She served with the spirit of bridging different opinions and promoting compromise.

Perhaps feeling backed into a corner.Im so glad people like Bert Nakano.

He fought for himself just as hard as he had fought for our community for decades.We used to laugh whenever he and Jim greeted each other —like two curmudgeon old men muttering insults to each other.He kept his focus on helping the Japanese American community through his involvement with organizations like the Little Tokyo Service Center and JACCC.

(Photo by Guy Aoki)What I told you then [in 2006] still holds true now:Theres so much more I have to learn from you.But its not like I have a bucket list.

I remain in good spirits as I reflect on a life well-lived.

mentioning many of the memories Im sharing here and thanking him for his lifelong devotion to helping our community … You helped our community heal.Many friends and colleagues in attendance at the reception had worked alongside Yoshimura over the years in numerous projects and organizations.

Yoshimura was one of three original staff members of Little Tokyo Service Center.along with her personal attributes of intelligence.

National Coalition for Redress Reparations.Melanie Ishihara and Miya Iwataki.