Densho Digital Repository - Bill Tashima Interview (Densho ID: ddr-sjacl-2-39-8)

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EK: And so, I guess, while listening to you just had a question of my own in regards to allies, I guess, just from time to time, a lot of my POC -- BIPOC friends, we always talk about how, at a certain point, it gets tiring to constantly have to educate individuals, when it's, when there's no effort on the other end. And so, just, it's always a question that I stumble upon, because it's like, if no one else is going to educate, or if the other end is not relenting to wanting to -- it's not even relenting but just wanting to listen to the stories that as individuals who face this kind of discrimination and inequality, I guess, just wondering from stories that have been passed down to you and experiences of your own, what do you have to say to -- what do you believe that the role of allies are in regards to instances like this, if you don't mind answering that question?

BT: No, I think that's the whole, I think that's the whole key. I think that that's where you stop the cycle. Because you have to speak up. An example is, okay. When you're Black, if you're Asian American, chances are you're not going to hear the secondary prejudice happening because people aren't gonna say things to you. But think about if you're Jewish or you're gay or lesbian and that's when you realize people haven't changed. I mean, and you have a choice, you can just say, "Oh, I'm not gonna say anything," or you can say, "Oh, why would you say that? I'm gay." "Why would you say that? I'm Jewish." "I don't understand." I think that that's important to speak out. And the other part is, there seems to be, I think there's a comfort in a silence among people when someone says... when people create an atmosphere of acceptance of things are okay, that's where things spread. The prime example -- you could see this in the last four years -- and I'm not going to make this political, but when you create an atmosphere that allows indifference and prejudice to exist, and you don't stop it, it spreads and it gets ingrained. So if you think that only the person affected should be the ones combating this, it's not going to be effective at all. And that -- and when you talk about allies, we're all allies, because we're all in the same fight. It's... yeah.

EK: Yeah. Well, thank you so much. I know those... I just, those are just like, everyday thoughts that I think of when I always see the news, there's always another tragedy. And it just gets hard, I guess. And so, thank you for sharing your thoughts on all of this. It really has given me better insight on how to understand different things in this world. But, yeah, thank you so much.