Guide to the Watsonville-Santa Cruz Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens
League records MS.525
Meleia Simon-Reynolds, Alix Norton
University of California, Santa Cruz
2024
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz 95064
speccoll@library.ucsc.edu
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Santa Cruz
Title: Watsonville-Santa Cruz Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League
records
Creator:
Hashimoto, Mas (Masaru), 1935-2022
Identifier/Call Number: MS.525
Physical Description:
5.42 Linear Feet
3 cartons, 1 flat box
Physical Description:
5.5 GB
436 digital files
Date (inclusive): 1934-2024
Abstract: This collection documents the
activities of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League
(JACL) from 1934 through 2021. Records of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapter's internal
functions include organizational and administrative records such as financial documents and
reports, membership lists, meeting minutes and agendas, event records, and ephemera. The
collection also contains records that pertain to the Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapter's
engagement with the JACL's Northern California, Western Nevada, and Pacific (NCWNP) district
and the national JACL organization. Materials relate to Japanese immigration and community
formation in California's Pajaro Valley before World War II, forced removal and
incarceration, Nisei military service and veterans, and JACL's involvement in the redress
and reparations movement. In addition, the collection holds records of the Watsonville-Santa
Cruz JACL's efforts to preserve Pajaro Valley Japanese American history and public education
and outreach. These records were created and collected by Mas and Marcia Hashimoto.
Regarding community history, it includes photographs, family biographies, news clippings,
and oral history interviews. It also contains educational materials and documentation of the
chapter's involvement in public memorial projects.
Language of Material:
English , Japanese .
Conditions Governing Access
Collection open for research. Audiovisual media is unavailable until reformatted. Digital
files are available in the UCSC Special Collections and Archives reading room. Some files
may require reformatting before they can be accessed. Technical limitations may hinder the
Library's ability to provide access to some digital files. Access to digital files on
original carriers is prohibited; users must request to view access copies. Contact Special
Collections and Archives in advance to request access to audiovisual media and digital
files.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright for the items in this collection is owned by the creators and their heirs.
Reproduction or distribution of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair
use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the user to
determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions. For more
information see UCSC Special Collections and Archives policy on Reproduction and Use.
Preferred Citation
Watsonville-Santa Cruz Japanese American Citizens League records. MS 525. Special
Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Marcia Hashimoto, 2022.
Administrative History
The Watsonville-Santa Cruz Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) is an
organization in California's Pajaro Valley that was founded as the Watsonville Citizens
League in 1935 by Nisei, second-generation Japanese Americans. During its early years, the
Watsonville Citizens League functioned as a social club and worked to promote civic
engagement and patriotism among its members. During World War II, due to the mass
incarceration of individuals with Japanese ancestry, the Watsonville Citizens League ceased
its operations. Its members were incarcerated in Poston, a War Relocation Authority (WRA)
concentration camp located in Arizona. Postwar, the Watsonville Citizens League resumed its
activities, and began to focus on political advocacy. In 1949, the Watsonville Citizens
League became a formal chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). The
organization's name was changed to Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL in 1964. During the 1970s and
1980s, the national JACL organization and members of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL were
involved with the national campaign for redress and reparations for individuals who were
incarcerated during World War II. From the 1960s and continuing through the 2020s, members
of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL have advocated for civil rights and have worked to
document the histories of the Japanese community in the Pajaro Valley and wartime
incarceration and engaged in cultural outreach.
The first Japanese migrants (known as Issei) arrived in the Pajaro Valley during the 1880s.
By the 1920s, Nisei in the Pajaro Valley and other areas of the West Coast began to form
social, political, and mutual aid organizations. The Japanese American Citizens League
(JACL) was founded in 1929 as an umbrella organization for Nisei organizations on the West
Coast. Like the Watsonville Citizens League, local chapters of the JACL focused on spreading
awareness of citizenship rights and responsibilities among Nisei communities.
After the outbreak of World War II and the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the
national JACL focused on promoting a public image of Nisei as loyal American citizens. In
February 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which authorized the
U.S. military to forcibly remove and incarcerate Japanese Americans on the West Coast.
Leaders of the Watsonville Citizens League initially considered voluntarily moving the
entire Japanese population to an apple orchard in Idaho, but when the land proved
inadequate, they advised the community to wait for instructions from the federal government.
In total, 1,301 people of Japanese ancestry were forcibly removed from Santa Cruz county. In
April 1942, they were taken to a temporary detention center on the Salinas rodeo grounds. In
July, members of the Watsonville Citizens League and most of the broader Pajaro Valley
Japanese community were incarcerated in the Poston concentration camp in Arizona.
Incarceration halted the activities of the Watsonville Citizens League as its members were
split between camps I and II at Poston.
Postwar, in 1948, Nisei leaders met to discuss the reorganization of the Watsonville
Citizens League. The new Citizens League began to carry out two primary functions: teaching
the wider Pajaro Valley population about the Japanese community and providing assistance to
members filing evacuee claims for losses caused by incarceration. It also created a
partnership with the Blue Cross so members could access health insurance and re-register its
members to vote. In 1949, the Watsonville Citizens League became a formal chapter of the
national JACL. During the 1950s, the Watsonville chapter focused on political issues. Like
the national JACL, its members advocated for the repeal of laws that disenfranchised and
discriminated against first-generation Japanese immigrants, or Issei. They also continued to
assist members in filing claims for property that was lost during World War II. In the
1960s, the national JACL increased efforts to provide services and care for the aging Issei
population. It also began its efforts to support the Sansei, or third-generation Japanese
Americans, this included creating college scholarships. During the 1970s, the
Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapter purchased a building on Blackburn Street in Watsonville,
which became a space to hold meetings. It also housed a Japanese cultural and senior
center.
In 1977, the national JACL joined other Japanese American activists in the campaign for
redress and reparations for people who were incarcerated during World War II. There were
differing opinions on the redress movement among JACL members across the country and, at
first, many of its leaders opposed monetary reparations. The majority of Watsonville-Santa
Cruz JACL members supported the movement, but some felt revisiting the issue of
incarceration was unnecessary. Despite varied perspectives, the chapter voted to support the
national JACL redress committee. One member of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapter testified
during the hearings held by the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians
(CWRIC) in 1981 and several others submitted written testimonies. In 1983, after the
hearings, the CWRIC issued a report recommending that the US government officially apologize
for incarceration and provide monetary restitution. The JACL worked with other activist
groups to lobby for the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which provided a formal
apology by President Ronald Reagan and $20,000 in compensation to surviving US citizens and
legal residents of Japanese ancestry who were incarcerated. In addition to redress, the
Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapter worked to address issues of anti-Asian racism locally and
nationally from the postwar period to the 2020s. In the 1990s, the national JACL began to
contend with questions about actions during World War II including their policies for
cooperation with the US government and wartime condemnation of draft resisters. Within the
national JACL and the Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapter, there were varied opinions on whether
the organization should provide a formal apology to those deemed disloyal due to resistance
activities during the war. In 2000, the JACL voted to apologize to Nisei draft resisters.
Presently, the JACL is engaged in efforts to repair wartime divisions caused by discourses
of patriotism and loyalty. The Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapter has engaged in efforts to
preserve and uplift histories of Japanese incarceration, immigration, and community
formation in the Pajaro Valley and greater Monterey Bay area. For example, in 1984, they
partnered with the Salinas, Monterey, San Benito County, and Gilroy chapters of the JACL to
sponsor a historical marker at the site of the detention facility at the Salinas Rodeo. In
2002, the Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapter performed "Liberty Lost . . . Lessons in Loyalty,"
a first-of-its-kind re-enactment of the 1942 forced removal of the Japanese community. JACL
members Mas and Marcia Hashimoto led efforts to document and educate the public on Pajaro
Valley Japanese Americans. For example, they created an oral history project to interview
members of the Nisei generation in 2006 and participated in the
Preserving
California's Japantowns
. The Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL's historical
documentation, education, outreach, and advocacy work continues today.
References used: Sandy Lydon, "A Half Century of Service: The Watsonville Japanese-American
Citizens League, 1934-1984," Santa Cruz Public Libraries Local History collection, 1984.
Cherstin M. Lyon, "Japanese American Citizens League," Densho.
Japanese American Citizens League,
Power of Words Handbook: A Guide to Language
about Japanese Americans in World War II, Understanding Euphemisms and Preferred
Terminology
, volume 4., August 2020.
Scope and Contents
This collection documents the activities of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapter of the
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) from 1934 through 2021. Records of the
Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapter's internal functions include organizational and
administrative records such as financial documents and reports, membership lists, meeting
minutes and agendas, event records, and ephemera. The collection also contains records that
pertain to the Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapter's engagement with the JACL's Northern
California, Western Nevada, and Pacific (NCWNP) district and the national JACL organization.
Materials relate to Japanese immigration and community formation in California's Pajaro
Valley before World War II, forced removal and incarceration, Nisei military service and
veterans, and JACL's involvement in the redress and reparations movement. In addition, the
collection holds records of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL's efforts to preserve Pajaro
Valley Japanese American history and public education and outreach. These records were
created and collected by Mas and Marcia Hashimoto. Regarding community history, it includes
photographs, family biographies, news clippings, and oral history interviews. It also
contains educational materials and documentation of the chapter's involvement in public
memorial projects.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in three series:
- Series 1: Organizational Files
- Series 2: Meeting Minutes
- Series 3: Community History Files
Materials within each series are arranged chronologically, unless otherwise
specified.
Processing Information
This collection was stewarded by members of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL before its
accrual by UC Santa Cruz University Library Special Collections & Archives. This work
included but was not limited to collecting, organizing, labeling, transcribing, digitizing,
cataloging, and preserving documents from the JACL, its members, and the broader Pajaro
Valley Japanese American community. After the collection was donated to Special Collections
& in 2022, it was processed by Meleia Simon-Reynolds with assistance from Alix Norton in
the Center for Archival Research and Training (CART),2024. The original arrangement and
folder titles were retained when possible. JACL newsletters were separated from the
collection and cataloged separately.
Related Materials
The Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL Newsletter, published by the JACL beginning in 1966, can be
found in UCSC Library Search.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Japanese Americans -- California --
Watsonville
World War, 1939-1945 -- Japanese
Americans
Watsonville (Calif.)
Japanese Americans -- Forced removal and
internment, 1942-1945
Agriculture -- California
Concentration camps -- United
States
Oral history -- California -- Santa Cruz
County -- Archives
Organizational Files
1934-2019
Scope and Contents
This series contains administrative records, correspondence, event records and
ephemera, news clippings, and photographs that pertain to the activities of the
Watsonville-Santa Cruz Japanese American Citizens League from 1934 to 2019.
Administrative records include membership lists, financial documents and reports, and
committee reports as well as JACL Senior Center and youth scholarship records. Event
records and ephemera include programs, flyers, and planning materials related to
Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL events like the annual picnic and officer installation
dinner-dances, national JACL conventions, congressional events, and other
conferences.
Related Materials
Some records that fall within the scope of organizational files can be found in Series
2: Meeting Minutes.
Box 1, Folder 1
Composition Books
circa 1930s
Box 1, Folder 2
Treasurer's Books
1934-1947
Box 1, Folder 3
JACL Third Anniversary Dinner
1936
Box 1, Folder 4
JACL Biennial Convention
1937
Box 1, Folder 6
JACL Membership Campaign
circa 1941
Box 1, Folder 7
Watsonville Citizens League Articles of Incorporation
1949
Box 1, Folder 8
Congressional Record on Japanese American World War II Veterans
1963
Box 1, Folder 9
Administrative Records
1973
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to the JACL picnic, cabinet and officer lists, and
organizational correspondence.
Box 1, Folder 11
Administrative Records
1975
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to the JACL picnic, Senior Center, president's
reports, and finances.
Box 1, Folder 15
Administrative Records
1976
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to the JACL Senior Center, cabinet and officer
lists, finances, and member lists.
Box 1, Folder 17
Administrative Records
1977
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to the JACL Senior Center, finances, student
scholarships, member lists, picnic, and an installation dinner program.
Box 1, Folder 18
JACL Building
1977-1978
Scope and Contents
This file includes original photographs that document the opening of the JACL
building in Watsonville.
Box 1, Folder 19
Administrative Records and Correspondence
1978
Scope and Contents
This file includes financial records, organizational correspondence, and picnic
records. It also includes photographic negatives depicting a float in the Watsonville
Fourth of July parade.
Box 1, Folder 20
Correspondence
1979
Scope and Contents
This file includes a copy of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL constitution.
Box 1, Folder 21
Administrative Records and Correspondence
1980
Scope and Contents
This file includes a youth program proposal, an overview of "Three Treasures a
Question of Loyalty" Play, the national JACL constitution and bylaws, and
organizational correspondence.
Box 1, Folder 22
JACL National Convention
1980
Box 1, Folder 23
"An American Testimonial "Program
1980
Box 1, Folder 25
50th Anniversary Committee Reports
1984
Box 1, Folder 26
50th Anniversary Correspondence
1984
Box 1, Folder 27
50th Anniversary Event Materials
1984
Scope and Contents
This file includes original photographs and programs from the JACL 50th Anniversary
event.
Box 1, Folder 28
50th Anniversary News Clippings
1984
Box 1, Folder 30
Administrative Files
1985
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to the JACL newsletter and cabinet and board
member lists.
Box 1, Folder 31
"In Celebration of Redress" Event Records
1988
Box 1, Folder 32
JACL Nikkei Educational Conference
1988
Box 1, Folder 33
"Appreciation and Recognition" Event Records
1989
Box 1, Folder 36
Correspondence on Hate Incidents and Racism
1990-1992
Scope and Contents
This file includes correspondence in which JACL members address incidents of
Anti-Japanese and Anti-Asian racism in Santa Cruz county. Some records include
discussion of Anti-Japanese racial slurs.
Box 1, Folder 38
Administrative Records
1994
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to the JACL picnic, finances, and member
lists.
Box 1, Folder 40
Senior Center 25th Anniversary Program
1996
Box 1, Folder 42
Kizuka Hall Photographs
2002
Box 1, Folder 43
Senior Center 33rd Anniversary
2004
Box 1, Folder 45
Administrative Records
2005
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to the JACL Senior Center, events, and
finances.
Box 1, Folder 46
JACL Joint Installation Luncheon Program
2006
Box 1, Folder 48
Japanese Cultural Fair and JACL Picnic photographs
2009
Conditions Governing Access
Digital files are available in the UCSC Special Collections and Archives reading
room. Some files may require reformatting before they can be accessed. Technical
limitations may hinder the Library's ability to provide access to some digital files.
Access to digital files on original carriers is prohibited; users must request to view
access copies. Contact Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access
to digital files.
Scope and Contents
This file includes photographs of the 2009 Japanese Culture Fair.
JCF 2009: Photos by Tosh Tanaka ms0525_med_0003
2009
Physical Description: 1 CD, 74 digital
files
JCF 2009 PHIL ms0525_med_0004
2009
Physical Description: 1 CD, 15 digital
files
JCF '09 Photos PHIL Unretouched ms0525_med_0005
2009
Physical Description: 1 CD, 279 digital
files
Box 1, Folder 49
Northern California- Western Nevada-Pacific District JACL
Conference
2016
Box 1, Folder 50
Northern California- Western Nevada-Pacific District JACL
Conference
2017
Box 1, Folder 52
JACL National Convention
2018
Scope and Contents
This file includes copies of the national JACL's adopted resolutions regarding
migrant detention at the U.S.-Mexico border and the so-called "Muslim travel ban."
Box 1, Folder 53
JACL National Convention
2019
Meeting Minutes
1948-2015
Scope and Contents
This series contains documents from the Watsonville-Santa Cruz Japanese American
Citizens League's regular meetings of the board, cabinet, and committees from 1948 to
2015. The agendas and meeting minutes were created by secretaries of the chapter. This
series also contains organizational records, including financial documents and reports,
event records, and some correspondence, that were discussed during JACL meetings. These
organizational records were originally compiled in binders and folders labeled
"minutes."
Box 2, Folder 5
50th Anniversary Committee
1984
Community History Files
circa 1920s-2024
Scope and Contents
This series contains records pertaining to the Watsonville-Santa Cruz Japanese American
Citizens League's historical preservation and educational projects. These efforts were
primarily led by Mas and Marcia Hashimoto. Records range from the 1920s through 2021 and
include correspondence and ephemera related to public memorials and monuments, original
and reproductions of photographs, family biographies, oral history interview
transcripts, and educational materials. They also include administrative records of the
JACL History Project led by the Hashimotos and records of the JACL's participation in
the
Preserving California's Japantowns project. Many of the photographs
and family biographies in this series were sent to the Hashimotos by JACL members.
Several photographs include community-generated identifications of subjects, locations,
and dates.
Arrangement
This series is arranged alphabetically by title of folder, with the Oral History
Projects component arranged at the end of the series.
Box 3, Folder 3
"A Lesson in American History: The Japanese American Experience"
Workshop
circa 2007
Box 3, Folder 4
Baseball Teams
circa 1920-2004
Box 3, Folder 5
Buddhist Church 60th Anniversary
1966
Box 3, Folder 6
Buddhist Temple Photographs
undated
Box 3, Folder 8
Clippings
circa 1952-2007
Box 3, Folder 9
Correspondence: Adams
circa 2002
Box 3, Folder 10
Correspondence: Boyle Photographs
circa 2002
Box 3, Folder 11
Correspondence
circa 2008
Box 3, Folder 13
Forced Removal and Incarceration Research Materials
circa 2000s- 2010s
Box 3, Folder 14
Fujikawa Family Photographs
undated
Box 3, Folder 15
Gila River Reunion and Monument
1995
Box 3, Folder 16
Introduction Japanese American History
undated
Box 3, Folder 19
James Izumizaki Oral History Transcript
1990
Scope and Contents
This is a transcript of an oral history interview with James Izumizaki that was
conducted by A. Mae Lord in Spring 1986 as part of an oral history project sponsored
by the Pajaro Valley Historical Association.
Box 3, Folder 20
Kitano Izumizaki Oral History Transcript
1989
Scope and Contents
This is a transcript of an oral history interview with Kitano Izumizaki that was
conducted by A. Mae Lord in Spring 1986 as part of an oral history project sponsored
by the Pajaro Valley Historical Association.
Box 3, Folder 21
Kitano Izumizaki Memorial
2015
Box 3, Folder 22
JACL History Project Records
circa 2000-2006
Scope and Contents
This file includes notes and research materials related to JACL's historical
preservation efforts including the oral history interviewing.
Box 3, Folder 23
Kitamura Family
circa 2008
Box 3, Folder 24
Kizuka Family
circa 1940-2001
Box 4, Folder 1
Matsuda Family Photographs
circa 1920-2012
Box 3, Folder 25
Masako Miura Transcript
1919-2021
Scope and Contents
This file includes a transcript of an oral history interview with Masako Miura
conducted by Gwen M. Jensen in 2002 as part of the Japanese American Medical
Association's "Silent Scars of Healing Hands" oral history project.
Box 3, Folder 26
Jack Matsuoka
circa 2005-2012
Conditions Governing Access
Digital files are available in the UCSC Special Collections and Archives reading
room. Some files may require reformatting before they can be accessed. Technical
limitations may hinder the Library's ability to provide access to some digital files.
Access to digital files on original carriers is prohibited; users must request to view
access copies. Contact Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access
to digital files.
Jack Matsuoka's Sketches ms0525_med_0001
undated
Physical Description: 1 CD, 1 digital file
Scope and Contents
This is a short film about Jack Matsuoka's life and artwork.
"Internment Camp Life" by Jack Matsuoka and Sharon Hom ms0525_med_0002
2005
Physical Description: 1 CD, 1 digital file
Scope and Contents
This is a Powerpoint presentation with images of Jack Matsuoka's sketches about
incarceration in Poston concentration camp.
Box 3, Folder 29
Preserving California's Japantowns
circa 2006-2007
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to the Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL's involvement
in the
Preserving California's Japantowns project, which aimed to
provide an overview of 43 historic enclaves in the state.
Box 4
Poston Concentration Camp Map
undated
Box 3, Folder 30
Poston Reunion and Restoration
circa 2011
Box 3, Folder 31
"Liberty Lost . . . Lessons in Loyalty" Re-Enactment
circa 2002
Scope and Contents
This file includes the program for the Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL's 2002
re-enactment of forced removal and incarceration entitled "Liberty Lost . . . Lessons
in Loyalty."
Oral History Projects
1949-2024
Conditions Governing Access
Audiovisual media is unavailable until reformatted. Digital files are available in
the UCSC Special Collections and Archives reading room. Some files may require
reformatting before they can be accessed. Technical limitations may hinder the
Library's ability to provide access to some digital files. Access to digital files on
original carriers is prohibited; users must request to view access copies. Contact
Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access to audiovisual media and
digital files.
Scope and Contents
This component contains records of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz Japanese American
Citizens League's oral history projects conducted in 2004 and 2006. In total, it
includes fourteen recorded interviews with second-generation, or Nisei, Japanese
Americans. In the interviews, narrators discuss their experiences growing up in the
Pajaro Valley and broader Monterey Bay area and forced removal and incarceration
during World War II. Some interviews also cover family involvement in the Watsonville
Buddhist Temple and Church and U.S. military service. This component also includes
files on narrators from the 2006 oral history project. These include pre- and
post-interview notes compiled by the Hashimotos, consent forms, narrator biographies,
photographs, memorial information, and news clippings as well as DVDs and one miniDV
with recordings of the interviews.
Arrangement
This component is arranged alphabetically by last name of narrator.
Box 3, Folder 36
Japanese Americans in Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley ms0525_med_0006
2004
Physical Description: 1 CD and 53 digital
files
Scope and Contents
This file contains a CD with digital files of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL's
2004 oral history project. The digital files include photographs of oral history
narrators and interviewers; photographs taken during a tour of Watsonville's
Japantown; and audio recordings of oral history interviews conducted by Linda Pham
with Kitako Izumizaki, Shigeru "Shig" Kizuka, and Mas Hashimoto and transcripts of
the interviews. Some recordings of Mas Hashimoto were taken during a tour of
Watsonville's Japantown.
Box 3, Folder 37
Lorraine Nitta Enomoto
2006
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to Lorraine Nitta Enomoto's oral history
interview including notes, a consent form, and a DVD with a digital video file of
her interview.
Oral History Recording ms0525_vid_0001
2006
Physical Description: 1 DVD and 1 digital file, 32
minutes
Scope and Contents
In this interview on August 15, 2006, Lorraine Nitta Enomoto spoke with Mas
Hashimoto. Enomoto narrated her family's immigration from Hiroshima, Japan to the
United States. She shared her experiences growing-up in the Pajaro Valley before
World War II. She explained that her family worked as berry sharecroppers on
Porter Ranch before acquiring property on Roache Road where they farmed until the
war. She remembered being forcibly removed to the temporary detention center on
the Salinas rodeo grounds before being incarcerated at Poston concentration camp.
Enomoto discussed receiving training as a nurses aid in Poston and working as a
nurses aid in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Denver, Colorado during the war. She
remembered returning to Watsonville after the war where she was married to Willie
Enomoto. The couple operated a shoe repair business in Watsonville.
Box 3, Folder 38
Nancy Tada Iwami
2006
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to Nancy Tada Iwami's oral history interview
including notes, a biography, and a DVD with a digital video file of her
interview.
Oral History Recording ms0525_vid_0002
2006
Physical Description: 1 DVD and 1 digital file, 58
minutes
Scope and Contents
In this interview on April 25, 2006, Nancy Tada Iwami spoke with Marcia and Mas
Hashimoto. Iwami shared details of her family's immigration from Okayama, Japan to
the Pajaro Valley. She explained that her father arrived in Watsonville in 1913
and began working as a farm laborer and strawberry sharecropper. Iwami remembered
attending rural Pajaro Valley schools as well as a Japanese school run by the
Kizuka family. In 1936, she married Charlie Iwami who ran a barbershop on Main
Street. Iwami discussed being incarcerated in Poston concentration camp and
working in the kitchen before temporarily resettling in Denver, Colorado. In
Denver, Nancy worked in a book binding factory. She explained that she and her
family returned to Watsonville after the war ended. Eventually, Charlie started a
gardening business and Nancy had a job as a domestic worker. Finally, Iwami
remembered Watsonville's pre-war Japantown. She described Japanese-owned
businesses as well as gambling operations that existed on Main Street.
Box 3, Folder 39
Mas Hashimoto
2006, 2024
Scope and Contents
This file includes two interviews with Mas Hashimoto: one video interview conducted
on May 9, 2006 and one audio interview conducted on October 20, 2006. It also
includes a program from a 2024 celebration of life event for Mas, who passed away in
2022.
Oral History Recording ms0525_vid_0003
2006 May 9
Physical Description: 1 DVD and 1 digital file, 58
minutes
Scope and Contents
In this interview on May 9, 2006, Mas Hashimoto spoke with Marcia Hashimoto, his
wife. Mas discussed his parents' immigration from Fukuoka, Japan to the United
States. In Watsonville, Mas's parents worked as cooks and caterers for many
Japanese community events. Mas also shared that the family raised and sold
chrysanthemums, canaries, and sake out of their home on Union Street. After his
father's death in 1938, the family worked as onion sharecroppers off San Andreas
Road. Mas also remembered his family's experiences during World War II, including
forced removal to the temporary detention center on the Salinas rodeo grounds and
incarceration in Poston concentration camp. He reflected on the experience of
returning to Watsonville after the war and his career as a teacher at Watsonville
High School.
Oral History Recording ms0525_med_0007
2006 October 20
Physical Description: 1 CD and 1 digital file, 74
minutes
Scope and Contents
In this interview on October 20, 2006, Mas Hashimoto spoke with Kayce Pavlovich.
Mas explained how his father and mother immigrated to the United States and
settled in Watsonville where they ran a restaurant and catering service. He shared
that his two older brothers were sent to Japan to attend school and one was
drafted into the Japanese Imperial Army. Mas also remembered his family's
experiences during World War II, including forced removal to the temporary
detention center on the Salinas rodeo grounds, incarceration in Poston
concentration camp, and his brothers' and other Nisei's service in the U.S.
military.
Box 3, Folder 40
Paul Hiura
2006
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to Paul Hiura's oral history interview including
notes, a consent form, and a DVD with a digital video file of his interview.
Oral History Recording ms0525_vid_0004
2006
Physical Description: 1 DVD and 1 digital file, 62
minutes
Scope and Contents
In this interview on November 14, 2006, Paul Hiura and Beverly Yuriko Hiura spoke
with Mas Hashimoto. Hiura described his grandfather's and father's immigration
from Hiroshima, Japan to the United States. He explained that they started an
apple drying business in Sebastopol, CA before moving it to Watsonville in the
mid-1930s. The Hiura's apple drying plant was located on Beach Street and the
family lived behind it. Hiura remembered how his father was taken to the Fort
Lincoln detention facility in Bismarck, North Dakota where he was interrogated by
the FBI due to his position as an Issei community leader. He also discussed being
forcibly removed to the temporary detention center on the Salinas rodeo grounds
and incarcerated at Poston concentration camp. Hiura described his family's
experience returning to Watsonville in 1945. He also discussed the wooden carvings
his father created while he was incarcerated. His carvings are shown at the end of
the video.
Box 3, Folder 41
Evelyn Matsui Kamigawachi
2006
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to Evelyn Matsui Kamigawachi's oral history
interview including notes and a DVD with a digital video file of her interview.
Oral History Recording ms0525_vid_0005
2006
Physical Description: 1 DVD and 1 digital file, 59
minutes
Scope and Contents
In this interview on May 2, 2006, Evelyn Matsui Kamigawachi spoke with Marcia
Hashimoto. Kamigawachi describes her parents' immigration from Kumamoto, Japan to
the United States. She explained that her father arrived in Watsonville in 1900.
The family farmed strawberries on Mason ranch and later moved to Martinelli ranch
where they farmed tomatoes. Kamigawachi shared her experiences growing-up in the
rural areas of the Pajaro Valley, doing agricultural labor, and attending Carlton
school. She described her father's work as a truck farmer which involved him
selling produce in Monterey. Kamigawachi also described Watsonville's Japantown
before World War II. She reflected on her experiences being forcibly removed to a
temporary detention facility on the Salinas rodeo grounds and incarcerated in
Poston concentration camp where she worked as a cook. After the war, the family
relocated to San Jose then Gilroy before returning to Watsonville where they
continued to work in agriculture. Finally, she described meeting her husband
Carmel Kamigawachi while harvesting strawberries for the Arao family in Moss
Landing.
Box 3, Folder 42
Shigeru Kizuka
2001-2008
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to Shigeru "Shig" Thomas Kizuka's oral history
interview including notes and a DVD with a digital video file of his interview. It
also contains a biography, correspondence, and newspaper clippings.
Oral History Recording ms0525_vid_0006
2006
Physical Description: 1 DVD and 1 digital file, 60
minutes
Scope and Contents
In this interview on March 9, 2006, Shigeru "Shig" Thomas Kizuka spoke with Mas
Hashimoto. Kizuka described his parents' immigration from Fukuoka, Japan to the
United States. He explained that his parents worked as truck farmers and grew a
variety of crops on a farm on Riverside Road in Watsonville. Kizuka discussed
attending Watsonville High School before the outbreak of World War II. He
remembered being forcibly removed to the temporary detention center on the Salinas
rodeo grounds and being incarcerated in Poston concentration camp. Kizuka also
explained that his father was taken to the Fort Lincoln detention facility in
Bismarck, North Dakota where he was interrogated by the FBI due to his position as
an Issei community leader. He shared his experiences in Poston including working
as a cook and playing sports. Kizuka reflected on his experience with the 442nd
Regimental Combat Team and the actions for which he received the Bronze Star and
Purple Heart medals.
Box 3, Folder 43
Tom Mine
2006
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to Tom Mine's oral history interview including
notes and a DVD with a digital video file of his interview. It also includes
newspaper clippings.
Oral History Recording ms0525_vid_0009
2006
Physical Description: 1 DVD and 1 digital file, 61
minutes
Scope and Contents
In this interview on September 19, 2006, Tom Mine spoke with Mas Hashimoto. Mine
described his family's immigration history and explained that his father
sharecropped strawberries in Watsonville during the 1920s. Mine remembered playing
sports including baseball at Watsonville High School from 1933 to 1936 as well as
his experience playing for the Watsonville Apple Giants, a Japanese American
baseball team. He shared that his father farmed lettuce near Walker Street and
Ford Street and eventually purchased property on Beach Road in Tom's name due to
California's laws that restricted Japanese immigrants from owning property. During
World War II, the Mine family leased their property to a German individual who
farmed it while they were incarcerated. He explained that his father was taken to
the Fort Lincoln detention facility in Bismarck, North Dakota where he was
interrogated by the FBI due to his position as an Issei community leader. Mine
remembered his experience being incarcerated in Poston concentration camp where he
worked as an athletic director. He remembered returning to the family farm in
Watsonville in 1946 and growing lettuce.
Box 3, Folder 44
Fred Oda
2006-2007
Scope and Contents
This file includes notes related to Fred Oda's oral history interview. It also
includes a biography, notes, photographs, and newspaper clippings.
Box 5
Oral History Recording ms0525_vid_0010
2006
Physical Description: 1 MiniDV, 1 audio
cassette
Conditions Governing Access
Audiovisual media is unavailable until reformatted. Contact Special Collections
and Archives in advance to request access to audiovisual media.
Box 3, Folder 45
Howard Tao
2006
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to Howard Tao's oral history interview including
notes, a biography, photograph, and a DVD with a digital video file of his
interview.
Oral History Recording ms0525_vid_0008
2006
Physical Description: 1 DVD and 1 digital file, 56
minutes
Scope and Contents
In this interview on September 29, 2006, Howard Tao spoke with Marcia Hashimoto.
Tao described his parents' immigration to the Pajaro Valley in the late 1890s and
explained that they farmed near Beach Road in Watsonville. He remembered
voluntarily relocating to Utah during World War II where he and his family
continued to work in agriculture. Tao reflected on being drafted into the United
States military in 1944 and returning to Watsonville with his family in 1946. He
explained that his family lived in the Redman-Hirahara House and worked thinning
lettuce before he and his brothers were able to buy land on San Andreas Road where
they began growing strawberries. Tao also described a business venture in which he
raised and sold chinchillas. Finally, he discusses the social and labor
organizations he and his family participated in.
Box 3, Folder 46
Masano Yamashita
1949-2006
Scope and Contents
This file includes records related to Masano Yamashita's oral history interview
including notes and a DVD with a digital video file of her interview. It also
includes family photographs and documents.
Oral History Recording ms0525_vid_0007
2006
Physical Description: 1 DVD and 1 digital file, 58
minutes
Scope and Contents
In this interview on April 22, 2006, Masano Murakami Yamashita spoke with Marcia
Hashimoto. Yamashita explained that her father, who arrived in Watsonville in
1903, was one of the first Japanese settlers to farm strawberries in the Pajaro
Valley and a charter member of the Watsonville Buddhist Temple. She shared her
experience attending Amesti school which, at the time, was a segregated Japanese
school and described traveling to Japan to live with her grandmother from age
seven to fourteen. Yamashita reflected on how she had to restart her schooling
when she returned to Amesti school and shared that she graduated at age eighteen.
She also remembered Watsonville's pre-war Japantown, her experiences working on
farms, attending Sunday school, and joining the Young Buddhist Association. She
shared that she married Minoru Yamashita whose family owned Pajaro Valley Fish
Market on Main Street. Yamashita explained that she, her husband, and children
were incarcerated in Tule Lake concentration camp while her parents and other
family members were incarcerated in Poston concentration camp. She described
returning to Watsonville after the war and reopening the Pajaro Valley Fish Market
in a new location on Union Street.
