MY STORY
Born in Columbia City and raised in Seattle, my story embodies the resilience, diversity, and strength of our community.
I grew up as a multiracial child of divorced parents, each facing hardships that persist in Seattle today. My mother, despite coming from an affluent family, was rejected due to her mental health struggles and the stigma of my father’s ethnicity. My father arrived in the U.S. from Japan at just 17 years old—alone, unable to speak English, and with only the will to build a better future.
After my parents’ divorce, poverty and food insecurity became a daily reality. Life with my mother became unlivable. I made the painful decision to leave and start over with my father. By then, he had remarried a Seattle police officer who patrolled Rainier Valley. When my father’s second marriage ended, a significant weight of our family business—Minakami Karate-Do, fell onto my shoulders.
I embraced that responsibility. Over the next 20 years, I taught self-defense; instilling confidence, discipline, and strength in young people and adults—especially women. I pursued my education at Seattle University, earning a degree in International Studies, all while competing nationally and internationally for the U.S. National Karate Team and staying dedicated to the business. I later married, had three children, and continued to collaborate with my husband on our family businesses. Nine years ago, we chose to move back to District 2 to raise our family in its vibrant, diverse, and culturally rich community.
District 2 Challenges
As a daughter, wife, and mother of three, I have seen my loved ones struggle with addiction, mental health, and systemic barriers. At just 23, I lost my mother to those very struggles.
Growing up in poverty, navigating food insecurity, and managing my father’s small business gives me a firsthand understanding of the struggles families and small business owners face every day. My multicultural heritage (Japanese, Chinese, Pacific Islander and European) reflect the diverse community we live in. These lived experiences shape who I am today and the practical solutions I will fight for tomorrow. I believe in the power of resilience, in overcoming adversity, and in the possibility of change, because I’ve lived it.
I am a lifelong Seattleite and a fighter, in every sense of the word, who will champion a safer, more livable, and more prosperous community for generations to come.
The strength of this city runs through my blood.