John Yuasa was born at the Tanforan racetrack on his family's way to internment camp at Topaz, Utah during World War II. Upon returning to Oakland, John attended Oakland and Berkeley public schools as well as the University of California and Hastings College of the Law. His education was interrupted by 2 years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic and some time working in various programs of the War on Poverty. After finishing law school, he served as Executive Director of several non-profits, including the Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center and the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation.
In 1976, he moved to Washington, DC to become an HEW Fellow and followed that up as an appointee in the Carter Administration as the Deputy Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs in the Department of Labor. Following the change in administrations, John moved to New York City to take a senior management position as Director of Material at the New York City Transit Authority. There he worked for a number of years before he purchased a manufacturing company where he became the owner and CEO. The company fabricated spare parts that were used in subway cars that operated on various transit properties throughout the nation.
In 2001, John decided to return to his home of Oakland, California where he assumed the position of Health Policy Director at The Greenlining Institute. He also served as the Director of Claiming Our Democracy, a program aimed at bringing about political reform. In his most recent position before becoming a consultant, John worked as an independent contractor and Director of Health Career Connection, a paid summer internship program for undergraduates of color and/or from economically disadvantaged communities.
Education
J.D. Hastings College of Law, San Francisco, CA
1975
A.B. University of California, Berkeley, CA 1972 (Electrical Engineering/Political Science)
Personal
Languages: Spanish
Bar Admissions: New York and Connecticut