Little Tokyo: a relatively small 67 acres of land, rich with cultural and social history, a hotspot for tourists and Los Angeles natives alike, a landmark of Japanese American society right in the center of downtown Los Angeles. With its roots tracing as far back as the 1880’s, even to this day it continues to bring in and entertain tourists daily, with its small town charm and many interesting and exciting attractions. Little Tokyo serves as a hub for Japanese culture and tradition, new and old. The town has seen many years worth of change, for the better as well as the worse, all the while serving as a home and sanctuary for the people of Japanese heritage in Southern California. Little Tokyo has played a large role in the lives of Japanese Americans in Southern California in their struggle throughout history in order to be acknowledged as the Americans they are.
Little Tokyo’s founding is originally credited to a sailor named Hamanosuke Shigeta, who, in 1884, founded one of the town’s first businesses, an American-Style Café on Los Angeles Street. …show more content…
After the attacks on Pearl Harbor, racism was everywhere, making life extremely unsafe for the Japanese Americans. The United States government then uprooted and forced all Japanese into internment camps in various barren, isolated locations throughout the country. As thousands were forced to leave behind their homes, Little Tokyo was abandoned and emptied. Soon, however, African Americans took their place, looking for homes and jobs, renaming Little Tokyo as Bronzeville. Some bilingual Nisei were able to avoid being sent into the camps, but were recruited in secret for the purpose of military operations. Many of these individuals were credited with “saving countless allied lives and shortening the war by two years,” according to General Charles Willoughby. Other Nisei served in combat in Europe, contributing to the decrease in prejudice against the Japanese after the
Little Tokyo’s founding is originally credited to a sailor named Hamanosuke Shigeta, who, in 1884, founded one of the town’s first businesses, an American-Style Café on Los Angeles Street. …show more content…
After the attacks on Pearl Harbor, racism was everywhere, making life extremely unsafe for the Japanese Americans. The United States government then uprooted and forced all Japanese into internment camps in various barren, isolated locations throughout the country. As thousands were forced to leave behind their homes, Little Tokyo was abandoned and emptied. Soon, however, African Americans took their place, looking for homes and jobs, renaming Little Tokyo as Bronzeville. Some bilingual Nisei were able to avoid being sent into the camps, but were recruited in secret for the purpose of military operations. Many of these individuals were credited with “saving countless allied lives and shortening the war by two years,” according to General Charles Willoughby. Other Nisei served in combat in Europe, contributing to the decrease in prejudice against the Japanese after the