8Questions is a bi-monthly interview of Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) community leaders. It is a spotlight on individuals who have dedicated their careers to issues surrounding the APIA community with the goal of bringing much deserved recognition to their work and cause(s).
Angela E. Oh serves as the Executive Director of the Western Justice Center Foundation (WJC), a non-profit organization that advances peaceful resolution of conflict. She has worked as an attorney, public lecturer, and teacher of Zen meditation. In addition to her job with the WJC, she remains Of Counsel to the Century City law firm of Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, Drooks & Lincenberg, where her law practice involves monitoring consent decrees, providing mediation services, and training about the laws related to discrimination in the workplace. She continues to be engaged in matters that involve parties interested in resolving their disputes, outside of litigation.
In 1992, Oh gained national prominence as a spokesperson and mediating force for the Asian American community during the Los Angeles Riots. Thereafter, she was appointed by President Bill Clinton as one of seven Advisory Board Members to the President’s Initiative on Race, which was charged with engaging the nation in a dialogue on race relations in the United States of America.
Angela Oh has served in leadership positions on numerous commissions and boards, including as Chairperson of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer’s Federal Judicial Nominations Committee for the Central District of California, a Member of the L.A. City Commission on Human Relations, a Lawyer Delegate to the 9th Circuit Judicial Conference, and Commissioner on the ABA Commission on Women in the Legal Profession. She is a founding member of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and a recipient of its Trailblazer Award. She also was a founder of the Multi-cultural Bar Alliance in Los Angeles. She received many recognitions over the years, including the UCLA Alumni Award for Community Service, the UCLA School of Public Health Alumni Award for Community Leadership, and the UC Davis School of Law’s Alumni of the Year Award.
The mission of the Western Justice Center Foundation is to increase the opportunity for peaceful conflict resolution and displace the power of violence in our society. We design, implement, evaluate and promote innovative methods of conflict prevention and resolution for children, communities and courts.
What is the mission statement of your life?
To practice and train myself to become a better human being.
How did you end up doing what you’re doing?
I took one step at a time, sometimes tried hard, other times made no effort. Eventually, opportunities, disappointments, inspiration, serendipity led to meeting people and living interesting life experiences. I ended up at the Western Justice Center because I was searching for a way to use my life in a meaningful way and to continue contributing to something beyond my own self-interests. The mission here is peaceful resolution of conflict. I feel that it is a privilege to work for less money and to pursue such a vital mission with all the energy I have.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?
I am sorry and a bit embarrassed to admit that I have no knowledge about actors. When I see movies, I just see movies and do not remember names.
How can people find out more about your organization or get involved?
The best thing is to come to one of our programs; but if timing is not right, you can go to www.westernjustice.org. The site is being renovated, but for now, you can see what our methods are: education, civic engagement, and peace building.
If you had a crystal ball, what do you see for the future of the Asian Pacific Islander American community?
That there is a vital role that can be played by the APIA’s because of the fact that we live an “and/with” existence, collectively. Our lineage is ancient and complex, our instruction about our heritage is deep, often without words. Our capacity is huge and our ability to live with multi-faceted reality is capable of bridging the international relations that must be cultivated at this time in human history. I could go on and on with this subject, but for the sake of brevity. We have an amazing future as people from API worlds.
Bonus Question: What advice do you have for young professionals? Would you give different advice for young Asian Pacific Islander American professionals?
Advice for young professionals is to work at what you believe you were meant to do. If it is to be a business person – be the best and remember that often in business – loss is gain. To be a healer – do it beyond the training you receive in school, and heal in every sense of the word. If it is to be a creative person – be brave enough to follow your intuition. If it is to be a parent, be the most loving parent (which does not mean to be soft all the time and permissive). I would give different advice to APIA professionals: never fall into the trap of seeing things in dualistic terms. It will be your demise and it will also create unnecessary misery. Be as “big” as you can be, knowing we represent only 4% of the entire nation’s population – as a collective, socio-political construct.
Bonus Question: What are your comfort foods and what memories do you have associated with them?
Rice in cold water, “Oi” kimchee – reminds me of summer and my grandma.
Bonus Question: What’s your guilty pleasure?
Watching network TV but not remembering the names of any of the programs — mostly ones about the law/crime.
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