Michael Watanabe worked with the Asian American Drug Abuse Program in South LA for nearly half a century to help those impacted by substance abuse and mental health illnesses.A South Los Angeles community gathered Thursday to honor the life and legacy of a community leader who spent decades providing resources, preventative education to those suffering from mental health illnesses and substance abuse issues.
“I wanted to start an organization but I really didn’t know anything about addiction except it was devastating the community,” Bass said during the ceremony, describing how the crack cocaine epidemic was devastating the South LA community in the 80s. “Mike tapped me on the back. In a calm, humble way, he set me straight and told me what I needed to do.”
The current CEO of the AADAP said while progress has been made over the years, the prejudice appears to still linger around mental health issues among Asians and Pacific Islanders.
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