J-towns See Hope

Derived from Nichibei Times reports


3/2/02

Proposition 40 in California's March primary election contains provisions that may help preserve California's three remaining Japantowns - San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles – out of the 50 that existed prior to WWII. Some of 7.5 million for cultural and historic preservation could go to these J-towns.

Community leaders are urging voters to support the proposition's passage. They expect the vote to be very close. The campaign to preserve Japantowns started three years.

Organizers are seeking contributions, who can make out their checks to the California Heritage Coalition, and mail them to Georgette Imura at 5904 13th St., Sacramento, CA 95822.

San Francisco's Japantown was able to preserve its historic YWCA building, which was built with funds raised by Issei women pioneers. Nihonmachi Little Friends, a day care center, will buy the property, ending six-year struggle. After Mediation, a "binding settlement" was reached between the San Francisco-San Mateo-Marin YWCA, Soko Bukai and Nihonmachi Little Friends.

The YWCA has held the property in trust for the community because of racist laws that barred Japanese Americans from owning land and buildings. In the late 1990's, repeating a tragic pattern of some white friends of the JA community, the YWCA decided to make money out of this trust arrangement and sell the property.