Joseph Shoji Lachman was born and raised in Seattle, and in 2015 completed his B.A. at Yale University in History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health. He is fourth/fifth generation half-Japanese, and speaks Mandarin Chinese and Japanese. His recent activism focuses on Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, but he is also passionate about forging solidarity with American Muslim and undocumented immigrant communities. He is the 2018 Seattle Japanese American Citizens League President, and currently works full time as the Civic Engagement Program Manager for Asian Counseling and Referral Service in Seattle, Washington.