Wada Family Photographs

Collection

Identifier: SPC-2020-016

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Wada family photographs (circa 1925-1940) features one panorama of a third-grade class from Lawndale School in 1937, as well as two negatives and nine other pre-World War II images of primarily members of the Wada family.

Dates

circa 1925-1940

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

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.

Wada Family Biography

Kamekichi Wada was an Issei (first generation Japanese American) born in Yanai, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan in 1874. He immigrated to the United States in 1902 and eventually settled and became a truck farmer in Gardena, California. He later married Tomo Ikunaga (1884-1960) in 1913 and had four children. Kamekichi’s son from a previous marriage, Nobukazu or Nobuichi Norman (1906-1997), joined his father and new family and immigrated to the U.S. also from Yanai, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan in 1921. Nobuichi married Tsushie Ushijima (1907-1998) in 1928 and had six children they named Yoshiko (1929-), Kaoru (1930-2002), Satoru Sam (1932-2006), Isao (1934-2008), Atsuko Nancy (1935-2002), and Junko (1936-).

Tsushie Ushijima’s older brother, Akira James (1903-1989), married Kikue Kay Yamasaki (1915-1980) and possibly had four children they named Akimitsu James (1932-), Hiroko Grace (1934-), Eiko Alice (1936-), and Tadako Betty (1937-).

Extent

1 box (12 images)

.21 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Japanese

Additional Description

Abstract

The Wada family photographs features two negatives and ten pre-World War II images of mainly the Wada family as well as some images of members from the Ushijima family. Most of the items in this collection have been digitized and are available online.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Yoshiko Hayashi (nee Wada) donated this collection to the Gerth Archives and Special Collections while at a “scanning day” event in 2018.

Existence and Location of Copies

Most of the items in this collection have been digitized and the digitized materials are available at the CSU Japanese American Digitization Project Site: Wada Family Photographs

Related Materials

This collection is part of the California State University Japanese American Digitization Project. Other collections about the history of Japanese Americans are found in the digital repository: CSU Japanese American Digitization Project.

Processing Information

The Gerth Archives and Special Collections created digitial reproductions (239.5 mb) from the original material for long-term preservation and access. These preservation files were scanned and stored on the Gerth Archives and Special Collections Department Drive. For more information on the best practices and standards for the digitization process, please see: CSU Japanese American Digitization Project Technical Reference Guide.