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Historic protections sought for Terminal Island buildings
A statue memorializes the Terminal Island Japanese Fishing Village.
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Mario Tama
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Topline:
Historic status is being sought for two buildings on Terminal Island — remnants of a Japanese American fishing village on Terminal Island that was torn apart by xenophobic policies of World War II.
The backstory: The village used to be home to more than 3,000 residents of Japanese descent, many of whom fished or worked in the canneries. Life revolved around a Shinto Shrine, grocery stores and a Fisherman’s Hall, where judo and kendo were taught.
WWII incarceration: During the war, the FBI took Japanese fishermen and community leaders into custody. Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans alike who lived on Terminal Island were among the first to be incarcerated under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. Almost all of the community was demolished during the war.
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Who is seeking historic status? Councilmember Tim McOsker introduced a motion Wednesday to designate the two buildings on Tuna Street as historic-cultural monuments after the descendants of Terminal Island residents launched a campaign to preserve the only structures left from their community’s history.
What would historic status mean? The buildings would be granted greater protections from demolition or major alteration.
What's next: The city’s Cultural Heritage Commission will review the application for historic status and then issue a recommendation — or not — to the City Council.
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