<Begin Segment 10>

AO: I never heard Elaine complain about sexist or... she was not an active feminist.

AL: No.

AO: She just quietly proved what women can, are capable of doing. And, I think, being Japanese American, there's a double whammy when it comes to stereotypes. They think we're, because we're Asian, we're very docile and not aggressive. And so when I think about feminism and sexism, it's like, there's a double whammy when it comes to Asian women, particularly Japanese American women. Because Elaine never was a fighter, she just quietly got things done her way. But I didn't hear much in the way of...

AL: What was it like? She wasn't angry. Yeah, right, yeah. She was, I think, maybe that's what made her more receptive to connecting with her because, I don't know, it was just, like I said, I think she was, this was her calling, and she was, there will probably be no one else like her, or whoever that other person could be. But because all the timing of all the things that have happened in the Seattle chapter, we're such a strong, progressive chapter. But I think a lot of that had to do with the women. And so even though there are plenty of good, awesome male leaders, I mean, it just astounds me today that makes me so proud to be part of it. And so, but, yeah, I think, personally, I mean, it's not like I spent a lot of personal -- I think we probably did like go to dinner sometimes before a meeting or something like that. And we will probably -- I can't remember what we talked about, but I'm sure a lot of it wasn't JACL, a lot of it was other stuff too. But I just always felt almost like an obligation because she had already done so much, and I kind of wanted to maybe carry on in her footsteps in my own way. And that's why I said before that I think it's really important to have leaders like her, and maybe female leaders. But even, I don't think the sex maybe matters, it's the person. Because she had so much... she was just like, she was born into JACL, really, she just was, like, so committed to it, and, but she didn't come off like she was the expert or anything, but she, I think everybody nationally would go to her because she just, I think everything, she just created a good energy.

AO: Well, she was especially supportive of other women, Asian women. Always willing to listen and just be understanding.

AL: I always felt I could go talk to her. And that's, I think, a good sign of a good leader. Because leader -- because you want to pass on your knowledge and your wisdom. And she was willing to do that, she did do that. That's probably why I liked being around her because she was a kind person, like me, and I think I probably just picked up a lot of good characteristics about -- kind of person because I was still kind of young and learning stuff, but I think that just impressed me. And because JACL is mostly a men, male dominated organization, so, I think, I just thought, "She's really cool and she thinks I can do stuff." And in a time in my life where I thought I wasn't sure about who I was and stuff. So I was kind of figuring out what I wanted to do. And I found out, probably through her, that I could make community work my mission in life -- not my nine to five job, but my, really what I'm, was born to do, and so, I think that's, I think what I'm getting really, I'm kind of digging deep, figuring, I think that's what she really meant to me as a person.

EK: Absolutely, I mean, just from hearing about Elaine, like, she didn't mind being a female as a certain, she's like, I'm going to do it and that doesn't have to do anything with the fact that I'm a female, or, yeah, just because I'm taking a bunch of classes on women's rights and women's history, and it's always the, especially for Asian women, Asian American women, just Asian women. There's this stigma I know, especially back in the '70s and like '60s, that Asian women were these individuals who could just succumb to a certain individual or they would succumb to a certain standard. And so, but, I mean, Elaine didn't let any of that, it seemed like, stand in her way.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2022 Seattle Chapter JACL. All Rights Reserved.