Mike Watanabe, founding leader and president emeritus of Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP), passed away at his Los Angeles home on Nov. 3. He was 77.
AADAP said in a statement, “For 46 of AADAP’s 51 years, he was a transformative force, guiding the organization to meet the community’s evolving needs. Born on Aug. 23, 1946, in Pa’auilo, Hawai’i, Mike’s early years instilled in him the spirit of ‘ohana. His journey led him to AADAP, where he rapidly ascended to lead the organization, leaving an enduring legacy of transformation.
Mike’s impact went beyond statistics; he nurtured a place of healing and growth, mentored many, and upheld the values of advocacy and service. We honor and cherish Mike’s memory, celebrating his enduring contributions to AADAP. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family, and we remember their steadfast dedication to our cause. Mike’s legacy lives on in our hearts.”
Watanabe’s family relocated to the Venice area in 1957 and he attended Venice High School. He survived the drug epidemic of the 1960s and two and a half years in the Army with a tour in Vietnam as a helicopter crew chief. After coming back to civilian life, his growing concern with the impact of drugs on his friends and community guided his return to school.
He completed his undergraduate education at CSU Northridge in sociology while working at a local butcher shop. He entered the MSW program at UCLA with a National Institute of Mental Health scholarship for substance abuse and graduated in 1975. During his field placement, he was introduced to AADAP.
Watanabe began work at AADAP in 1975 and continued for 46 years. He started as a counselor in the TC (therapeutic community) and progressed through the ranks in several positions, including coordinator in the residential treatment program. He served as president and chief executive officer from 1982.
During his tenure as CEO, he led the growth and development of the agency from a moderate-sized agency to a large, comprehensive service agency serving a significant portion of Los Angeles County through ten service sites.
Watanabe was also past president of Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council (A3PCON, established in 1977), a consortium of over 45 community-based agencies serving the Asian Pacific community in Los Angeles County, and chaired its Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Committee for 12 years.
He served on the Los Angeles County Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Commission for 16 years and chaired the Asian and Pacific Islander Constituent Committee, advisory to the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (DADP), for eight years. He was a founding board member of the National Asian Pacific Families Against Substance Abuse (NAPAFASA, established in 1986), a consortium of drug and alcohol agencies and representative membership from over 150 organizations serving Asian Pacific communities around the country.
In the course of these activities, Watanabe provided workshops, seminars, testimony, and consultation at local jurisdictions through national venue. His work in community service and AADAP’s support of early API community organizations under his leadership left a lasting impact on the scope and scale of API nonprofits and Asian American services today.
In 2014, the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Asian Business Awards honored AADAP as its Nonprofit of the Year and noted Watanabe’s four decades of leadership of the organization.
In September 2022, then mayoral candidate Rep. Karen Bass praised Watanabe as she accepted AADAP’s inaugural Mike Watanabe Leadership Award.
Bass worked with Watanabe in a decades-long partnership between AADAP and Community Coalition, a Latino and Black organization based in South L.A. that seeks to transform social and economic conditions.
“I just want to announce tonight, Mike Watanabe, I know you retired but we need you! We need you. We need you to help rebuild and expand that safety net so we can reclaim our people on the street and get them off the street and get them in housing. So tomorrow morning people don’t die on the streets,” Bass said. “Mike Watanabe has to be in the center to make sure it doesn’t happen.”
In 2017, his alma mater, CSUN, and the trustees of the California State University awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree for his work at AADAP and in the community.
“Mike came to AADAP, hired as a night caseworker,” recalled Ron Wakabayashi, former Western regional director of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Relations Services. “He had the graveyard shift in the residential treatment program. He became the heart of AADAP over the 50 years that he was the director.
“It wasn’t just the years of service. It was instilling a culture of family that’s his legacy. AADAP is the only agency I know that calls for ‘ohana,’ greets everyone as family and practices it. He leaves a unique and very special legacy and the community, not just AADAP, is the better for it.”
“Mike Watanabe really took a chance with me, and over 20 years (13 as a manager), I learned and honed skills that I literally use today,” said Diane Ujiiye, a board member of Healing Urban Barrios. “He was a gifted teacher, and as a young director, he taught me a few ‘A’ word lessons such as ask, don’t assume; and ANTICIPATE.
“Mike was also a brilliant strategic thinker without a traditional strategic plan. He and I bumped heads from time to time, yet we treated each other with mutual respect. Mike led AADAP with razor-sharp boldness, and he elevated the importance of nuance in details (he was also a skilled mechanic, often repairing agencies vehicles).
“Details such as requiring that when someone called AADAP, an actual person answered the phone. He did NOT want folks to be patched to an impersonal voicemail. He understood the imperative to engage politically, and to maintain the heart and soul of the agency.
“Mike enjoyed getting lunch from Earle’s grill on Crenshaw, which was (is) also one of my favorite spots. So, deep gratitude for all of it Mike — even those bumps and bruises which continue to be valuable lessons learned.”
Survivors include his wife, Suzanne.
In lieu of flowers or koden, the family requests that donations be made to AADAP (www.aadapinc.org).
Tributes from AADAP Staffers, Past and Present
“I worked side-by-side with Mike every day for over 30 years. I’ve never known anyone to work harder than Mike. He would come into the office and push all of us to be the best we can be. Mike was a detail-oriented man. He always looked for a way to make the best of every situation. He was relentless. He always thought about the community, the staff, and the clients. From Mike’s perspective, the AADAP agency is for the community first.” — Dean Nakanishi, chief executive officer
“Mike’s contribution to the community can only be exceeded by his passion for the men and women of AADAP. He has not only touched their lives but has made them better people. I honor Mike by continuing his vision, his AADAP legacy, and its services. To live a life of service to those in need and respect the responsibilities bestowed upon us for communal work. Mike left a blueprint on how to show respect and give back dignity to individuals society has deemed blight. Let us honor Mike by continuing AADAP’s motto, ‘People Need People.’” — Aris Tubadeza, MSc., administrative director
“I have known Mike since my high school days. We first met in the ’60s and became friends and dated for a while. I was a lot of trouble to keep as a friend … I couldn’t drive (Mike tried to teach me but I wrecked his friend’s car and a parked car), I couldn’t dance (I am not sure how his feet survived all the times he tried to teach me), I only liked dessert, so I left meals uneaten to wait for the sugar rush (oblivious to the cost of those meals …. Yes, I was a brat) and I couldn’t fix cars (one of his main passions) or even identify the gorgeous red car he drove (a Chevy, I think).
“Then Mike left for Vietnam. That was a terrible time. Everyone I knew who went over there came back either dead, blown up, and mostly stitched back together or addicted to one substance or another. But Mike was stronger than most of the people I knew, and he put his life back together and then went on to help others figure out how to put their lives back together as well.
“Mike didn’t give up on people easily. He was a fighter, and he encouraged others to fight for the good as well. It’s a hard way to go through life helping or trying to help, people in recovery. But as Al Mizuno often said, doing things the hard way is always the right way.
“Mike was committed to the hard work of his mission of making it possible for people to find themselves, their families, and their place on this planet. I was honored to work with him for many years and honored to have known him for even longer. I would add a wish for him to rest in peace, but I am pretty sure that wherever Mike is he is not resting…. He is organizing, teaching, and working.” — Aviva Weiner-Fontes, TC art therapist
“I had three mentors in my tenure here at AADAP. Phyllis Mickle, who taught me how to recover and played a significant role in my understanding the TC Concepts of Recovery — choices, attitude, direction and lifestyle. Jim Goodman, who taught me how to counsel and, with metaphor, like a good counselor knows how to make a carrom shot when facilitating the group. He helped me to create my counseling style.
“But I attribute Mike to teaching me how to manage a Therapeutic Community (TC). In his way, he always encouraged me to reach for the stars. I can still hear him say, ‘Have you reviewed your budget? Budgets are due, and I always get yours late.’ Another favorite joke he loved was that I was very familiar with the TC before it became the TC. He enjoyed knowing that.
“They all were encouraging and taught me the real meaning of ‘People Need People.’ He will be missed, but through all the pushing and pulling that went on between us, I have big love for Mike. Thanks, Mike, and God bless…” — James Stinson – CAS II, TC director
“Over the years, Mike had become my work-dad and mentor. Since his passing, I was surprised to learn how widely his influence had reached the community. He was steely and strategic, yet so kind-hearted. He is deeply missed.” — Jeanne Shimatsu, prevention director
“All I can say now is ‘Gone but never forgotten.’ Mike, I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to work with you. You are a leader and an inspiration to me. Your leadership and words of encouragement mean a lot to me. When you asked me for my opinion on something important, you made me feel like, ‘Wow, he asked for my opinion,’ even though I thought sometimes you said that to make me feel more confident.
“Thank you for believing in me. I will carry the lessons and advice I received from you for the rest of my life.” — Jenny Pham, controller
“In my 32-year history, Mike is a true kuya or big brother and is not limited to the professional realm. There are so many 3M (Mahalo Mike Moments) that are ingrained in my heart and mind. In 2022, as part of AADAP’s 50th anniversary video, Mike spoke the succinct words that summed up how he lived and that serve as the guiding star for the organization he so deeply loved: ‘…That’s what we’re here for. We work in the community, we grew from the community, we are here for the community, and we should always remember that we have to serve the people in the community — that’s it.’
“Salamat* so much, Mike, for everything.” — Joel Jacinto, Special Projects, West Adams WorkSource
“Dean Nakanishi told me that Mike had a special relationship with every one of the AADAP staff, including myself, and I agree. The memories I have of Mike are about the foods we both liked. I’m not too hip on the foodie thing, but I think Mike was one of them.
“Mike called me at the office and asked if wanted something from The Tempura House on Sawtelle or from Ketchie’s (Lonnie’s) Taco stand in West L.A. Another time, he asked if I wanted lunch from Johnnie’s Pastrami in Culver City. He loved cha shu, island fried chicken, and Hawaiian beef stew.
“We would also exchange gifts whenever one of us went on vacation. He bought me and my family little souvenirs from Hawaii and New York. Having grown up in New York, we would buy him T-shirts from the Big Island or Syracuse. It was a little awkward for Mike to wear the SU T-shirt, but seeing he was a UCLA/CSUN alum, he wore it anyway.
“I’m thankful for the great times and foods we shared. I am happy to call Mike a friend.” — Jon Fukuda, administrative assistant II
“Mike was an icon at AADAP and in the community. He was a true leader and profoundly influenced my career at AADAP. His commitment, guidance, and support have made AADAP what it is today. I benefited immensely from his leadership. I will forever miss him and our talks. Mike helped me get my start at AADAP in 1989 and supported me throughout my 34 years at AADAP.
“Thank you, Mike, for your leadership and unconditional commitment to our community. Rest in Power!” — Jose Esqueda, YFP director
“What stands out to me about Mike is his dedication to the community and especially to AADAP. Mike gave his life to this agency, and his work speaks for itself. He taught us to lose excuses and get the job done. The greatest accomplishment of a good leader is legacy. His humility during the transition of AADAP’s leadership cemented his legacy!” — Louis Lewis, employment access manager
“I had a different kind of relationship with Mike. He was a mentor, a friend, and a very cool big brother. Most of all, he was a great supporter of all who needed help. AADAP was his home, and he took pride in always upholding the integrity of the agency. Mike was always present at all of the clients’ graduations, Drug Court, TC, and even my retirement luncheon.
“Mike undoubtedly supported the Asian Pacific Islanders and the community who were active in their addiction plus supported their families who were affected by the addiction. Mike encouraged the AADAP staff to be their best and was well-respected. For this reason, AADAP is globally known to be one of the longest-serving and most reputable treatment programs.
“AADAP’s motto speaks for itself. ‘People Need People.’ Mahalo nui loa, Mike.” — Nancy Sekizawa, CADC-CAS, senior consultant
“Rest in Power, Mike. Thank you for all that you’ve taught me. You took the time to educate me to be a better leader, advocated for what is right and just, and lessons on sustainability. Mostly, thank you for all the support you’ve provided in the 18 years of work I had under your leadership.
“I regret that I didn’t get to cook any adobo for you these last few months, but I hope you’re enjoying all the company out wherever you may be, and you will be missed by many.” — Patricia M. Abrantes, LCSW, outpatient director
“Mike became my respected mentor from the day I walked into his upstairs office for an interview at Therapeutic Community (TC) 22 years ago, weeks after 9/11. He had a commanding presence, fearlessness, humility, and kindness. Mike taught me the value of timeliness, determination, and the importance of AADAP’s long-standing, life-changing relationship with the diverse communities, our clients, and their families.
Mike also helped to turn the pages in my life on many levels with work and otherwise. He did this for many.
“Mike, you left golden memories and invaluable lessons that are ever-present as the ocean waves. Thank you for teaching the value of patience, being of service without ego, priceless tenacity, and believing in the reality of one’s liberation.
“Rest with peace and blessings forever.” — Rahimah Shah-Fiddmont, donor relations specialist