Communities Work to Preserve Historic Castroville Japanese School
Although its history was lost for several decades, former students and the local Hispanic community are working on a redevelopment project to restore the school building and surrounding areas.
The simple, single-story wooden building stands unassuming today surrounded by a field of patchy grass and clusters of leafy trees. With its boarded up windows and peeling white paint, it’s hard to imagine that this was once a bustling Japanese language school where former students like Janice Higashi, now 78, used to run down its hallways and play in the surrounding fields during recess.
Janice was eight years old when she began attending the Castroville Japanese Language School which officially opened in 1936 after local Issei raised funds for the building. She still recalls fond memories of her teachers telling stories in Japanese and carrying ink and brush supplies for her calligraphy lessons.
“The Japanese School was really close by to our regular school. Hearing stories told to us in Japanese and learning calligraphy, I have fond memories of that,” she said. With a chuckle she adds, “I did enjoy the classes sometimes too … but we always did what our parents told us.”
For two hours each day after regular school and half-days on Saturdays the Japanese School located at 11199 Geil Street was home to several students. They may not have always enjoyed the extra homework, but an education in Japanese language and culture was something their Issei parents believed was of utmost importance.
“Our parents insisted on learning the Japanese language and culture, the main reason we went to the school,” said Frank Oshita, 86, who was born in Castroville and began attending the school at 15. He admits he never enjoyed attending the school, but with a chuckle adds, “but I enjoyed it during recess.”
Redevelopment of a Community
Although dozens of students passed through its doors, the history of the Castroville Japanese School was long forgotten until the 1990s when former student Kunio “Ace” Sumida, 85, worked to have the building placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Shortly afterwards, the Monterey County purchased the building and surrounding property.
“It’s a historic place and it should be preserved. It represents the life of the Japanese community,” said Kunio, who is now working on getting the school designated a Historic Landmark like the Manzanar internment camp. “Today no one thinks of these things and we ought to save it.”
Now a group of former Castroville Japanese School students and the local Hispanic community, along with the help of the county of Monterey, are working to raise funds for a redevelopment project of the historic building and the entire block surrounding the school. Once completed, the project will include a community center, baseball and soccer fields, a library and museum.
“Kodomo No Tame Ni” or “For the Sake of the Children” is the theme of the redevelopment project, a motto that was important to the pioneering Issei who built the original school and for the local Hispanic community who will use the facilities to educate their kids.
“The Japanese parents made the sacrifice to pool their resources to build the structure, so their kids could be educated. Today it’s the same thing — an immigrant’s vision — to make things better for the kids,” said Jerry Hernandez, redevelopment analyst for Monterey County. “It’s a strong theme that continues to go forward, especially for the youth that will use the facility today.”
A History Uncovered
As an employee of the Monterey County’s Redevelopment Agency, Sansei Gail Kitaji sees a lot of projects pass by her desk so when she was assigned to work on the Castroville Japanese School project she didn’t think much of it, at least at first. But soon she began to realize her own family was a part of the school’s history.
While researching the school project she discovered her uncle Hiroshi Kitaji had signed the original deed for the building and faded photos of schoolchildren standing in front of the school contained some of her family members. She also learned that her grandfather had helped raise funds for the building.
“I have a personal interest now,” said Gail, whose family owned farming land in Castroville during the early 1900s until the 1950s. “I’m glad that some of the story has started to filter through. The school has a lot of history.”
The Kitajis were part of about 25 JA families who lived in Castroville, California during the mid-1920s and 1930s, families who were attracted to the area largely because of its farming possibilities. The area even boasted its own small Japantown. The JA population for the surrounding Salinas Valley at the time was about 250 families.
Prior to the Castroville school, local JA students attended Japanese classes at the Salinas Buddhist Temple. But in the early 1930s, community members decided to raise funds for their own school. Alien Land Laws of the time did not allow the Issei to purchase land and thus Nisei Hiroshi Kitaji is the signatory on the deed.
By 1935 the Castroville Japanese School was built and in 1936 the doors were officially opened.
Dozens of JA students attended the school until 1942, the year the school closed down and the misery of the World War II internment camps began. The majority of the Castroville JA families were sent to Poston, Arizona and very few returned to the area after the War.
Coming Full Circle
Today the population of Castroville numbers at about 7,000 and more than 85 percent of the residents are Hispanic. The area is now known as the “Artichoke Capital of the World” and a popular festival is held each year.
Although JAs no longer live in the area, the local community has embraced the Japanese School project. Most of the funding has been secured but approximately $150,000 is still needed for the landscape phase. Architects have drawn up the design for the project and renovations are set to begin next year.
For the former Castroville Japanese School students, the redevelopment project has brought their pioneering Issei parents’ dream full circle — a dream that began with a desire to educate their children. Today, the Hispanic community will continue the Issei’s vision by using the new facilities to educate their own kids.
“It’s nice because a lot of the Hispanic people can use the room. The Hispanics are trying to teach their children about their Mexican heritage. It’s going back to the original intent of the Issei to educate their children. It will be good,” said Janice.
“We want to leave something for the future,” said Oshita.
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