John Jay
Thanks to David, who told me about this article in yesterday’s Oregonian. It’s an excellent article about a local Asian American businessman who is taking care of business at the ground level by building up the culture of Portland. I love the fact that John Jay is working with business and government leaders in order to develop Chinatown, I love the fact that he’s concentrating on the cultural aspects of the city, I love the fact that he consciously reflects on ethnicity, and I love the fact that he has put so much time, money, and effort in making our city better. Oh, and I love the fact that Studio J was one of Thymos’s Gold Sponsors for Frank Chin. Check out this part of the interview:
Q: You are a successful Asian man. How has your ethnicity informed you?
A: Well, it puts you on guard. It tells you everyday that you are a minority — and for a long time, that meant a minority without a voice. Again, young people are changing that, and we also have some Asian senators and governors — our Jackie Robinsons, if you will. But for the longest time, the best compliment we could get was that we were the model minority. Which means we didn’t talk about much. We got good grades, stuck to ourselves and didn’t mingle too much. That’s because we didn’t raise a political ruckus even though there were injustices done to us. We didn’t have the political will and voice.
…followed by this:
Q: Would you describe yourself as an American?
A: I’m clearly Chinese American — without the hyphen.
Q: You must feel great satisfaction given all you’ve accomplished and where you came from.
A: I’ve been able to follow my instincts and carve out a career. But the most satisfying thing is that I know I’m in third gear, getting ready to shift into higher gear.
Awesome stuff.
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