JA Community, Here Goes nothing - but read and THINK.

As I read on, I'm becoming increasingly convinced that The Autobiography of Malcom X: as told to Alex Haley is a must-read for every self-proclaimed Progressive. If you haven't read it, you should, and I know that doesn't mean much just coming from this blog. But take this passage:

The white man's system has been imposed upon non-white peoples all over the world. This is exactly the reason why wherever people who are anything but white live in this world today, the white man's governments are finding themselves in deeper and deeper trouble and peril.

Let's just face the truth. Facts! Whether or not the white man of the world is able to face truth, and facts, about the true reasons for his troubles - that's what essentially will determine whether or not he will survive.

Today we are seeing this revolution of the non-white peoples, who just a few years ago would have frozen in horror if the mighty white nations so much as lifted an eyebrow. What it is, simply, is that black and brown and red and yellow peoples have, after hundreds of years of exploitation and imposed "inferiority" and general misuse, become, finally, do-or-die sick and tired of the white man's heel on their necks.

Booyah. I could go on forever about how prophetic his words are, 40-some odd years later. And it's all about all people of color, not just African Americans. I think there's still a growing revolution, although in a lot of ways nobody can doubt that the API revolution is and has been long in the making. It's got a long way to go.

But - and bear with me as I switch gears a tad - I think the Japanese American community (in Los Angeles, specifically) has a much longer way to go in the way of Revolution.

Without trivializing the amazing efforts and passions that go into the work, both in Little Tokyo and the larger group, I see a major, key component lacking. I haven't yet figured out if this is the key also to solving some of the prevalent LT issues, but I definitely think it would make a huge difference in the dynamics, effectiveness, efficiency, and power of the JA community.

Everyone can agree on the importance of youth work. Without the passing down of education about community, about history, about the importance of engagement to future generations, nothing will get done. I think community needs, community histories, and the need for involvement have been passed down very effectively. More and more youth, in part thanks to the creation and revival of youth programs through JA nonprofits and other organizations, are getting some sort of awareness lesson in all of these things.

But I think what's also being passed down, is empty rhetoric. Empty rhetoric floats around various organizations - about progressive tactics, politics, actions. Terms like "grassroots," and tactics like "rallies," "protests," that pertain to direct action organizing are being emulated. Notice I say "emulated," and not "accomplished."

With the disclaimer of understanding that I am not in the work, I also say that just because I don't work directly in the community does not mean I do not understand it. I have had relevant conversations with parties in those key spaces, and from those experiences, from those discussions, I inevitably have formed my own analysis of the situation. What I see is, comparable to the Chinatown community, a situation of terribly entrenched politics that have trapped the community council in its own inactions and inabilities to act. Communication may be great on some levels, but it handicaps action.

Including targets and opponents on important, strategic discussions about how to solve and tackle a problem is no strategy at all. These are basics of grassroots organizing, of picking an issue and winning on it.

The situation is, as all such situations are, incredibly and overwhelmingly complicated because of intergenerational politics, varying perspectives and needs, and, of course, the rainbow of political diversity just within the Little Tokyo area. And without solidarity, without unity, OF COURSE nothing's going to get done.

Complexities are no excuse for complacency.

So after a whole summer and more, of thinking, struggling, questioning, criticizing - I've been able to tie some loose ends together. If we can't solve every problem at once, then we need to focus on a few important ones to start. I can break down my key ideas into a few points:

- Those in the community from our generation - the ones educating youth - lack basic grassroots organizing skills.
- Because that generation lacks those skills, it isn't being passed down anywhere, and further political entrenchments give way to more ineffective strategies.
- Either existing youth groups and their coordinators need to engage in getting those grassroots organizing trainings, or there need to be new youth groups that will provide youth with those skills.

First bullet point.

From what I've seen, particularly with those that I went to college with, the younger folk who are now very much invested and involved in the LT work have been in JA-centric work their whole life. And I use the JA-centric term in no negative way - only matter-of-factly. Campus organizational activities were centered around working within the JA community - absorbing their politics, their perspectives, their operations. But the education on grassroots organizing comes from other communities of color - from African Americans, from the Chicano/Latino communities, from Pacific Islanders, and other communities that are directly underserved. Without having REALLY, truly been involved in spaces with those communities - whether they were racially based, or labor-oriented, youth organizing-oriented, and so on - without having had those trainings, there's no clear and explicit understanding of the kinds of tactics and politics that follow that perspective.

I know there are folks who have heard the terms, and heard of the tactics just from sheer exposure to the issues, but that's never enough. Just because you can define it doesn't mean you can DO it.

Second bullet.

And of course, without that understanding, there's nothing to pass down.

What is being passed down is the same stuff that is special to the JA community. It's the same kinds of things the community has been doing for years. Only now, it doesn't work as well as it used to.

Third bullet.

Pretty self-explanatory, right?

The only way for the JA community to revolutionize its definition of what "Progressivism" is, and to truly understand grassroots organizing as other communities of color understand it, is to educate themselves, and then be able to pass it onto the youth.

Here's my example - if post-grad JAs truly knew how to grassroots organize, if the Los Angeles JA community KNEW HOW TO GRASSROOTS ORGANIZE, the Korean American, Chicano/Latino, and other families DIRECTLY impacted by gentrification would have been involved in this entire process from the beginning in some shape or form. I understand the issue of privilege in the ability to organize, but they currently have little to no representation in these Little Tokyo spaces. Or if they do, they're not being seen or heard. There are only advocates. There are no organizers in Little Tokyo.

And second example - if the LA JA community knew how to grassroots organize, that rally would have been hundreds of people strong and swarming with media, whether ethnic or mainstream.


I am fully aware of the fact that these points can be taken as direct attacks on particular people, groups, or events. But let me reiterate that there is a lot of passion and care being put into the long hours of work LT has been doing. They do a lot of things well, I can agree on that.

But there is ALWAYS room for improvement, and in this area, I think there is a ton of room.

I recognize that the formation of a new youth group as a goal can seem unrealistic or lofty, because of logistics pertaining to the sources of these youth - where they would come from, whether they would have to time, concerns about frequent turnovers, etc - and that's why I'm going to keep inquiring and talking to folks about possibilities.

It would be ideal to turn an existing JA community youth group into that grassroots organizing, consciousness-raising space, but to be honest, I don't think the already-existing JA community nonprofits are ready for rhetoric about white supremacy, patriarchy, heteronormativity and capitalism. The situation of starting it somewhere, and then having funding pulled by a foundation because of the "radical" nature of this material is incredibly possible.



Now, a couple of JAs I know who have had those trainings in some shape or form, myself included, are oftentimes too frustrated to go back to the community because of that lack of understanding. And I can see just from my first steps to finding out how to start such a youth group that even thinking about or talking out such an idea is already incredibly difficult.

But! I will keep trying, and keep thinking. I'm at the law office and this computer is freaking out, so I'm going to stop here.

I hope that readers can see where I'm coming from and be willing to talk. This is really something I feel strongly about, and it's been a long time since that has happened. (NAPAWF is the only other thing that makes me all riled up and motivated!)

Too bad I'm in Hawaii, but maybe this year needs to happen without me back in LA.

Until later!