Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 1:41:06 AM
Subject: For Richard
For Richard Aoki: 1938-2009
The yellow sun has set in the West
evening has come to the Buddha Panther
Comrade Richard
another son of Merritt College
who joined the Panther Revolution
no hesitation
only dedication to the cause of world revolution
consistent and loyal to the end
model of third world unity
taking his place on the altar of the warriors
to be remembered as the first Asian Panther
Uniting Asia and Africa in America
Richard we love the song you sang
the magic lyrics of your walk
the fire of your speech
determination in time of defeat
We honor you, love you and miss you
will never forget you
your respect
smile
yet serious always
about revolution
change
unity
human possibilities.
Right On!
--Marvin X
Houston, Texas
2009
If I had bumped into Richard Aoki on the street, I probably wouldn't have known him and he wouldn't have known me.
ReplyDeleteI was in his Asian Studies class at UC Berkeley in 1971. But there were 200 students in the class and we knew our TA's much more than our professors.
In that class, I learned about social injustice, racism, and what immigrants like my parents had to endure in order to survive in this country. I learned that those of us who benefited from those sacrifices and from the education that we received at Berkeley had a moral obligation to return to the communities from which we came in order to help others.
Eventually, I graduated from UCB with a degree in business administration with an emphasis in Real Estate but I always wanted to do something in Oakland Chinatown where I grew up.
ONe day as Andrew Gee, who was an architecture major, and I were discussing what we could do together, he suggested that we develop a community center in Oakland Chinatown. This center could be a place where other social service organizations could share office space, programs, and ideas. Commercial businesses could pay market rents to subsidize social service agencies who would pay lower rents. The asset would be owned and operated by the community and governed by a non profit board of directors consisting of business people, community people, and tenant representatives.
Our grass roots effort incorporated as the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation in 1975. In 1980, we succeeded in renovating the Asian Resource Center at the corner of 8th and Harrison in Oakland Chinatown into a 60,000 sq.ft. multi service center. Recently, we paid off the mortage on the building and the property now generates several hundred thousand dollars of cash flow annually that we redirect into other community projects. EBALDC has become a nationally known non profit community developer completing over 1200 units of affordable housing and numerous commercial and economic development projects.
EBALDC was not the only community organization to be started by Berkeley students. During the period from 1968 to 1975 there were several other organizations that had staff or board members from Berkeley. These groups include Oakland Chinese Community Council (now known as Family Bridges), Asian Health Services, Asian Community Mental Health Services, Asian Law Caucas, Filipinos for Affirmative Action, East Bay Asians for Community Action, Asian Manpower Services, Asian Neighborhood Design among other. This was the golden age of Asian American Activism.
EBALDC has hosted conferences with representatives from other Asian American communities from throughout the United States.
We were surprised that even New York City and Los Angeles, with their larger Asian populations, had no where near the sophisticated network of Asian American organizations that we enjoy in the San Francisco Bay Area. I would guess that the Asian Studies Programs at Berkeley and San Francisco State had a lot to do with it.
Thanks to the leadership, vision, and teaching of people like Richard Aoki, we have institutions in our community that are truly making a difference.