A History of the San Mateo JACL

The San Mateo chapter of the JACL was established on May 11, 1935, with Saiki Muneno elected as the very first chapter president. There were initially about 15-20 members, and the chapter was borne of young Nisei who wanted to separate themselves from the Issei generation and demonstrate their loyalty to the United States. In fact, the average age of the early chapter members was only about 18 years old, and the theme of the chapter's inaugural banquet was "Americanism and second-generation progress." However, any progress that was made by these early efforts to integrate into American society was erased after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and subsequent incarceration in internment camps.

After the war, about sixty percent of the former Japanese residents returned to San Mateo County, and the San Mateo JACL was reactivated on October 22, 1946, with William Enomoto as president. Post-war, the chapter worked tirelessly to fight against civil injustices in the face of extreme prejudice and rampant anti-Japanese discrimination. However, even as trust in the Japanese American community was slowly restored, the chapter maintained its vigilance, allowing it to monitor and respond to issues that impacted the civil and human rights of all Americans, not just the Japanese American community. Even so, the chapter’s importance to the JA community has never wavered, with a long history of promoting educational opportunities, social services, cultural awareness, and the preservation of the community’s history and heritage.

Over the last 80 years, the San Mateo JACL has accomplished a great deal, including:

• Paved the way for local Issei to gain US citizenship, first in its support of the Walter McCarren Omnibus Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952, then in its offering of US citizenship classes

• Supported the Redress Movement at both a local and national level, supporting efforts of the San Mateo Nikkei Redress Committee and the Peninsula Redress Committee, and testifying before the Congressional hearings of the Commission on the Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians

• Promoted local education and awareness of the significance of the Day of Remembrance, including teacher workshops, classroom speakers, and donated curriculum

• Wrote the language for a memorial plaque and served on a steering committee to establish a suiseki garden on the grounds of the former Tanforan Assembly Center

• Instituted a chapter scholarship program for local high school seniors, including fundraising events like an annual golf tournament and countless bake sales and raffles

• Supported the publication of several history books detailing the experiences of the Japanese American community in San Mateo county

• Established the San Mateo Japanese American Community Center, now an independent, non-profit organization of its own

• Promoted and held fundraising events for Kimochi, the non-profit organization that serves the Japanese American senior community

• Sponsored the San Mateo Asian Pacific American Film Festival every year since its inception

• Promoted cultural awareness by participation in events such as the Millbrae Japanese Culture Festival, and holding cultural programs like sushi making and Japanese craft classes

• Demonstrated support for non-Japanese minority communities, such as the Muslim American community post-9/11, by participating in a candlelight march in San Jose with the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee and South Bay Islamic Association, and a forum at the College of San Mateo featuring Imam Tahir Anwar