Nanka Nikkei Voices
Nanka Nikkei Voices (NNV) is a publication of the Japanese American Historical Society of Southern California. Nanka means “Southern California.” Nikkei means Japanese American(s).” The focus of NNV is to record the stories of the Japanese American Community in Southern California through the “voices” of average Japanese Americans and others who have a strong connection to our history and cultural heritage.
This series introduce various stories from the past 4 issues of Nanka Nikkei Voices.
Stories from this series
How Did a Japanese-English Dictionary Help Secure Our Family Ties?
Jan. 24, 2014 • Harry K. Honda
The dictionary in question is the New Kenkyusha Japanese-English Dictionary, published in Tokyo in 1931. This was a gift from Masaru Miyauchi, my cousin, in Fukuoka Prefecture on my mother’s side, when I graduated from Maryknoll School as an eighth grader in 1932. The dictionary, its binding scotch-taped around the spine now, remains in good use and standing to this day. During my high school days, Mom kept encouraging me to write letters to my cousin in Nihongo and Masaru-san …
Little Tokyo is Born: Charlie Hama’s Restaurant on East First Street
Aug. 22, 2013 • Harry K. Honda
The first Japanese to arrive in 1869 were two servants, T. Kamo and I. Nosaka, of the Kewen family living in El Molino Viejo, the Old Mill, previously owned by Mission San Gabriel in San Marino today. Their names are recorded in the 1870 Census. The late senior curator William Mason of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History believed they were members of the ill-fated Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony near Sacramento. By 1884, there were fewer …
Nanka Nikkei Voices: The Japanese American Family
Oct. 26, 2010 • Naomi Hirahara
The Japanese American Historical Society of Southern California launched their fourth publication, Nanka Nikkei Voices: The Japanese American Family, in September 2010. The following is a shortened version of the introduction to the volume written by guest editor Naomi Hirahara.Introduction I’ve traveled a lot domestically, but I haven’t necessarily spent much time in destination locales. Sure, there have been trips to New York City and Hawaii, but more have been vacation days in the farmlands of California and the wide-open …