DEI: Why The Big Deal? Well, It's Personal
By AV Board member Patricia Sakai
Ashby Village’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiative is a big deal to me. Very big. And Ashby Village’s public statements calling out attacks on people of color (read here), including from the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community (read here)? Same, a big deal. And it’s very personal. I hope it is, or becomes personal for you as well, in a very positive way.
I’ve shared the story of my family’s experience during the World War II incarceration of Japanese and Americans of Japanese descent living on the West Coast. It took my parents decades of feeling hurt, ashamed and angry that this had happened to them before they would finally be able to share what they had experienced with those like me in our family born after the war. It was horrific and shocking.
But it was nothing new, as I would later learn as I tried to understand their experience. The roots of nativist forces that led to this travesty of justice went as far back as the 1850’s with the first wave of Asian immigrants. Actually, they went much farther back. Sadly, those forces continue to be strong to this day, and are increasingly visible and threatening.
So the recent spate of attacks on members of the AAPI community, what can I say? Frightening and sad. These hateful forces have always been around and among us. Having experienced, if not physical attacks, but hurtful racist words hurled my way throughout my life, it’s very personal for me.
And it’s painful even when comments are not overtly racially tinged. They may seem to be innocent, but they nonetheless “other” me. Such statements or questions are always cringe-inducing, if not hurtful. And the thing about such comments is that they often come out of nowhere. “Where are you from?” always leads to “I mean where are you really from?” when I say I’m originally from the Bay Area. The very question sets me apart as “other”. I truly hope some day we won’t think of “others” in our community, only all of us, thriving together, appreciating our differences and celebrating our diversity.
Being a part of an organization like Ashby Village is one of the more interesting community-building experiences I’ve had. It is important to me that our community reflects the kind of values I cherish. I want to be around people who respect each other and are willing to genuinely connect with and support each other when we’re in need. This includes those of us from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and abilities. And I hope to be in a community of people who also help keep each other engaged and even inspired to continue to grow and realize whatever potential is possible as we age. All of us.
As an organization, Ashby Village has committed to thoroughly assessing every process and structure, looking for what, how and for whom we provide services and programs, and to change what needs changing. We want to ensure we are doing all that we can to become a more inclusive, equitable and diverse organization— and to become a much richer community. I hope all of you will find ways to support this important work. It won’t be easy, but I think we are up to it. It’s a big deal, and I’m all in. Are you?
Patricia Sakai is a founding member of Ashby Village and has served as a Board member for the past six years. She will rotate off the board later this year, but will continue to work with the Development Committee and Exploring Creativity Committee, as well as on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative. Before she retired, Patricia was a Learning and Development executive in several Bay Area companies, and later served as a consultant to non-profit organizations. She served for many years as a board member for the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Patricia is a painter and singer, and lives in Berkeley with her husband, Richard Shapiro. Patricia welcomes comments, suggestions and questions at psakai@sbcglobal.net.