Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Jim and Eric Saito Family Collection
SPC.2018.055
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Title: Jim and Eric Saito Family Collection
Creator:
Saito, Eric
Creator:
Saito, James Osamu
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2018.055
Physical Description:
29 boxes
Physical Description:
22.32 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1890-2017
Date (bulk): 1936-1989
Abstract: The Jim and Eric Saito family collection (1890-2017, bulk 1936-1990) includes a wide array of materials, such as immigration
documents, Tanjiro Saito's materials concerning his business ventures and memoirs, Japanese citizenship renunciation papers,
Saito and Ogawa family trees and records, loose photographs, copies of photographs and photo albums, letters written to friends
and family in English and Japanese, Amache/Granada, Heart Mountain and Tule Lake Incarceration Camp materials, Amache/Granada
and Heart Mountain reunion materials, World War II 442nd Infantry Regiment materials, Frank and Sueo Saito's track and field
sports career materials, junior high and high school yearbooks, James A. Foshay Junior High School, Manual Arts High School,
and John H. Francis Polytechnic High School materials, redress materials, newspapers, newspaper clippings, magazine articles,
festival and sports programs, memo and account books, and more.
Language of Material: Materials in this collection are in English and Japanese.
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
Arranged in seventeen series with the creator of the collection, James Osamu Saito, listed first, his wife, Katherine Mikami
Saito, listed second, his father, Tanjiro Saito, listed third, his mother, Kikuko Saito, listed fourth, his uncle, Seijiro
Ogawa, listed fifth, his eldest brother, Tatsuo Saito, listed sixth, his nephew and Tatsuo Saito's eldest son, Ted Akira Saito,
listed seventh, and James Saito's remaining siblings arranged from oldest to youngest:
- Series I. James Osamu Saito, 1937-2017, bulk 1970-1989
- Series II. Katherine Mikami Saito, 1929-2009, bulk 1942-1945
- Series III. Tanjiro Saito, 1902-1995, bulk 1911-1939
- Series IV. Kikuko Saito, 1940-1955, bulk 1947-1951
- Series V. Seijiro Ogawa, 1933-1951, bulk 1942-1945
- Series VI. Tatsuo Saito, 1915-1984, bulk 1984
- Series VII. Ted Akira Saito, 1994
- Series VIII. Nakao Nick Saito, 1927-1966, bulk 1943-1966
- Series IX. Tomiko Aratani, 1935-1993, bulk 1935-1958
- Series X. Emiko Katayama, 1949-2003, bulk 1949-1951
- Series XI. Sueo Saito, 1922-1985, bulk 1922-1945
- Series XII. Fumiko Saito, 1925-1988, bulk 1943-1946
- Series XIII. Sumiko Dorothy Tanabe, 1933-1979, bulk 1937-1962
- Series XIV. Minoru Frank Saito, 1927-2005, bulk 1967-1996
- Series XV. Joyce Teruko Mori, 1942-1971, bulk 1951
- Series XVI. Yearbooks and School Publications, 1923-1943
- Series XVII. Saito Family Photo Albums, Photographs, Color Transparencies, and Panoramas 1890-1995, bulk 1931-1936
James Saito
James Osamu Saito, also known as "Jim" or "Pud", was born on August 15, 1922 in Los Angeles, California and was the ninth
child of Tanjiro and Kiku Saito. Jim attended James A. Foshay Junior High School and John H. Francis Polytechnic High School
in Los Angeles and would also become a member of his high school's track and field team. He was temporarily held at the Santa
Anita Assembly Center in Arcadia, California, incarcerated at Amache/Granada in Colorado and briefly joined the army until
he was honorably discharged for having bad eyesight. He moved back to Los Angeles and became a meter reader for the Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power (LADWP). He would later have to go through a lengthy legal battle in which he sued the department
on the grounds of racial discrimination and idea stealing. He was a passionate redress advocate and was always interested
in keeping up with local Los Angeles community affairs. He married Katherine Mikami and had three sons (Eric, Brian and Steven
Saito). He was actively involved in coaching his sons when it came to stressing fundamentals and encouraging a positive attitude.
Jim Saito passed away in 2016.
Katherine Saito
Katherine Saito (nee Katherine Mikami), also known as "Kathy", was born on November 12, 1926 in San Francisco, California.
She was incarcerated at Heart Mountain in Wyoming. Kathy met Jim Saito in Los Angeles through a mutual friend and they later
married. She was devoted to her sons especially when it came to the importance of a good education. Kathy Saito passed away
in 2009.
Tanjiro Saito
Tanjiro Saito, born August 5, 1872, was an aspiring entrepreneur who immigrated to the United States from Takata, Niigata-ken,
Japan in 1895. Many of his business ventures in San Francisco and Los Angeles, such as his Extra Fancy Japan Rice business,
ultimately failed. He married Kikuko "Kiku" Ogawa and they had ten children. He tried to gain American citizenship but was
unable to do so despite renouncing his, his wife's and his children's Japanese citizenships. Tanjiro Saito passed away on
September 12, 1939 in Los Angeles.
Kikuko Saito
Kikuko Saito (nee Kikuko Ogawa), also known as "Kiku", was born on June 30, 1886 and immigrated to the United States from
Yokohama, Kanagawa-ken, Japan on April 22, 1903. She was temporarily held at the Santa Anita Assembly Center and then was
incarcerated at Amache/Granada with Tomi and her family, Nick, Emi, Fumi, Dorothy, Frank, Jim and Terry. After the war, she
moved back to Los Angeles with some of her children. Kiku Saito passed away on July 5, 1968.
Tatsuo Saito
Tatsuo Saito, also known as "Tat", was born on May 23, 1904 in San Francisco, California and was the first and eldest child
of Tanjiro and Kiku Saito. He attended Berendo Junior High School in Los Angeles and he would later move to Santa Maria, California
and own a Shell service station. He married Kikuye "Frances" Kuratani on January 27, 1934 and had two children (Ted Saito
and Judy Fukuhara). He would have to give up his service station after he and his family were incarcerated at Gila River in
Arizona. He later moved to Denver, Colorado after being released. He worked as a box maker for 15 years and later as a janitor
for an airline company for 5 years. Tat Saito passed away on January 25, 1988.
Ted Saito
Ted Akira Saito was born on November 14, 1936 in Santa Maria, California and was the first and eldest child of Tat and Frances
Saito and grandson of Tanjiro and Kiku Saito. He and his family were incarcerated at Gila River. He was an art teacher for
many years as well as an artist specializing in ceramics. He had two daughters (Joni Leckey and Jennifer Reynolds) with his
first wife, Naomi Asakura. Ted Saito passed away on July 31, 1994.
Nakao Saito
Nakao Saito, also known as "Nick", was born on September 12, 1906 in San Francisco, California and was the second child of
Tanjiro and Kiku Saito. He attended Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles and graduated in 1926. He was temporarily held
at the Santa Anita Assembly Center, was incarcerated at Amache/Granada and then resided in Chicago, Illinois where he worked
for a paper company for many years after being released. He was one of the few members in his family who believed that the
incarceration camps were beneficial for Japanese Americans. He never married and had no children. Nick Saito passed away on
January 31, 1989.
Tomiko Aratani
Tomiko Aratani, also known as "Tomi", was born on December 12, 1908 in San Francisico, California and was the third child
of Tanjiro and Kiku Saito. She graduated from John H. Francis Polytechnic High School and would later start a produce market
business in Eagle Rock, California with her husband Taka Aratani. They married on November 18, 1933 and had one daughter (Faye
Michiko Ogawa). They were incarcerated at Amache/Granada and later moved back to Los Angeles where they stared out as domestic
workers after being released. Tomi Aratani passed away on March 8, 1993.
Emiko Katayama
Emiko Katayama, also known as "Emi", was born on August 4, 1911 in San Francisco, California and was the fourth child of Tanjiro
and Kiku Saito. She graduated from Manual Arts High School. She suffered from tuberculosis and stayed at a sanatorium in Los
Angeles just before she was relocated to Amache/Granada with her family. She married John Mitsumoto Katayama on January 2,
1945 and moved back to Los Angeles and later Monterey Park, California. They had no children. Emi Katayama passed away on
January 12, 2003.
Sueo Saito
Sueo Saito, also known as "Cy", was born on August 16, 1913 in San Francisco, California and was the fifth child of Tanjiro
and Kiku Saito. He was a talented and decorated athlete and was active in football and track and field while at Manual Arts
High School. He was incarcerated at Gila River with his brother Tat and his family. He later moved to Santa Barbara, California
and married Toshi Asakura on February 11, 1953. They had no children. Sueo Saito passed away on August 24, 2002.
Fumiko Saito
Fumiko Saito, also known as "Fumi", was born on December 10, 1915 in Los Angeles, California and was the sixth child of Tanjiro
and Kiku Saito. She attended James A. Foshay Junior High School and Manual Arts High School. She was temporarily held at the
Santa Anita Assembly Center and then was incarcerated at Amache/Granada. After the war she moved to Chicago, Illinois and
worked at an insurance company. She later moved back to Los Angeles where she remained until she passed away. Fumi Saito did
not marry and had no children.
Sumiko Tanabe
Sumiko Tanabe, also known as "Sumi", "Dorothy" or "Dot", was born on March 27, 1918 in Los Angeles, California and was the
seventh child of Tanjiro and Kiku Saito. She attended James A. Foshay Junior High School and briefly attended Los Angeles
High School before transferring to John H. Francis Polytechnic High School. Like her brothers she was also very athletic as
she enjoyed baseball and bowling and was a member of her high school girls hockey club. She was temporarily held at the Santa
Anita Assembly Center and then was incarcerated at Amache/Granada. She married and later divorced but had no children. Dorothy
Tanabe passed away on May 15, 2001.
Minoru Saito
Minoru Saito, also known as "Min", "Gumps" or "Frank", was born on June 1, 1920 in Los Angeles, California and was the eighth
child of Tanjiro and Kiku Saito. He attended 36th Street School, James A. Foshay Junior High School and was a talented track
and field athlete and basketball player while at John H. Francis Polytechnic High School. He was also a member of the all-Japanese
Los Angeles Shamrocks track and field team after graduating high school. He was temporarily held at the Santa Anita Assembly
Center, was incarcerated at Amache/Granada and fought in World War II as a staff sergeant for the 442nd Infantry Regiment,
H Company. He would later work for Hughes Markets and remained active in 442nd veterans affairs. After his father Tanjiro
died, Frank provided support to his mother and sisters throuhgout the years. He never married and had no children. Frank Saito
passed away on January 11, 1996.
Joyce Mori
Joyce Teruko Mori, also known as "Teru" or "Terry", was born on January 3, 1931 in Los Angeles, California and was the tenth
and youngest child of Tanjiro and Kiku Saito. Like her mother and most of her siblings she was temporarily held at the Santa
Anita Assembly Center and then was incarcerated at Amache/Granada. She married Egbert Yoshihiko Mori on December 27, 1971
and evetually settled in Monterey Park, California. They had no children. Terry Mori is the last remaining sibling alive today.
Seijiro Ogawa
Seijiro Ogawa was the brother of Kiku Saito. He owned now-closed Bunmei-Do Bookstore in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles and was
incarcerated at Amache/Granada but was separated from his sister and her family and re-located to Heart Mountain and later
Tule Lake in California. He attempted to repatriate back to Japan before being incarcerated but was not able to do so. He
was married to Yae Ogawa and had one son (Kiyoshi Ogawa) and one daughter (Kayoko "Kayo" Ezawa).
[Title of item], Jim and Eric Saito Family Collection, Courtesy of the Department of Archives and Special Collections. University
Library. California State University, Dominguez Hills
This collection was processed by Lindsay Anderson in 2019.
The mixed materials comprising the Jim and Eric Saito family collection (1890-2017, bulk 1936-1990) documents three generations
of the immediate individual members of a Japanese American family that lived in San Francisco and Los Angeles, California.
Series one, or the James Osamu Saito series, comprises of the majority of the collection and contains materials regarding
general redress, Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress (NCRR), Japanese Americans Citizens League (JACL), World War II era documents,
newspapers, newspaper clippings and magazine articles concerning a variety of topics, festival and sports programs, letters,
obituaries and funeral programs, photographs and copies of photographs of friends and family, Amache/Granada and Heart Mountain
Incarceration Camp reunion materials, history supplements and more.
Series two, or the Katherine Mikami Saito series, mainly comprises of her childhood photographs, a drawing of Billy Eckstine
and items from when she was incarcerated at Heart Mountain, such as notices of assignment, camp event invitations, and dance
cards.
Series three, or the Tanjiro Saito series, mainly comprises of immigration documents, Tanjiro Saito's death certificate and
funeral materials, family records and family trees, holiday postcards, Tanjiro Saito Company Extra Fancy Japan Rice materials,
Japanese citizenship renunciation papers, letters to the United States Department of Immigration, and translated and untranslated
memoirs.
Series four, or the Kikuko Saito series, mainly comprises of post-war letters and postcards from her siblings and her late
husband Tanjiro's siblings still living in Japan at the time. It also contains benefits and dependency documents and forms
and an account book from when she had been incarcerated at Amache/Granada.
Series five, or the Seijiro Ogawa series, mainly comprises of immigration and repatriation papers, incarceration materials
from Amache/Granada, Heart Mountain and Tule Lake, letters and postcards from possible friends or acquaintances from other
internment camps, such as Manzanar and Rohwer, and family members, personal photographs, account and memo books, his father
Otokichi Ogawa's family registration, and documents pertaining to his son, Kiyoshi Ogawa, such as his birth certificate and
passport refund materials.
Series six, or the Tatsuo Saito series, comprises of a wedding announcement, a letter from Frank Saito to Tatsuo Saito and
a Stanford University medical card both copied onto one paper and personal family photographs.
Series seven, or the Ted Akira Saito series, comprises of a newspaper article about an art competition that Ted Saito entered
into and a program for his funeral.
Series eight, or the Nakao Nick Saito series, only comprises of personal photographs of Nick Saito, his family and friends.
Series nine, or the Tomiko Aratani series, only comprises of personal photographs of Tomiko Aratani and her family.
Series ten, or the Emiko Katayama series, comprises of postcards and letters written to her from various family members, personal
photographs and her funeral announcement cards.
Series eleven, or the Sueo Saito series, comprises of his elementary, junior high school and high school materials, mainly
track and field sports career materials, and a personal letter, photographs and papers.
Series twelve, or the Fumiko Saito series, mainly comprises of her junior high school and high school materials, letters of
recommendation, bank statements, redress papers, personal letters, directories and photographs, and Toquiwas club materials.
Series thirteen, or the Sumiko Dorothy Tanabe series, comprise of her Amache/Granada leave clearance forms and personal photographs.
Series fourteen, or the Minoru Frank Saito series, mainly includes elementary, junior high school and high school materials,
track and field career materials, World War II-era documents and materials, veterans and veterans reunion materials, redress
materials, personal letters and photographs, death certificate and funeral materials, old passports and identification cards.
Series fifteen, or the Joyce Teruko Mori series, comprises of letters from her sister Emiko and from relatives from her mother's
side of the family in Japan and her wedding announcement card.
Series sixteen mainly comprises of Foshay Junior High School and Manual Arts High School publications, a music book from the
Amache School, Nakao, Sueo and Fumiko Saito's Manual Arts High School yearbooks, Sumiko Dorothy Tanabe's James A. Foshay Junior
High School yearbook, Los Angeles High School and John H. Francis Polytechnic High School yearbooks, Frank Saito's John H.
Francis Polytechnic High School and 442nd Combat team yearbooks, James Saito's Foshay Junior High School and John H. Francis
Polytechnic High School yearbooks as well as copied pages from other Foshay Junior High School and Polytechnic High School
yearbooks.
Series seventeen comprises of loose Saito family photographs, color transparencies of mainly the Saito family, a CD containing
digital copies of family photographs, an empty engraved photo album, a small photo album containing mainly photographs of
Tanjiro Saito's trip to Japan, a yellow photo album containing photographs of Tanjiro and Kiku's children, the Saito and Ogawa
relatives living in Japan, and possibly Tanjiro's friends or business partners, and two photo albums that belonged to Sumiko
Dorothy Tanabe.
The collection includes two books ("Japanese Eyes, American Heart: Personal Refelections of Hawaii's World War II Nisei Soldiers"
compiled by the Hawaii Nikkei History Editorial Board and "Years of Infamy: The Untold Story of America's Concentration Camps"
by Michi Nishiura Weglyn) that can be searchable through the University Library catalog (https://www.csudh.edu/library/) or
WorldCat (www.worldcat.org). All items are labeled as the Jim and Eric Saito Family Collection.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives
and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical
materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Japanese American families
United States--Emigration and immigration--History
Japanese Americans-California-Los Angeles-1940-1950
Japanese Americans-Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
World War, 1939-1945--Participation, Japanese American
Japanese American veterans
Japanese Americans--Civil rights
Reparations for historical injustices -- United States
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Photographs albums
African Americans--Relations with Japanese
Saito, Katherine Mikami
Saito, Tanjiro
Saito, Kiku
Ogawa, Seijiro
Saito, Tatsuo
Saito, Ted Akira
Saito, Nakao Nick
Aratani, Tomiko
Katayama, Emiko
Saito, Sueo
Saito, Fumiko
Tanabe, Sumiko Dorothy
Saito, Minoru Frank
Mori, Joyce Teruko