I had no idea what I was gonna do after I got my degree in philosophy in 1940. But what I did know was at that time, if you were a Chinese-American, even department stores wouldn't hire you. They'd come right out and say, 'We don't hire Orientals.'

Jimmy Boggs was born in a little town called Marion Junction, Alabama, where there were as many pigs, or more pigs, than even the people. But you know what? People in the South had an understanding that you could make a way out of no way, and that's how they survived.

There's a lot of redundancy in these stores. If the idea of this merger is to make these department stores more similar to each other, that won't add value to consumers, ... Consumers want differentiation and variety in products. Price isn't their only consideration.

When I was growing up, Asians were so few and far between as to be almost invisible. And so the idea of an Asian American movement or an Asian American thrust in this country was unthinkable.

You have to calendar time for yourself even if you have no idea what you're going to do with it.

But I had no idea that they were going to pull the plug so quickly.