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Jim Memories |
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Renee Tajima-Pena
03/20/01@13:14
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<![CDATA[
This is a NAATA story I've told many times before.
NAATA had just formed about 20 years ago, with Jim as
the first Executive Director. Everyone was very young,
and of course, David Liu looked exactly the same as he
still looks does today. There were almost no Asian
Americans working in PBS, outside of maintenance
and clerical. We had absolutely no clout, but we wanted
to let PBS know that we had arrived.
Jim was going to Washington DC for NAATA's debut at
the annual PBS Program Fair. And no one was going to
let Jim go alone. Imagine a convoy of starving
independents paying their own way to Washington,
sleeping on people's floors--to crash PBS's biggest
party of the year.
We did it for the cause. And we did it for Jim.
The late, great, Steve Tatsukawa at KCET was one of
the only NAATA board members with a legitimate job in
public broadcasting. So we all used his pass to get into
the parties and events--a major advantage of all Asians
looking alike, male or female, apparently. NAATA
couldn't afford the hotel catering, so we snuck in
Chinese take-out food and beer in suitcases. Jim's fete
in the NAATA suite was the best party at the Program
Fair that year.
Jim inspired the comradery, the intense dedication to
the cause, the good rascalley fun that distinguished
those early years.
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Sharon Maeda
smaeda777@aol.com
03/20/01@16:11
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<![CDATA[There are so many memories, but I'll start with the first
and last time I saw Jim. In 1977, he was working on Rebop
for WGBH and came to Seattle to scout diverse kids for the
show. Since I was the only woman and person of color
amongst 14 producers at KCTS, I was asked to introduce him
to folks in the ethnic communities.
The last time I saw him was Logan Airport/Boston. I was
there as media staff for a DEA/HUD drug bust with Secretary
Cisneros. Jim has no idea what is going on and comes up and
shook hands with the DEA agent I was standing with; he
said,"Wow, what a handshake!" I couldn't say anything until
Jim and I got out of earshot of all the cops who were going
to arrest the leaders of a huge drug ring in Boston's public
housing. Jim was concerned about how these guys were hooking
kids from the projects on drugs, while living in luxury out
in the burbs. But, as always, we ended in laughter...laughed
about how many unique places we had been, with media,
community and politics all blended together. It never
occurred to me that we would never see each other again.
But, do I have so many wonderful memories. And, since this
morning, I have reconnected with several long lost
friends...so, Jim continues to bring folks together, eve]]>
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Frank Abe
frankabe@resisters.com
03/20/01@16:44
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<![CDATA[For six months I've had a letter in my computer I've been
trying to finish, a letter to Jim to thank him for believing
in our story and providing us the means to finish it. I
wanted to tell him how when he came to Seattle to promote
NAATA almost 20 years ago, how glad I was to be able to
interview him for our newscast, and how he opened my eyes to
the idea that we could have a genuine Asian American voice
in the independent film medium, and that there was someone
bright, articulate and passionate who was committed to
making it happen.
I wanted to tell him how, years later, at a point when I
wondered if our story on Japanese American draft resisters
would ever see the light of day, I saw him again at an ITVS
reception and he told me that in his mind these guys showed
a lot of courage and should be regarded as heroes.
And finally, when we finally brought what we thought was the
finished film to him, I wanted to thank him for seeing
enough potential there to guide us through the process of
finishing it with a real film editor. Thanks Jim.
We would not be where we are today without him. I am
stunned to hear of his passing. My condolences to his
family at home and his friends at work.
]]>
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Emily Stevens
emily@skahill.com
03/20/01@18:56
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<![CDATA[Jim was my boss for almost five years -- when I finally
left the ITVS staff in 1998, one of the hardest things was
leaving him as a colleague/supervisor/mentor. I have
so many fond memories of working with him. One of
the silliest is from when ITVS was still in St. Paul.
Because Jim was living away from Betty much of the
time (due to ITVS' location), he tended to work really late
at night. David Liu did as well, as did other staffers, but
I think Jim was almost always the last to leave. What I
didn't know is that every so often Jim & David would
work really late and then go next door to the mall (via
the skyway in the dead of winter) and see whatever
horrible studio movie was playing at the cineplex. I
joined them a few times -- I was amazed at what he
would pay to see -- and we had a blast. Of course Jim
was incredibly dedicated to mission-oriented public
media, but he enjoyed the occasional mind candy
movie. (And then he'd go back to the office!) I miss
him, and my thoughts are very much with Betty and the
kids.
Thanks for creating this site. I hope lots of people write
in.]]>
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Jean Tsien
03/22/01@11:21
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<![CDATA[I am so sorry to hear about Jim, but as we all know that
day was to come
soon. I am sorry that I never came around to send Jim a
card while he was
sick, for some reason I feel that if I care about a person
even if the person
doesn't know me welI, I can communicate through my
prayers. I met Jim for the
very first time the day we were at the ITVS party at
Sundance, I can't even
said that I met him because we never even talked. But
back in May 1999, I
finally met Jim at the Peabody Award for "Travis", and I
never forget the
moment when Travis received a standing ovation, the
quiet and "aloof" Jim
became this highly emotional person I will never forget
he rushed over to me
and was all choked up with pride. The next evening,
David Liu and Jim took me
out to a Shaghainese restaurant in Chinatown, and
that's when I learned about
his children and I was shocked that he even spoke
Mandarin! when Jim talked
about his children, there was so much love and pride in
his eyes. Those 3
encounters were my brief connection to Jim but he has
left me with a very
strong impression and a message.
]]>
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Rory O'Connor
03/22/01@12:59
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<![CDATA[Rory O'Connor
It's certainly fitting that Jim Yee shuffled off this mortal
coil on St. Patrick's Day...because
apart from naming his son Liam, Jim embodied a lot of
what is good -- and frankly some of
what others find objectionable -- of the ethos and
community I grew up with in a working-class
section of Queens. Decisive, no-bullshit,
action-oriented, prickly at times, hard-edged with a
soft heart, always ready to mix it up but never to hold a
grudge, fiercely independent -- he
was the most "Irish" Asian guy I ever met and, to mix
metaphors, a real soul brother to me.
I remember, for example, the first time we met, in 1994.
Jim had just taken over the helm at
ITVS, and we at Globalvision were busy planning the
second year of our weekly non-profit
human rights magazine program "Rights & Wrongs." At
the time, of course, it was far from
certain that there would even BE a second year of
"Rights & Wrongs." PBS was holding fast in
its absurd position that human rights was "an
insufficient organizing principle for a weekly
television show," and one of our lead first-year funders
had gotten "donor fatigue" and left us
facing a three-hundred thousand dollar budget
shortfall.
Enter Jim Yee to a meeting at our office in Times
Square. After listening to our description of
plans and needs for a full five minutes, Yee rather
impatiently cut to the chase. "I like this
show," he interrupted to announce. "I'm going to give
you $250,000 to make it happen."
I was so shocked that I found it hard to believe at first,
and a few minutes later questioned
him about the details.
"How firm is this commitment?" I asked him warily,
having heard many promises in the past,
some of which hadn't quite materialized. "What do we
have to do to get the money
committed?"
"I just told you you have the money," Jim snapped.
Lo and behold, it was true. A short while later, the check
arrived, and we were able to go back
into production on the world's only human
rights-oriented television program. With the
backing of Jim and ITVS, "Rights & Wrongs" was able
to stay on the air for four consecutive
years, and by the time we ceased production, it was
appearing on more than 150 American
public television stations -- as well as in 62 other
countries -- despite the active opposition of
the PBS hierarchy.
But Jim's support over the years meant a lot more than
money to us -- and to dozens of
other independents who found few other allies in the
public broadcasting universe. True, it
meant -- literally -- the difference between being on the
air and going off. But it also meant
that we had a seat at the table for the first time, that we
had support from "the system" to
some extent, and an active, vociferous ally and
spokesperson looking out for our interests
and concerns.
It also meant that I had a new friend. Every time Jim
came to New York we worked hard to get
together, if only for a short while, to compare notes, to
share strategies, information and
analysis, and to laugh.
I remember like it was yesterday Jim's last visit to New
York. He had already had an
operation for the affliction that eventually killed him, and
despite his denials, I could tell he
wasn't doing too well, health-wise. We didn't have any
business to transact, but despite the
fact that we both had heavy schedules and little time to
spare, he had been insistent that we
get together nonetheless. In retrospect, I think I now
know why he was so adamant -- we
never saw each other again. But not a day goes by
when I don't think of him. Happy St.
Patrick's Day, Jim.
Rory O'Connor]]>
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Danny Schecter
03/22/01@13:00
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<![CDATA[Missing Jim
It was hard to read Jim Yee. You had the sense he was
emotionally contained and very
focused. But there were times when he shared some of
his frustrations with me on two
levels. The first was with the public broadcasting
"system" which seemed stuck in a
business as usual mode, unwilling to open doors and
air times for independent producers
even as the organization he headed had the bread to
fund and help produce a stream of
excellent programs. Many were completed on time and
on budget but never were aired
because of the stodgy conservatism of many in public
television--a conservatism which
many on the outside mistook for liberalism. Jim battled
the bureaucrats with a quiet
consistency and self-confident manner. And slowly, he
broke through. His other frustration
was with some of us in the independent media world
who seemed content to do our
projects with few expectations and little determination
to advocate for a more basic change
in the treatment of independents TV makers and for
more diversity on the airwaves.
What a cruel and tragic turn of events, to be struck down
so early in life with so much more
to give. I will say this: he stood up for his principles and
passions, and wouldn't give up
without fight. I respected him, and will miss him.
Danny Schechter
Executice Editor
Mediachannel.org
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Michelle Valladares
mvalladares@earhtlink.net
03/28/01@14:46
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<![CDATA[
My friend Jim Yee died on Saturday, of throat
cancer. He was many things, father of two little
children, husband, director of a visionary
organization, ITVS which funded independent
filmmakers and a successful advocate for minority
producers. And he was my friend. I didn't see him
much, he was in Minneapolis when I moved to San
Francisco and then when I returned to New York he
moved back to San Francisco. But I always felt
close to him. I've worked for Jim in one way or another
since I was twenty-four on the first film project I got paid
for.
I loved Jim. He had this wicked sense of humor
and a easy self confidence. He knew that we the
Chinese, Indian, Mexican, African and every other
minorty-American could make incredible work and put it
on the air, and that we should and in some way every
conversation you had with Jim curled its way back to
advocacy for the underrepresented on television. At
a film conference in Bristol, England a bunch of us went
out to dinner and walking back from the restaurant Jim
and I paused to look over a bridge at a creek gurgling
under us. We talked about life and relationships as
easily as we had talked about work. And it was like this
our friendship water flowing under a bridge.
After that I only saw Jim a few times more, in an
airport in Minneapolis and then in his office at ITVS in
San Francisco. I was at a crossroads in my life and he
offered me a job and said, whenever you're
ready call me. And I knew that he meant it. And that
was his great kindness to me. I had produced three
films for Jim funded by ITVS and he was confident in
me. Sometimes I think you only need one or two
people inthe world who have true confidence in your
work. Jim was one of my two. When a person's
goodness shines so brightly, it is like a
multicolored jewel glistening in the dark and when their
vision is expansive, their dreams are the hook which
drags a net carrying generations
of new talent in it. In the early days when there was no
ITVS, only
scattered organizations fighting an uphill battle against
the programming
on PBS, Jim was among the early warriors banded
together to create
something new for funding work, for breaking through
the glass ceiling --
the old boy's network on television. And they won after
years of
struggles, small victories, which led to larger ones. On
every front Jim
was a great warrior.
A few weeks ago I tore the photo in the ITVS
newsletter, of Jim and
his wife Betty and his two children and put it up in front
of my desk. I
wrote him a card to thank him for his kindness. I know
that my suffering
over his loss is only a small fraction of what his family,
coworkers and
close friends are feeling and to them I join in love and
appreciation and
in their generous sharing of this lion hearted friend.
I don't know exactly what happens after death, but I
have great
hopes that Jim's memories will guide us from our
desks when we sit tortured
about where the next grant will come from, his great
vision will infuse our
work and his compassion will infect our desire to help
others so that our
lives and work can benefit many.
And Jim if you are listening from the bardo then I
send you all my
gratitude for making great use of your precious human
life.
Michelle Yasmine Valladares
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