LOS ANGELES — If you love the game of baseball, Jon Soohoo is living in your dream world. He’s been the Dodgers team photographer for 37 years. He’s captured some of the biggest moments in team history, including their last two championships.
Even with one of the best jobs in sports, as a fifth generation Chinese American, he still has to worry about unfair treatment in his own nation simply for his ethnicity. This, especially after the rise in Asian American hate crimes over the last two years.
“It hits home because it could be my aunts, it could be my uncles, honesty, I kind of watch, watch where I step,” Soohoo said.
It’s part of the reason he’s proud to have such an important role as an Asian American with one of the most iconic franchises in sports, a team which established the Asian Employee Resource Group in 2017. The ERG has created Japanese, Korean and Filipino heritage nights. Also, establishing a Japanese baseball exhibit in the left field pavilion and more.
“The fact the Dodgers are making a response to societal issues is huge especially, along the lines of what’s going on in the country,” Soohoo added. “(They) are taking it very seriously and I applaud them for it.”
For team travel secretary, Scott Akasaki, Soohoo was a major influence when he joined the Dodgers in the year 2000.
“John was one of the first people who was an Asian American who traveled with the baseball team,” Akasaki said.
“So, he kinda told me where to go or not to go, how to handle myself. Having somebody, a mentor, was extremely helpful to me.”
Meanwhile, Soohoo hopes for a day when all of us can just see each other as Americans, with appreciation for our unique heritages.
“We just want to get a piece of our own, make the world a better place with what we can do for it, but in return just get the same kind of respect back, that every other human being should be allowed to have.”