Although there was a great deal of anti-Japanese sentiment due to labor competition and international relations, the Japanese Americans in the San Fernando Valley made it their home. They attended church, raised families, family excursions and merged their new western lifestyle with their traditional culture.

"My mother used make like eggs and white rice or fried rice for breakfast.. she used to make rice just so that it was kind of crunchy, not too hard. Just right."

~ Bill Watanabe

--
Family Meal Circa 1954

Photo contributed by: Bill Watanabe
Names of people: Rokuro, Katsuye, Yoshimichi, and Yoshiyuki Watanabe with friend Fred Ishihara
Date: circa 1954
Place: Granada Hills, CA, U.S.A.
Photograph by: Unknown
Photo size: Unknown
Description: The evening meal was always a special time for the family to come together and discuss daily events.
© California State University, Northridge 2008
For more information about this project, please contact:
Edith Chen, Professor Asian American Studies Dept.
18111 Nordhoff St., JR 340
Northridge, CA 91330-8251
edith.chen@csun.edu
818-677-4966
Nancy Takayama
San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center
nt.high.mtn@juno.com