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The Legacy of Judy Nishimoto Ota (2 of 4)
Remembering History
When the tenants of the Alan Hotel and Annex and the Masago Hotel, along
with the small businesses on Second Street, faced eviction in 1985, there
was no LTPRO to respond. Many of the young people had moved on with their
lives. There was only the Little Tokyo Service Center and a few who remembered
the struggle of the 70’s. Judy was one of those people who did not
forget and stepped forward. She had honed her legal skills working for
the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles in the Housing Unit. Together
with Fred Nakamura, another attorney from Legal Aid, she used these skills
to help obtain a settlement for the tenants and the businesses before
the buildings were demolished in 1986. A parking lot marks the spot today.
Saving the San Pedro Firm Building: Grassroots Campaign
If Mayor Bradley, the CRA, Councilman Gilbert Lindsay had had their way,
the San Pedro Firm Building too would be an empty space, a walkway into
the Civic Center expansion. Never mind that it housed people and businesses
like Flora’s Barbershop, Toyo Miyatake, and a dentist and a beauty
salon. Never mind the fact that hundreds of Issei, Nisei and even Sansei
had learned to sew from Mrs. Chiyo Fujii of the Pacific Sewing School
in the Firm Building and that 28 residents, 15 offices and four commercial
storefronts had once called it home. Although it was included in the list
of Historic Buildings, the city did not include it among the 13 sites,
protected from future development. Only Old Union Church (set to house
the East West Players) Old Nishi (slated to be the Japanese American National
Museum), the Temporary Contemporary and some businesses along First were
protected. In fact, the City of Los Angeles, the Firm Building’s
owner and landlord since 1972, had such low regard for the building that
it had let it deteriorate to an almost unlivable state. They did not expect
the community to fight for this building.
Judy’s anger at the loss of affordable housing throughout the city and her desire to create more housing in Little Tokyo led her to join the Housing Advocates of the Little Tokyo Service Center. This committee included Dean Toji, Naomi Hirahara, Sandy Abe, Kathy Masaoka, Otis Ginoza, Garret Leech and others. They, along with the tenants, began a campaign to Save the San Pedro Firm Building (Firm Building). What followed was a five-year campaign of lobbying the Mayor and City Council, petition signing and community support that changed Judy’s career and the future of housing in Little Tokyo.
