Council Takes Step Forward to Designate Historic Japanese American Fishing Village as Historic-Cultural Monument on 83rd Anniversary of Executive Order 9066

LOS ANGELES – Today, on the 83rd anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066, which led to the forced internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans, the Los Angeles City Council passed Councilmember Tim McOsker’s motion to begin the process of designating the last two remaining buildings from a once-thriving Japanese American Fishing Village on Terminal Island as City Historic-Cultural Monuments.

"Terminal Island was once a vibrant Japanese American community, but by 1942, that community was forcibly displaced, and the structures demolished, leaving families with nothing to return to,” said Councilmember Tim McOsker. “The last two remaining buildings from the Japanese American Fishing Village stand as a testament to this community’s resilience and a reminder of the injustices they endured. While we can never undo the past, we can ensure their history is never forgotten and their contributions remain an integral part of Los Angeles’ past, present, and future.”

Located at 700-702 Tuna Street and 712-716 Tuna Street on Terminal Island, these two buildings are the last remnants of a fishing village that, in the 1940s, was home to over 3,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans.

In the early 20th century, Japanese immigrants played a foundational role in establishing Los Angeles’ tuna fishing industry, transforming Terminal Island into a hub of commerce and community. According to the LA Conservancy, the village held “a pool hall, several Buddhist temples, a judo hall, Fishermen Hall, a Baptist church, a bank, and a Shinto shrine, enabling residents to practice the official religion of Japan.”

However, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Terminal Island’s Japanese and Japanese American residents became the first community in the country to be forcibly removed. The FBI took all the non-native Japanese fishermen and community leaders into custody immediately, and all traffic to and from the island was suspended.

Just days after President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, the U.S. Navy ordered all Japanese and Japanese American families to vacate the island within 48 hours. With no time to make arrangements, many were forced to abandon their homes, businesses, and belongings, suffering significant losses. The Japanese Americans on Terminal Island were among the first sent to internment camps, while the U.S. Navy seized the island, demolishing and effectively erasing the village. Today, the two remaining buildings are owned by the Port of Los Angeles.

McOsker was joined at City Hall by the Terminal Islanders Association, a group of former residents and their descendants who have long advocated for the preservation of, not only these buildings, but also the memory of their community among the descendants of this lost neighborhood.

“Today’s motion will help preserve the two last remaining structures that were part of a vibrant community, destroyed by hate and paranoia,” said Terry Hara, President of the Terminal Islanders Association, before the vote. “It is an important story, an American story, that needs to be told for generations to come.”

“It was meaningful to be with the former residents of Terminal Island, or East San Pedro as it was once known, and their descendants on the anniversary of President Roosevelt’s Executive Order, to show how the strength of community outlasts and perseveres over hateful, prejudicial policies,” said McOsker. “We stood together, today, 83 years later, united in preserving the memory of a vibrant community that was torn apart by injustice.”

This designation marks a crucial step in recognizing and preserving the contributions of Japanese and Japanese Americans to Los Angeles while ensuring that the injustices they endured are never forgotten.

With the Council’s approval, the City Planning Department will now prepare the application for Historic-Cultural Monument designation, which will be reviewed by the Cultural Heritage Commission before submission to the City Council for final consideration. If approved, the designation will protect these buildings from demolition or significant alteration, ensuring their history is preserved for future generations and securing their place as a landmark in Los Angeles’ history.