Jan Okuhara: Innate compassion with a gentle and dynamic impact
Jan Okuhara
Innate compassion with a gentle and dynamic impact
Can you talk more about your background. You were born in Hawaii?
Yes, I was born and raised in Honolulu. My grandparents were first generation from Japan. My parents were between the two cultures and were fluent in both English and Japanese. I’m very Americanized. Since moving to Oregon, it’s been very interesting to me. My experience growing up as a Japanese American was very different.
Can you talk more about this?
In Honolulu in the 1950’s and into the 60’s the Japanese were the majority. Unlike in Oregon, after Pearl Harbor when so many Japanese American families were sent to internment camps, in Hawaii, it wasn’t possible to intern families. There were too many of us. I knew of only one family who was interned. The father was a Buddhist priest, and he was immediately arrested, and the entire family was sent to an internment camp on the mainland.
Here in Oregon, people are more aware of their culture, and intentional in celebrating and passing down their traditions. In Hawaii, it was much more of an Asian melting pot, where all the cultures merged. It was a natural way of life.
What prompted you to leave Hawaii for college in Northern Illinois?
I wanted to study on the mainland. And I wanted to get my degree in Special Education. I had originally thought I would go to a college in San Francisco, but that wasn’t available. The next closest college with a strong program was Northern Illinois University, right in the middle of the cornfields of DeKalb, Illinois. This was 1969, I was very young. It was an interesting and eye-opening experience for me.
This was also the first time that you experienced snow.
My roommate came home one day from a date, laughing, and said, “my date said he saw this weird girl today who had never seen snow.” That was me! It started snowing. I had never seen snow and I was wondering, what is this? I thought it would be different, I didn’t realize that it fell so gently.
Can you talk about your studies at Northern Illinois University.
I received both my bachelor’s and master’s degree in Special Education, which in more specific terms is a focus on kids who have either intellectual or physical challenges.
Why did you pursue degrees in Special Education?
When I was in middle school, my mother worked at the Department of Health. One summer I was looking for something to do and she mentioned that they were looking for volunteers at Pohukaina, which at the time was a special school for kids with physical impairments. I volunteered for the summer and loved it. This experience influenced my decision to go to work in Special Education.
After college you stayed in Illinois for another year.
Right out of college I got a job at a Special Education school in Waukegan, Illinois, an industrial suburb of Chicago just north of the city, where most of the students were bused in from other neighborhoods. It was difficult for me. My first year being a teacher in a very diverse environment where I was the only Asian teacher. Remember, it was the early 70’s and it was hippie time. I had my hair down to my waist – straight Asian hair. The kids would come up to me and say, “why don’t you wash your hair?” I came to learn that in Black culture, if they wanted straight hair they didn’t wash their hair. I used to cry every day on the way to work. After a year, I decided to return to Hawaii. This was 1973.
What was your career path when you returned to Honolulu?
I wanted a teaching job, and I began doing substitution. Then I took a job as an aide with the Easter Seals for their Deaf and Blind program. From there, once the program was taken over by the state, I applied for the teaching position, and began working for the Department of Education. During this time, working for the state, I held many different types of jobs working with kids who were blind, deaf, and those who had mobility issues.
Eventually, I became a pre-school Special Education teacher at a local elementary school. At this point I had two children, who were also enrolled at this school. It was an ideal situation, so I worked there for many years. My last teaching position in Hawaii was in a nursing home, through the Department of Education, for medically fragile children whose parents were unable to care for them at home. We worked with them alongside their physical, occupational, and speech therapists.
When did you meet your husband, George?
I met George when we were working at the same school. He was an aide within the Special Education department. He had his master’s in art from the University of Hawaii Mānoa and ended up in charge of the space that was dedicated to art. Eventually, he moved on to become an art teacher at a couple of different high schools. He had a wonderfully complex and undefinable mind of an artist. We were married in 1985.
We went on to raise our children, my daughter from my first marriage and a son that I had with George. Our families were close by, including our parents who helped while we worked. It was fortunate that our children were able to spend time with their grandparents.
What were the driving factors in deciding to move to Portland and Terwilliger Plaza?
We had talked informally about moving when we retired because the cost of living was so high in Hawaii. Nothing definite, it was just an ongoing conversation. Then our daughter moved to Portland and loved it. We started visiting and then our grandson was born, and that decided it for us. We wanted to know our grandson.
It was 2017, we sold our condo in Honolulu, and moved straight into Terwilliger Plaza. I was done with home ownership.
How did you learn about Terwilliger Plaza?
I had a friend who lived nearby in another community, but it was further out from the city – too far from the urban core. Terwilliger is in the city. We lucked out – because I love it here. Public transportation gets me any where I need to go in the city, and my daughter is minutes away.
Tell me about your volunteer work at OHSU (Oregon Health & Science University)?
At one time, in Hawaii, I had volunteered as a baby cuddler at a local hospital. When I moved to Terwilliger, and realized just how close we were to OHSU, I immediately signed up as a volunteer to work with babies once again. I was in the intensive care unit for a while working with the babies. Many of the parents, whose children were in the ICU were able to be there most of the time, but for some parents, that just wasn’t possible. Our job was to hold the babies, to comfort them and provide physical warmth.
Most recently, George passed away. I am sorry for your loss. This was unexpected?
George passed away in May. He wasn’t feeling well. He told me that he had run out of his blood pressure medication. Once I learned of this, we got his prescription filled. For a couple of weeks after though, he wasn’t getting any better, so one evening, I called 911 and he went to the emergency room. Everything in the hospital was complicated by COVID, including which hospital he was brought to and even my access. In the end his system, heart, lung, and kidneys were damaged. There were plans to keep him overnight when he passed out. After several attempts to revive him, he was gone.
You mention that George was in a good place, that he was happy.
It was so good for him here at Terwilliger. He wasn’t as social as I am – and yet, here he was beginning to come out of his shell. He got into the art committee, his paintings are part of a group show, and he was a representative on the Resident Council. I thought, who is this guy! He loved it here. He liked the convenience, the food scene – the whisky and wineries. He was happy and enjoying life. He was able to spend time with his grandson. He was painting. He died happy.
How are you doing?
Being here gives me a sense of comfort and security. My family is here. My support is all here. I’m very happy here.
Tell me about the many ways you are active at Terwilliger Plaza?
I am active in the Social Accountability Committee, which is an outward volunteer focused committee. One of the programs that I developed through the committee is the Litter Patrol. We live next to three beautiful parks, including Duniway Park, the track and the Lilac Garden. A great piece of trivia is that Duniway Park is named in honor of Abigail Scott Duniway, a writer, newspaper publisher and advocate for a women’s right to vote. In 1912, Duniway became the first legal female voter in Multnomah County.
A lot of our Members use the parks. So, the Litter Patrol is our way of giving back. It is not a scheduled patrol or overly structured. In collaboration with Portland Parks and Recreation, we provide bags and equipment to help those who want to pick up litter.
I am also on the Tour Committee, which organizes trips for our Members. We have gone to Mt. St. Helens, flower tours, irises and dahlias, wineries, and the coast. We work to develop a variety of trips so that everyone has a chance to participate. The beauty is that you can visit all these places, and you don’t have to drive to get there if you don’t want to. I also work for Treasures, Terwilliger’s thrift store.
You’re very active. Although it seems that you have also leaned into volunteering throughout your life.
I’ve always liked volunteering. I enjoy it. You’re able to choose what you want to do. Helping people gives me satisfaction - makes me feel useful. Other areas at Terwilliger that I am involved with include the Welcoming Committee for new move-ins. We are there and available to help answer any questions. I also serve on the Board Nominating Committee.
What better way to end this interview than to ask about your grandson, Cooper. Do you see him often?
Now that its baseball season, at least once a week. I also get to take him for overnights – which are awesome. He is still young enough, eight years old, to think it’s cool to come here!