Alumni Profiles Kris Hayashi (individually desidgned major: Asian American Studies, '97) Youth United for CommunityAction (YUCA) profile by Andrea Suh Kris Hayashi, organizer of Youth United for Community Action (YUCA), began what she considers her first organizing work while a freshman at Stanford. During her spring quarter, she was involved with the action at the Faculty Senate to demand an Asian American Studies Program. Although this department had been in demand since 1970, it still was not implemented by the time Kris arrived in 1992. She devoted most of her spring organizing around this issue, spending long hours discussing and strategizing with other students, many of whom were older than her. She says that these students served as her first mentors. It was the first time that issues she worked around really connected and was relevant in her life. Finding out about Asian American history was personally relevant as she came to discover her family's history as a fourth generation Japanese. Coming from the diverse school system of inner-city Seattle, Washington, Stanford's student body, which was comparably less racially diverse, was initially a shock. Spring quarter of 1993 was highly political as a Chicano group on campus organized to create a Chicano Studies Program as well. It was not until Kris senior year that an Asian American Studies Program was approved and enacted. Kris work at YUCA began during her sophomore when YUCA was creating its first summer program. When she came back during her junior year, she was asked to be co-chair of the board of directors for the organization. This is when her involvement with Keisha and Pete Evans of Ujima began. She attributes both of them as being invaluable mentors and supports for her as she began and continued through this work. During the next summer she worked on an environmental justice program in EPA with YUCA youth to create a video that would address the issues surrounding corporate pollution in the community. Although she completed her requirements for graduation in three years, she decided to pursue a thesis in her fourth year. She was accepted at a masters program at San Francisco State but chose not to accept because of her connection to YUCA. She describes it as being so connected to her mentors, the Evanses, and the high school youth that she did not have the option of leaving. Since her first involvement with the Asian American Studies organizing, Kris knew that she would be involved in organizing work for the rest of her life. According to many organizers, this area work is extremely stressful and taxing both physically and mentally, but Kris points to the support group of other organizers like Charisse Domingo who help to keep her going. Mentors like the Evanses and Nadinne Cruz have helped to help to guide her. In addition she attributes much support to her girlfriend who has seen many sides of organizing over the past four years as well. Though her family does not know specifically the kind of work she does, they do support her in her ventures. When asked about theorizing and its role in organizing work, Kris says that much of her theorizing occurred in informal settings. On rides back from protests, or in discussions sparked by events, Kris found herself and others shaping their theories about organizing and the work that they were doing. For her organizing has been about empowering from the grassroots up. Each organizing group differs in their theories depending on their specific needs. Though the theories she has adopted may not suit other settings, they have been shaped and refined by years of working with her specific organizations. There are many challenges and concerns to the type of work that Kris does. She experienced the challenge of being taken seriously as a young person from older organizers. Often it is difficult to find allies who will struggle with you. In her work, she does not seek only coalitions but rather allies who will commit to the long term. One example of this is the relationship between YUCA and Ujima. In the next few years Kris may pursue for her masters at San Francisco State and then exploring new areas of organizing work. She will continue organizing whether it be at the level that she is at or through teaching or possibly at the foundational level. Though she does not know the exact direction she is heading, her commitment and passion for the work that she does is evident and she is one of the organizing legacies of the University.