Recently, Oprah Magazine editors asked readers “What person in your life has made the world a more positive place.” Among the published responses was one from Jan Lamont of Sammanish, Washington who wrote: “My dad. While he was working in a store, a young Japanese American man came to apply for an entry level job. No one would hire him, but my father gave him a chance. For nearly 50 years, Yosh worked hard and helped the company expand to seven stores – and ended up as its president.”
That young man, Yosh, is an impressive model of someone who remained positive. In spite of anger directed toward Japanese Americans in the years following World War II and in spite of being turned down for work many times, he continued applying for jobs until a door opened for him.