Robin Toma

Acknowledging his commitment to human rights and justice through his work with Japanese Latin Americans and the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission, Robin Toma has been selected by the Japanese American Citizens League/Pacific Southwest District as the recipient of the JACL Community Achievement Award.

After five years with the Commission, Robin was appointed its Executive Director in 2000. Before coming to the Commission, he served as staff attorney with the ACLU of Southern California promoting civil rights and building multiethnic coalitions to bring about institutional change. While with the Commission, Robin authored such publications as "Day Laborer Hiring Sites: Constructive Approaches to Community Conflict" and 'A Primer on Managing Intergroup Conflict in a Multicultural Workplace." Additionally, he established a tax-deductible 501(cX3) non-profit organization to assist the Commission's work and organized the effort to address a rash of hate violence in the L.A.'s Harbor Gateway area and in Long Beach's Cambodian neighborhood.

Robin's community involvement is equally impressive. In 1996 Robin served as co-lead counsel for the Japanese Latin American Redress class action lawsuit Mochizuki v. United States with the late Fred Okrand. When this lawsuit was settled in 1998, the terms fell short of complete justice. He then joined efforts to champion a congressional bill working with Congressman Xavier Becerra and other community members. The bill HR619 sought to fully recognize everyone that was wronged by the illegal incarceration of Japanese Latin American and also to restore full funding to redress education for the entire experience. The effort to bring redress to Jaoanese Latin Americans continues still.

A native of Los Angeles' Silver Lake and Echo Park neighborhoods, Robin obtained a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Economics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, a master's degree in Urban Planning with a juris doctorate from UCLA, and completed a three-year Kellogg National Fellowship Program studying intergroup conflict management and community organizing. Robin enjoyed living two years in Barcelona, Spain and is fully fluent in Spanish. Robin enjoys a fulfilling family life with his wife Debra and daughter Nina.