A child throws a frisbee while at Camp Murray. Vietnamese refugees moved to the Tacoma area in search of new jobs and with them came their families.

Son Deth, a Cambodian refugee, with two of her nine children. Son Deth moved with her family to Pierce County in 1975 and was sponsored by the Christ Lutheran Church of Lakewood.

Back of Photo:
--Statue of Love and Gratitude--
Sai Dinh Nguyen works on a statue of love and gratitude that he and Khuyen Van Hoang molded from 1,200 pounds of concrete. It isn't known yet where the statue will be placed, though some consideration has been given to moving it to a community center at Bayview, WA.

Back of Photo:
Asian Day

December, 1953, graveside exposure of Japanese-American funeral for Mr. Yonezo Mizoguchi, 83 years of age. Mr. Mizoguchi lived at 1710 Tacoma Ave. So. He was born in Japan and came to the United States in 1908. He had lived in Tacoma for 6 years, after retiring in 1941 from 46 years of farming. He was a member of the Buddhist Church. He was survived by his wife Taka and three sons, Hiroto, Kanae and Charles M.- all of Tacoma, and one daughter Mrs. Masaye Shigeno and nine grandchildren. (TNT 12-15-1953, pg. 30) TPL-10139

Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Cemeteries--Tacoma; Funeral rites & ceremonies--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The Tacoma Buddhist Church at 1717 Fawcett Ave. held an O-bon Festival on Sunday, July 19, 1959. Dressed in kimonos with obis around their waists and zori sandals on their feet are (l to r) Carol Hayashi, Lynne Nakagawara, Laurie Tanabe, Kathy Tanabe, Atsuko Duchi and Joyce Nakagawara. The festival opened at 7 p.m. with a religious ceremonial dance. This was followed by a selection of colorful Japanese folk dances. Japanese paper lanterns were used as decoration, and Japanese flower arrangements by the women of the Buddhist Fujin-Kai were on display in the church basement. (TNT 7/17/1959, pg. 14) Picture ordered by the Tacoma Buddhist Church

Kimonos; Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Girls--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hayashi, Carol; Nakagawara, Lynne; Tanabe, Laurie; Tanabe, Kathy; Duchi, Atsuko; Nakagawara, Joyce;

A large group of Japanese Americans are pictured on the steps of Jones Hall on the University of Puget Sound campus during the Pacific Northwest District Methodist and Youth Conference on November 27, 1960. Photograph ordered by the Japanese Methodist Church.

Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Religious meetings--Tacoma;

Post-wedding photo of University of Washington graduates Luana Chizuru Uyeda and Dr. Keith Hiroshi Yoshino in a Ford Crown Victoria.

Photo description from Vanna Sing:

When taken: 1980s and 2000s
Where taken: Eastside, Salishan
What memory is contained in these photos? Vanna Sing's childhood in Salishan and Eastside; Growing up in Salishan, spiritual healing. 43 year old survivor from the country of Cambodia. Roots are from SE Asia, Cambodia, Thai, and Laos. Our family escaped the Khmer Rouge in 1978 In July 1979, we entered United States. Our sponsors were from Mineral Wells, Texas. Trying to adapt to the American culture was a struggle. Through the word of mouth, Tacoma, Washington was the place to be. 15 families migrated to Tacoma, WA. We first arrived in Hilltop, Tacoma, around St. Joseph hospital area. We spent a year here. Tacoma Housing Authority supported refugees by providing rental assistance. Department of Social and Healthy Services gave us TANF, food stamp, and medical.

Photo description from Vanna Sing:

When taken: 1980s and 2000s
Where taken: Eastside, Salishan
What memory is contained in these photos? Lister Elementary was a generational school. My first grade teacher was my daughter's first grade teacher.
Vanna Sing's childhood in Salishan and Eastside; Growing up in Salishan, spiritual healing. 43 year old survivor from the country of Cambodia. Roots are from SE Asia, Cambodia, Thai, and Laos. Our family escaped the Khmer Rouge in 1978 In July 1979, we entered United States. Our sponsors were from Mineral Wells, Texas. Trying to adapt to the American culture was a struggle. Through the word of mouth, Tacoma, Washington was the place to be. 15 families migrated to Tacoma, WA. We first arrived in Hilltop, Tacoma, around St. Joseph hospital area. We spent a year here. Tacoma Housing Authority supported refugees by providing rental assistance. Department of Social and Healthy Services gave us TANF, food stamp, and medical.

Photo description from Vanna Sing:

When taken: 1980s and 2000s
Where taken: Eastside, Salishan
What memory is contained in these photos? Vanna Sing's childhood in Salishan and Eastside; Growing up in Salishan, spiritual healing. 43 year old survivor from the country of Cambodia. Roots are from SE Asia, Cambodia, Thai, and Laos. Our family escaped the Khmer Rouge in 1978 In July 1979, we entered United States. Our sponsors were from Mineral Wells, Texas. Trying to adapt to the American culture was a struggle. Through the word of mouth, Tacoma, Washington was the place to be. 15 families migrated to Tacoma, WA. We first arrived in Hilltop, Tacoma, around St. Joseph hospital area. We spent a year here. Tacoma Housing Authority supported refugees by providing rental assistance. Department of Social and Healthy Services gave us TANF, food stamp, and medical.

Photo description from Vanna Sing:

When taken: 1980s and 2000s
Where taken: Eastside, Salishan
What memory is contained in these photos? Vanna Sing's childhood in Salishan and Eastside; Growing up in Salishan, spiritual healing. 43 year old survivor from the country of Cambodia. Roots are from SE Asia, Cambodia, Thai, and Laos. Our family escaped the Khmer Rouge in 1978 In July 1979, we entered United States. Our sponsors were from Mineral Wells, Texas. Trying to adapt to the American culture was a struggle. Through the word of mouth, Tacoma, Washington was the place to be. 15 families migrated to Tacoma, WA. We first arrived in Hilltop, Tacoma, around St. Joseph hospital area. We spent a year here. Tacoma Housing Authority supported refugees by providing rental assistance. Department of Social and Healthy Services gave us TANF, food stamp, and medical.

Back of Photo States: Nakashima's 3 children 1/27

Oral history interview with Tacoma resident Chace Hunter conducted by dindria barrow on August 25, 2022. In this interview, Chace talks about his family immigrating to Hilltop, Tacoma in 1993, then moving to South Tacoma in 1998, graduating from Western Washington University as well as University of Washington-Tacoma and then buying a home in Hilltop as an adult. Chace’s family fled Cambodia to escape the Khmer Rouge and were refugees in Thailand before coming to Tacoma. He is bilingual and has been married to his husband for six years. Chace has a passion for poetry, psychology, non-profits and nursing. Chace fell in love with his HIV Prevention work and is now the executive director of the AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma (AHAT Homecare). AHAT Homecare provides 24-hour home care, affordable housing/case management, and rental vouchers to the local HIV+ community. To paraphrase Chace: “I love giving back to the community, especially during a time of houselessness, and helping to provide homes to people in need.”

Several members of the Yamamoto family posed for a group portrait on June 7, 1931 on the front steps of Mr. Kichigiro "Kay" Yamamoto's house at 3220 54th Ave E in Fife. Mr. Yamamoto in the light colored suit wearing spectacles right behind what appear to be a bride and groom. His wife, Masae, in the second row far left. Their children in the front row from left to right: Ray, Katherine, Margaret, George and Edith. Source: Sullivan, Michael "Legacy, part 3" Tacoma History Live Blog, July 31, 2019.