Collection context
Summary
- Abstract:
- Documents, correspondence, photographs, clippings, and other materials related to Thomas Nobuyuki Shigekuni and Ruth Yamagishi Shigekuni, business owners and members of the Los Angeles Japanese American community.
- Extent:
- 7.84 Linear Feet (16 boxes)
- Language:
- Materials are in English and Japanese.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Thomas and Ruth Shigekuni papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Correspondence, photographs, documents, and other materials related to Thomas and Ruth Shigekuni, first generation Japanese Americans living in the western United States. The collection documents significant events and themes of the 20th century including the Japanese American incarceration during World War II, military service in the Korean War, the growth of the agricultural industry in Southern California, and the lives and communities of Japanese Americans. Considerable material related to the Granada War Relocation Center, also known as Camp Amache, documents the experiences of the Shigekuni family and other incarcerated residents, and includes newsletters and brochures, historical reports, photographs, reunions, interviews, and publications. There is also correspondence, photographs, and other documents related to Thomas and Ruth Shigekuni and their families, particularly Thomas Shigekuni's parents and siblings, and his education and military service. The collection also includes business records related to Centrose Nursery, the family business located in the Compton area of Los Angeles, and documentation of Thomas and Ruth Shigekuni's involvement with professional, community, and religious organizations such as the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, the Church of Christ, and the Japanese American Citizens League.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Thomas Nobuyuki Shigekuni (1929-2019) was an American lawyer, businessman, and civil rights activist for the Japanese American community. Born in Los Angeles on August 4, 1929, he was one of four children of Yonetaro (Frank) and Shizuyo (Mary) Shigekuni, immigrants from Hiroshima, Japan. From 1942 to 1945, the Shigekuni family was incarcerated in Colorado's Granada War Relocation Center, also known as Camp Amache. As a young man during the Korean War, Thomas Shigekuni served in the 6004th Air Intelligence Service Squadron in Tokyo, Japan. After the war, he attended Pepperdine University and later opened Centrose Nursery in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles. In 1966, after graduating from the University of Southern California School of Law, Shigekuni began practicing law and represented many Japanese companies' early expansion into the United States. In 1982, he was appointed by California Governor Jerry Brown to California's State Board of Food and Agriculture, the first Japanese American to serve. Shigekuni was also involved with several community organizations, including local chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Japanese American Citizens League, the Torrance Rotary Club, and the California Association of Nurserymen.
Ruth Yamagishi Shigekuni was born July 19, 1933, the oldest of Teizo and Fukiko Yamagishi's three daughters. Teizo (Tacy) Yamagishi was a well-known studio portrait photographer based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Yamagishi family was incarcerated in the Minidoka War Relocation Center in Hunt, Idaho, from 1942 to 1945. After World War II, the family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and later Oklahoma City where Tacy Studio was founded. During the Korean War, the family hosted many Japanese American soldiers passing through the city, including Thomas Shigekuni. In 1951, Ruth enrolled at Pepperdine University and later transferred to the University of Southern California's art department. Ruth and Thomas married in 1954 and settled in Palos Verdes Estates, California. The couple had three daughters, Vicki, Cindy, and Leslie. During their 65-year marriage, the Shigekunis worked together in wide-ranging activities related to the nursery business and many community organizations.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Vicki Wong, August 2023
- Processing information:
-
Processed at the time of accessioning by Kelly Kress in September 2023.
- Arrangement:
-
Organized in three series:
- Camp Amache/Granada War Relocation Center, 1940s-2018
- Personal and family, 1910-2019
- Business and community activities, 1950s-2016
- Physical / technical requirements:
-
Audiovisual items: 1 DVD and 2 CDs in box 1; 2 VHS videocassettes in box 3; 1 VHS videocassette and six 8mm films in box 8; 1 DVD in box 10. Audiovisual items are unavailable for paging until reformatted. Please contact Reader Services for more information.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.
Restrictions apply to:
Box 4: Amache Co-op Souvenir album is fragile and only available with curatorial approval.
- Terms of access:
-
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Thomas and Ruth Shigekuni papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2191