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AT: I don't have any other specific questions. But are there any... is there anything else that you wanted to maybe mention or talk about?

RI: No, I'm glad to see you doing this. No, it's great. Because I think a lot of people, whether they're known, or they've been forgotten, they had a tremendous impact on our community and the future generations, whether they knew it or not. And I don't want to keep name-dropping, but I still remember people like Sam Shoji and some of the folks that did so much behind the scenes. That, like I said, I think the strength and the success that -- any success that JACL might have had, was due to the membership and those folks that maybe were never heard of, but they were helping with a lot of the behind the scenes stuff. They would mail letters as part of the redress campaign, or do other things. And so I'm flattered that you asked me to, or asked to interview me, but I'm just a small, a small drop in the bucket. No, really, that there have been that there are a lot of folks that aren't being recognized that today are doing some pretty amazing things, and that's the way it's been. So I'm just fortunate to be a part of that.

AT: Thank you for being a part of it. I think it's also definitely a... maybe stereotypically, but a Japanese American thing to maybe not be as up in the front but doing a lot of things behind the scenes and engaging...

RI: But there's a lot of folks that are now upfront. And I think that's great. I think there's a role for both, and we should really support those that are willing to step out. And I think they're like Sharon Tomiko Santos, who has been a leader and in the legislature for a long time. Kip Tokuda, right? Al Sugiyama, who was the first Asian American school board member. And nowadays, it's not uncommon to see Asian Americans running for office, for public office. We have a mayor that's half Japanese American. And so I'm glad that, or I hope some of the younger folks can kind of take it for granted. They see an Asian American running for state legislature or something. And they say, that's great. Let me hear what they have to say. Whereas that wasn't always the case, it really was folks that that were groundbreaking. And so I just hope that some, that your generation and future generations have it that much better, and it's that much easier. And it's not because of your race or your identity, but it's because of your ideas and actions that you're gonna get judged. And so, yeah.

AT: Yeah, definitely. And that's why these oral histories are so important, and that's why we're doing this. So thank you so much for being a part of this. And Joy, do you have anything else to add?

JSG: No, thank you so much, Ray. It's wonderful to hear your reflections on just your contributions to JACL and to the community and really nice to see you. So thank you so much.

RI: Well, thank you, Joy. You're the one who, who's quietly done so much. So, thank you.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2022 Seattle Chapter JACL. All Rights Reserved.