[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 8, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATING THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF JAPANTOWN SAN JOSE (NIHONMACHI)

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 8, 2015

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with Representatives Zoe Lofgren 
and Anna Eshoo to honor the 125th Anniversary of the establishment of 
Japantown San Jose (Nihonmachi) in Santa Clara Valley. Nihonmachi is a 
reflection of the values of the original Japanese immigrant community, 
the Issei (first generation), who settled in Santa Clara Valley in 
1890. By the early 20th century, the community formally established 
residence in what is now Nihonmachi, which offered a uniquely Japanese 
source of employment, lodging, goods, services, and cultural support. 
Nihonmachi is one of only three remaining Japantowns in the United 
States today.
  Soon after the founding of Nihonmachi, with the support of the 
Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907, an increased number of Japanese women 
began settling in Santa Clara Valley. This led to the growth of 
families and the birth of the Nisei (second generation) of Nihonmachi 
residents.
  Nihonmachi witnessed its first national tragedy as the Great 
Depression enveloped the United States. However, despite national 
economic hardship, Nihonmachi experienced slow, yet steady economic 
growth. Nihonmachi further strengthened its presence in the region by 
welcoming other Asian communities, serving as a cultural refuge for 
Chinese and Filipino immigrants. This cultural diversity among the 
residents of Nihonmachi allowed the neighborhood to withstand the 
turmoil of World War II, as well as the forced internment of Japanese 
Americans in 1942.
  After the post-war return of the Japanese American community to the 
West Coast and Santa Clara Valley, Nihonmachi became a haven for 
residents against the simmering anti-Japanese sentiment and national 
racial hysteria. Despite the open adversity faced by Nihonmachi, its 
population nearly doubled in size due to the addition of Sansei (third 
generation) by the end of the 1940s.
  Through the late 1960s and into the 1970s the Nisei were caring not 
only for the aging Issei and growing Sansei, but were also determined 
to preserve Japanese culture and combat the widespread acculturation of 
their community into mainstream American culture. It was during the 
1970s that the Sansei embarked on a path of political activism set on 
sparking a renewal of Nihonmachi through cultural awareness.
  Since the 1980s, Nihonmachi has experienced a period of 
revitalization, including the building of new commercial and 
residential development, including projects on land that had once been 
a neighboring Chinatown. Furthermore, the installation of historical 
markers and plaques around the neighborhood commemorate the cultural 
history and achievements of Nihonmachi.
  Currently, the Yonsei and Gosei (fourth and fifth generations) play a 
vital role in the international dialogue between Nihonmachi and Japan 
as well as the continued preservation of Japanese culture brought to 
Santa Clara Valley by the Issei 125 years ago. For instance, in 2013, 
the Japantown Business Association sponsored fundraising events to 
provide aid and support to victims of the Tohoku tsunami and earthquake 
in Japan.
  Mr. Speaker, we commend Japantown San Jose for its 125 years of 
dedication to the preservation of Japanese culture in the increasingly 
diverse Santa Clara Valley. As one of only three remaining Japantowns 
in the United States, Nihonmachi's contributions to the cultural 
preservation of the Japanese American community and its commitment to 
cultural and economic development of the region serve as a national 
example of what can be accomplished by uniting communities and working 
toward positive change, diversity, and mutual respect.

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