(Photo by Richard Watanabe)The Chinese American Museum (CAM).

and her wealth of knowledge has helped her to intervene on issues a fourth-generation Japanese American would normally know nothing about.Her tenacity afforded other Japanese American families the opportunity to tell their stories in the areas where they lived.

She is also the last living Hirahara-surnamed descendant.She and Shohei Ohtani were the only ones of Japanese descent listed among the honorees.Coast Community College District; and Patti Hirahara.

She is a great Japanese cook and can also speak Japanese.This year marks the 50th anniversary of her becoming the first Miss Suburban Optimist/Orange County Nisei Queen to represent Orange County in Nisei Week in 1974.

She felt bad about not becoming queen that year since she wanted to make Orange County proud.

and her work with the Japanese American Museum of Oregon —just a sampling of her endeavors.I have been watching videos of the “Tanko Bushi.

sunglasses with bottle openers.the LEED-certified Platinum technology and research park includes the Kashiwa campus of the University of Tokyo.

The relationship has grown stronger over the years with numerous student exchanges between Torrance and Kashiwa.kids and grandkids that can trace their lineage to the sister-city affiliation.