Sepia photograph of Japanese American children in colorful kimonos and obis, carrying open fans. Posed against the peaceful setting of the First Presbyterian Church on February 8, 1928, these young Japanese American girls from Fife are dressed in traditional costume. The two children kneeling in front have musical instruments in their laps. At center is their teacher, Miss Jones, who is also dressed in a kimono. The First Presbyterian had a "Tea of Nations" that afternoon which was attended by 400 women. Countries where the Presbyterian Church had missions were featured; this class of young children would be singing at the event. G39.1-188B (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 2-5-28, D-1-article on Tea of Nations)

Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Children--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1920-1930; Kimonos; Fans (Accessories); First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma);

This young unidentified Japanese-American couple was married in a Buddhist ceremony on December 11, 1927, at the Hiroshimaya Hotel, 1355 Market Street. The bride appears to have had an attendant who is holding a large bouquet of flowers and four junior attendants. The Buddhist minister, in ornamental robes, is standing behind the newlyweds. The wedding party and guests, all dressed in Western attire, are posed beneath a canopy; each section of the canopy has a similar circular design. TPL-2838; G39.1-186

Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Weddings--1920-1930; Grooms (Weddings)--1920-1930; Brides--1920-1930; Wedding costume--1920-1930;

A Japanese American wedding party with their many guests posed on December 6, 1925 outside the building at South 17th and Market Streets that housed the Tacoma Jujitsu School and the Columbus Hotel. The bride, groom and attendants, as well as guests, are all dressed in American attire. Rather then wear a traditional shiromuku wedding kimono, the bride appears to be completely and stylishly dressed in a contemporary white dress, including a long lace veil, and carries a large bouquet of flowers. No one, with the exception of the two youngsters on the far right, appears to be smiling. G39.1-184; TPL-1438.

Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Weddings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Wedding costume--1920-1930; Grooms (Weddings)--1920-1930; Brides--1920-1930;

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--BJ's Bingo, new Indian gambling rules.
Lazara Gallardo, 90, of Tacoma plays bingo at BJ's Bingo Hall Friday. Her granddaughter, Lamar Abalahin, 22, of Tacoma is sitting behind her. They were playing in hopes of winning one of the six Yugos given away at BJ's. The winner of the car was Lazara's daughter! (Juanita A. Pastor, winner)
Photo by Susie Post

Tacoma Community House Spring 2022 English Language student from Korea. Interviewed by dindria barrow on May 4, 2022.

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Them Prom Kim holds three-year-old Sokha Buntun during a Tacoma Police Dept. seminar on crime prevention in the Salishan Housing District. These seminars are for people with limited knowledge of English.
Photo by Joe Giron

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Thien Long, his wife, Soeuth Tuy Long and their baby, Ellen Mary Long (age 1.5) rest on a bed in their apartment in Tacoma. This is for a story on welfare for Southeast Asian refugees.
Photo by Joe Giron

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Hang Sou, a Hmong refugee, stands in line for his final medical exam at a Thailand transit camp in the Non Fiction Television documentary "Becoming American", which will be televised over the Public Broadcasting Service Friday, June 4 at 9 p.m. (Check local listings.) The documentary by Ken Levine and Ivory Waterworth Levine follows Hang Sou and his family from a refugee camp in northern Thailand to their new home in Seattle, WA.

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Asian Day - Monk Dance
Yi Yi Young

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--Old Culture, New Life--
Kathy Laufasa and Tupou Mamaea, both students at Chief Sealth High School, practice Polynesian dance steps. The Samoans are among increasing numbers of Pacific Rim natives who have emigrated to the United States.

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From:
Executive Order 9066:
50 Years Before-50 Years After
Chiyoko Shiromura and Family
Courtesy of the Wing Luke Asian Museum
Seattle, WA

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--Learning to Wok--
Merinda Chiu, 7 months, watches her mother, Nancy Chiu, prepare a meal at her restaurant, C&C Chinese Garden, in Spokane on Monday. Chiu says her daughter loves to watch her cook.

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Cultural Fair sponsored by South Puget Sound Adoptive Parents.
As part of a cultural fair to educate children and adults about different cultures Jennifer Yoon, 24, left and Angela Synn, 13, right performed some traditional Korean dances including fan and basket dancing.

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Tuyet Mazziotta feeds her 14-month-old daughter during a visit to the Luner New Year Festival celebration in the Kingdome Saturday. This is the beginning of the year of the horse. It's two days of food, music, booths, and combines many groups of differing Asian backgrounds including Vietnamese, Cambodian, Chinese, Thai et cetera. The traditional dragon dance can still be seen tomorrow afternoon after 4 pm in Chinatown in S. Seattle.

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Trang Nguyen (16), Thuy Le (14) who both attend Stadium H.S. and have been in the US for only 3 months and Betty Thach (16) who attends Clover Park H.S. and has been here for 2 and a half years, are all Amerasian children, they watch the city skyline pass by as the Sea Explorer boat Charles Curtis, a 80 foot wooden hull boat built in 1931 slips out of city waterway. Tacoma has been designated as one of about 50 cluster sites across the US. A program has been scheduled to welcome the Amerasian youth and their families, after lunch a boat cruise of Commencement Bay, courtesy of the Sea Explorers, a branch of the Boy Scouts of America.

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Kendo
Photograph by Bruce Larson

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;

In 1934, Hisasha & Ruby Kumasaka received $10,000 each in the will of 80-year-old logger Sweny Smith. Ruby, 7, and Hisasha, 5, were the children of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Kumasaka of 1706 Broadway. For eight years, the family had taken Smith into their home and taken care of him. Despite his Norwegian heritage, Smith observed the Japanese holidays, attended the Buddhist church and followed the family's customs. He spoke of the two children as his grandchildren. On his deathbed in St. Joseph's Hospital, he told the children that he was going to the Great Beyond to watch over them and their growth, and directed them to a safety deposit box in the Washington Building that contained his will leaving everything to them for their kindness. The Kumasaka family, unaware that the frugal logger had any wealth, expected only a meagre amount, but found that the will left $10,000 to each of the children. (T. Times 10/31/1934, pg. 6)

Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Children--Tacoma--1930-1940; Kumasaka, Ruby; Kumasaka, Hisasha;