Reaching Out To Japan: Interview With Noriko Chapman

In most cases, individuals are not hurt by giving to others. For Noriko Chapman, it has created an international collaboration between a local U.S. nonprofit organization and a global leader in the automobile industry which led to the empowerment and economic independence of disabled workers. Chapman, who is a DENSO production manager, had worked with the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center (TRC) in Maryville to help increase its operations efficiency as part of her MBA project. In 2009, the Maryville TRC was ranked at eighth in contract sales in Tennessee. Its mission is to provide services that help lead individuals who have a physical and/or mental disability to employment and are designed to meet individual needs.

However, Chapman's goodwill had many unintended consequences. S-he has had four versions of her first book published in one year, which is impressive for a beginning writer. She pledged 30 percent of the book proceeds to this organization. Chapman also helped to restore $75K of government funding to the Center. Chapman became connected to this organization. She observed, "I was inspired by the staff and by individuals with disabilities who were trying very hard to learn work skills and seek permanent employment." Through her first book, she was able to bring more attention by the media and the public in general to this disability cause. In fact, it landed the TRC's director an expense-paid visit to DENSO in Japan.

DENSO Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global automotive supplier with customers that include all the world's major carmakers. With more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 35 countries and regions (including Japan), DENSO had worked to assist the nonprofit organization with a contract that allowed disabled workers to earn income. In reality, DENSO was offering these workers a second chance. Chapman had made this relationship possible.

Therefore, Chapman has become a role model to millions of women looking to overcome extreme obstacles in life. She has been noted and quoted in such media outlets as Knoxville News Sentinel, Black Pearls Magazine, What's Going On? Talk show, and The Daily Times. The Knoxville Examiner sat down and talked with Chapman during the preparation of her upcoming book tour in Japan.

It appears you are becoming a role model to many women who do not have these opportunities and freedoms across the globe. What can you tell us about the Japanese culture as it relates to women in power?
Japan is a male-dominated society. Japanese women have more responsibilities at home to raise children, manage household chores and finance and support their husbands who work long hours and usually are breadwinners. Even though the culture is gradually adapting to accommodate the female workforce, career advancement for women in Japan is still limited. The changes are not quick enough to satisfy thousands of bright, hard-working Japanese women. Hopefully Japanese companies recognize the positive characteristics of women who can pay more attention to details or can multitask, and they are learning to utilize these strengths.

In addition, I believe we can find a variety of avenues to enjoy our lives. I was born as the oldest child in my family who has owned a small company for 101 years. Due to the fact of being a female, I was not given the opportunity to take over the business. Even though it was a disappointing cultural practice, I had the freedom to choose my career and chase my own dreams. I moved to the US 24 years ago and never regret it. This country gives me so many more chances than I could have imagined. I'm so glad now that I am not male!

Who are the individuals who influenced you when you were growing up in Japan?
My hero is always my 99-year-old grandmother who lives in Japan. She has taught me to treat people with respect, to be strong and courageous and to be able to say "No" when we have to. She is also a business person whose motto is "customer and quality first." She lost her husband and brother in the Philippines during WW2. During and after the war, she ran a family business while raising my father and uncle. She established a group and became a chairperson to help widows and women in the community. She never remarried but has devoted all her life to her family, business, employees, widows and single mothers in the community.

Discuss your planned international book tour to Japan. Why did you decide to do this?
My Japanese colleagues in Japan learned about the book Second Chance, about the Tennessee Rehabilitation Maryville Center with which Denso Manufacturing Tennessee has maintained a good business relationship for years. Some of my colleagues and friends preferred to read my book in Japanese. My family and friends also encouraged me to translate it into Japanese. Some may be interested in my personal stories about surviving cancer. The book cover is a Japanese painting by a lady who has been fighting against cancer. I truly honor her courage and strength. I am blessed to receive the invitation from Japan to introduce the book.

What activities do you have planned on your book tour?
A speaking engagement with Japanese ladies to discuss not only the book but also my career in the US and women's career-related issues. to compare and contrast the cultural differences in Japan and US.

What do you hope to gain with this new book in Japanese?
I hope for people to receive the message that small acts can help our community in many different ways and by different talents.

The first book was done in conjunction with Lincoln Memorial University's professor Dr. Daryl Green. In your Japanese book, you collaborated with Reiko Farr. Please discuss how this came to reality.
Reiko is my friend and co-worker. She is a very polite, caring, faithful, hard-working mother. I approached her with the translation proposal because she knew my personality and the time when I was going through cancer in 2009. Our friendship became stronger through collaborating on the Japanese translation.

How has your company supported your efforts to work with nonprofit organizations?
My employer, DENSO, has supported me to obtain higher education, prepared me with technical experience and materials to support the LMU MBA project Real World Application, and provided adequate contract work to the center. I'm grateful to have the employer who even provided the opportunity to benchmark a manufacturing facility in Japan for the disabled.

Since you have come into the public view, you have been an advocate for nonprofit organizations such as the Center. What are your plans for the future?
I really enjoy the expanding opportunities to be able to interact with people from different backgrounds. I'd love to talk with them, listen to them, write about it, and maybe find common goals in order to make positive changes in our society.

Where can people get a copy of your book and how do we reach you?
The books are now available at bookstores or online distributors such as Amazon.com. I also can be reached through social media such as Facebook.

2011 by Daryl D. Green

About Dr. Daryl Green:
Dr. Daryl Green, who is a reporter for the Knoxville Examiner, has over 20 years of management experience. He has been noted and quoted by USA Today, Ebony Magazine, and Associated Press. For more information, you can go to nuleadership.wordpress.com or http://www.darylgreen.org/.

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Interview With Bruno Serato, Local Hero Who Feeds 300+ Kids Daily

You have been featured in People Magazine, on Oprah's Facebook page, in The Huffington Post, and on the CBS Evening News, winning many humanitarian awards. Did you ever think from feeding 80 kids that first night, you'd be doing this for hundreds of kids, every night, for seven years?

No, no I never thought I would because for 7 years I've been doing it under the radar and nobody knew it. Now I've just exploded. I don't know why, but it's so amazing. When I started the original year, I knew I was going to do this for some time, but I never dreamed that 7 years later I'd still be doing this every single day. I can't believe it has been so long. It's really amazing to me.

Who or what inspires you to keep doing this everyday?

Oh my mom, obviously. She's the one behind everything and I know that if I stop, she will probably be mad at me. I don't want to make mama mad! She's the one who is responsible for keeping this going. This is her legacy.

That's amazing. So you started Caterina's Club in her honor. Can you tell us more about that? What are some ways we can get people to help Caterina's Club to grow?

Seven years ago, I asked some women to come here [Anaheim White House] for lunch, telling them I would like to do something for children in the Anaheim motel area. So I started a club on behalf of my mother, calling it Caterina's Girls Club. We did that to support a lot of girls to have a brighter future. To help, anybody can be part of it--any woman who wants to be part of Caterina's Club can be part of it. I do a luncheon every three months at the Anaheim White House. People pay $55 to attend. That goes to the motel kids program, so you not only have fun and a good lunch, but you are also helping a child receive free meals. For anyone who wants to be part of it, they can go to Caterina's Club to find out more.

I don't know if many people know, but you were involved with helping some victims of Hurricane Katrina. Could you speak more about that?

There were some people who had been relocated to California and we found out that one of them used to be a waiter in Louisiana. I think he worked at the Hyatt as a waiter and we hired him to work with us. He was able to save money to go back to Louisiana. He was a really good guy, was able to get his wife and children back together, put them back on track and back to Louisiana. I'm always helping others because I think that there often shortages in the world. I believe in helping others and making life better for everybody. Working for Katrina was only one example.

As you may know, one month ago, I gave away 200 lunches to 200 non-profit, 501(3) charities.* Every Wednesday, starting January 2012, a registered, 501(3) charity will come for a free lunch to the Anaheim White House, which will be good for them. Yes, because a lot of the non-profits are in a lot of trouble because they don't have enough money and the government has stopped subsidizing them. I have a beautiful banquet hall that I use for banquets and weddings--and since I don't use it often, I thought I could give it away for lunch for [these groups] to use.

Wow, that's amazing. Thank you so much. You seem to be so passionate and inspired about helping others. Can you speak more, in addition to your amazing mother, about some people who have inspired you to become the renowned chef/restaurateur/humanitarian that we know today?

I came from a very poor family, growing up with nothing. When I grew up that way, getting more later in life, I decided to share what I have. When I was younger, I was poor and my family received help from some neighbors and I decided to do the same thing too. The inspiration came from how I grew up myself and the fact that I grew up in poverty. Not below the poverty level, but I grew up with not much around me. Now that I have a little bit more, I decide to give back to the community, to the people who need it the most. They are my inspiration.

You seem to also mentor the kids that you feed, serving as an amazing example. What would you say to these kids who have limited resources, but who have a lot of passion like you did growing up?

What I would say to them, first off, is that I want them to graduate from college. After they do that, I want them to never forget where the pasta came from when they didn't have any. That way, they can keep doing this same thing themselves for other children. I want them to one day do what I am doing for them--I'm sure some kids will do that. I've had kids tell me, "I want to do what you do one day because it's amazing. I appreciate it so much that you feed me pasta every night." The most beautiful gift I receive is when I know that these kids want to do the same thing when they get older by making sure no children go hungry.

You have had extensive experience in the culinary industry. You came to the United States with $200 in your pocket, starting off at La Vie en Rose in Brea. Can you talk a little bit about where your passion not just for helping others, but for food came from? Who were your mentors?

When I was fourteen years old, my mom and dad had a small, Italian trattoria, a mom-and-pop type of place. The fact that I was fourteen when I started working in the food industry started it all. My mom was the chef and I was helping her, which taught me a lot by working with food at a younger age. When they sold the restaurant, I decided to go back as a waiter; from waiter, I went up to where I am today. The beginning of everything in the food business started with my mom and dad's small restaurant in Italy.

How do we keep this program of feeding hundreds of motel children you've been doing for seven years going?

Ultimately, I want this to be nationwide. My goal is have every Boys & Girls Club in the country following my program. And if every Boys & Girls Club in the country follows my program, the children in America will go to bed with full stomachs instead of going to bed with empty stomachs. I believe in the power of other Boys & Girls Clubs working in combination with other chefs or restaurateurs out there. This is my goal. I want this to be nationwide.

What are some amazing projects we expect to see from you, Bruno Serato, and from the renowned Anaheim White House? What should we look forward to?

My next project is to start moving out motel families from where they are because feeding the kids feels good, but I know that the kids go back to a motel environment that is not nice. What I would like to do is start to move families from a one-bedroom location with no kitchen to a two-bedroom apartment. This is where I need the White House customers to help me continue doing what I do. All together, we can do it. With many people behind something, we can do so much. The community together does a lot. If you want to make a difference, look up the 501(3) foundations in Orange County that are doing great things. I just love them so much because they are doing many caring things. I really mean that; we are all working together to make Orange County a much better place to live.

I appreciate your time. You run such an amazing establishment, feeding kids every day, inspiring hundreds of thousands of people to do more.

If I can do that alone, feeding 300 children, everyday and alone, imagine what we can do together! We can feed millions of kids. That is my goal. I tell people that I'm not a magic man. I do it with my own hands, in my own kitchen, with my own pasta. Together we can do something to change the world.

* [100% of the proceeds from these fundraisers will benefit the organizations and 200 local nonprofits received the giveaway- a total value of $1 million.]

Interview by Thanh-Tam Candice Vu

VOTE FOR BRUNO TO BECOME 2011 CNN Hero of the Year: http://heroes.cnn.com/vote_en.aspx
GET INVOLVED: http://www.thecaterinasclub.org/

Thanh-Tam Candice Vu is a freelance writer, promoting local non-profit organizations and humanitarian efforts.

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