About US
Dreams Interrupted Project Team
Inspired by the first-generation Japanese (Issei) women whose efforts were essential to the establishment of the Japanese American community/6ty in San Francisco, California, the Dreams Interrupted Project Team came together to explore and share the story of the Issei women and the rich history of the Japanese Young Women’s Christian Association. Drawn together through their connections with Nihonmachi Little Friends, a culturally-based, non-profit childcare organization, and the Japanese-American community, the team members are highly experienced and respected in diverse fields including art, historic preservation, archival research, education, media communications, theology, law, community organizing, and video production. The Team’s personal and professional activities have allowed them to examine the historical, cultural, and social context of Japantown and apply this knowledge to 6this project with empathy, insight, and authenticity. They look upon this project as a vehicle for creating a meaningful, engaging, and freshly relevant resource honoring the Issei women.
Project Directors
Kaz Naganuma, Project Co-Director
Karen Kai, Project Co-Director, Editor, Researcher, Writer
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Team Members (listed alphabetically)
Gary Barbaree, Researcher, Senior Project Advisor, Writer
Alicia Chang, Project Intern
Steve Ducich, Videographer
Donna Graves, Project Historian, Writer
Miki Heitzman, Web Developer, Web Maintenance
Cathy Inamasu, Project Advisor, Researcher, Writer, NLF Executive Director Emerita
Makiko Kambayashi, Project Manager
Susan Kobayashi,* Researcher, Writer
Stephen McNeil,* Project Advisor
Dawn Mokuau, Project Advisor, NLF’s Executive Director
Hiroshi Shimizu, Researcher, Writer
Maya Yoshikawa, Researcher, Translator, Video Editor
*We want to acknowledge the passing of Susan Kobayashi and Stephen McNeil and their contributions as members of the Project Team.
The 1830 Sutter “Issei Women’s Building”
The historic building at 1830 Sutter was the culmination of dedicated efforts by the Issei women to create a center that would serve the women and girls of the Japanese community in San Francisco. Designed by famed architect Julia Morgan, the 1830 Sutter Issei Women’s Building was built as a Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in 1932, offering cultural and social activities and temporary housing for young women and girls. Over six decades later, the building was entrusted to Nihonmachi Little Friends (NLF) as part of an out-of-court settlement of a community-supported lawsuit to save the building. NLF’s stewardship includes the protection and perpetuation of the Issei women’s legacy – keeping alive and sharing the story and achievements of these remarkable women.
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1830 Sutter Street, as the Japanese YWCA and Issei Women’s Building, was added to the National Register of Historic Places and the California Historic Register in 2020 and was designated as a San Francisco Landmark (#291) in 2021.
Nihonmachi Little Friends (NLF)
Nihonmachi Little Friends, through and in conjunction with the Issei Women’s Legacy Committee, is responsible for creating, maintaining, expanding, and supporting the Dreams Interrupted website. Opened in 1975, NLF is a community-based, nonprofit childcare organization with a mission that includes introducing and engaging new generations of families to the history, culture, and community of San Francisco’s Japantown. NLF, through its early care and education programs, has helped instill in the next generation the values and principles that have been long important to keeping a vibrant community alive. NLF became the first organization in San Francisco’s Japantown to be recognized as a registered Legacy Business in September 2017.
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Issei Women’s Legacy (IWL) Committee
Having nearly been lost entirely, the Issei Women’s Legacy at 1830 Sutter Street is a community treasure whose importance is now recognized and supported. NLF’s Capital Campaign fund, established at NLF’s 25th Anniversary, assisted NLF’s acquisition of 1830 Sutter. As owner and steward of this historic property, and to honor the legacy of the Issei women founders, NLF’s Capital Campaign Committee spearheaded efforts to raise over $2.2 million to pay for the mortgage, renovations, and crucial seismic and accessibility upgrades, which were completed in 2010. Since then, the Capital Campaign Committee has engaged in numerous fundraising events and the production of educational materials about the Issei Women’s Legacy, and several members of the Issei Women’s Legacy project are on the Dreams Interrupted Project Team.
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​This website is a dynamic venue for new research, features, and educational efforts. The website is a reflection of NLF’s philosophy of providing families with a point of entry to the Japanese American community. Developing new information and looking to the needs of future audiences is integral to the work of NLF and the Dreams Interrupted Project Team. Additionally, the Team is looking to expand its membership to include participants whose involvement will lead to new concepts and approaches, greater exposure for the website, and longevity for the Team itself, including young adults, educators and scholars, as well as participants from community groups included in stories on the website, such as the American Friends Service Committee and Buchanan YMCA. The Team is particularly interested in expanding its efforts into the educational area by working with K-12 credentialed teachers and college professors. Creating, updating, and keeping materials timely and relevant will be an ongoing goal for NLF and the Dreams Interrupted Project Team.
Get in touch with Us!
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​We are seeking recollections from Nikkei whose mothers, grandmothers, or great-grandmothers in San Francisco were incarcerated in the Tanforan Assembly Center and the Manzanar, Topaz, and Tule Lake concentration camps. The Dreams Interrupted Project Team also invites NLF alumni and their families who were involved in community organizing associated with the Soko Bukai v. YWCA case, to contribute their photos and stories. If you have stories to share, please contact us via email at isseiwomenslegacy@gmail.com.