McOsker Moves to Preserve Last Historic Japanese American Commercial Village Buildings on Terminal Island

LOS ANGELES — In a push to preserve an overlooked piece of Los Angeles history and honor the legacy of Japanese immigrants tragically erased during World War II, Councilmember Tim McOsker introduced a motion Feb. 12 to designate the last two remaining buildings from the Japanese American Village on Terminal Island as City Historic-Cultural Monuments.

These buildings, located on Terminal Island at 700-702 Tuna Street and 712-716 Tuna Street in San Pedro, are among the last standing links to a once-thriving fishing village. They serve as a testament to the resilience of the Japanese American community and a reminder of the injustices they endured.

“Japanese fishermen who settled on Terminal Island in the early 20th Century were the initiators and innovators of what eventually became a booming tuna fishing industry in Los Angeles. Yet, the story of these families is also marked by one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history — a time when an entire community was forcibly removed, their homes and livelihoods destroyed,” said Councilmember Tim McOsker. “We must preserve what remains, not only to protect an important part of Los Angeles’ cultural and social history but to honor their contributions and ensure that future generations learn from this past and carry forward their legacy.”

Before World War II, the Japanese American Fishing Village was home to over 3,000 residents of Japanese descent, forming a vibrant and close-knit community.

However, Dec. 7, 1941 changed Terminal Island forever. Even before President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066, the FBI took all the non-native Japanese fishermen and community leaders into custody, and all traffic to and from the island was suspended. The Terminal Island community became the first in the nation to be forcibly removed and relocated to internment camps.

On Feb. 19, 1942, Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 authorized the forced relocation and internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans, most of whom were U.S. citizens. For those who lived on Terminal Island, their homes were demolished, and after the war, many returned to find little left of their once-thriving neighborhood.

While many Japanese and Japanese Americans across the West Coast lost their homes and property during this period, the Terminal Island village is believed to be the only such community whose built environment vanished almost entirely. Today, two remaining buildings remain as some of the last physical reminders of this history.

“The introduction of this motion embraces our overarching goal of significantly honoring the legacy of the Terminal Island Japanese American community from the early 1900s through 1942, who suffered a severe injustice due to President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066,” said Paul Hiroshi Boyea, Terminal Islanders Association Board Member, Chair of the Terminal Islanders Preservation Initiative. “The two historic Terminal Island buildings on Tuna Street represent culture, family, and American history that should never be forgotten. They are also the last remaining physical remnants from this important era of Japanese American heritage and their significant contributions to California’s fishing industry.”

McOsker’s motion calls for the city’s Planning Department to prepare the application for the Historic Cultural Monument designation to be reviewed by the Cultural Heritage Commission, which would submit a recommendation to the city council for final consideration. If approved, the designation would protect these buildings from demolition or significant alteration, ensuring that their history is preserved for future generations.