And there's always like, things that you kind of, like, have to respond to, or different, like, legislation that comes up that organization has to take a stand on. So for example, even though affirmative action was effectively kind of revoked at the government level in Washington, there was, it was called Initiative 200 in, I think it was 1998. Those kinds of things like crop up, and that's why it's important to have that organization taking a stand and being a part of that, and trying to figure out ways not only to take a position on it and make it known, but to leverage the people that are supporters of the organization, and figuring out how to get them involved and mount the pressure on the people setting the policy and the people who are kind of dictating discussion in trying to combat these things. Yeah, so I might have to think, a little bit more on that actually. [Laughs]

BT: Ryan, you can, if you think of something, just email us. This is not, this is not a quiz here. So if you think about, yeah, just email us back. Okay.

RC: Okay, okay. Thanks, Bill.