Exhibit: Santa Barbara Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage, 1870s-1970s
Tsumoru Fukuzawa (1886-1976)
Loving Father and Grandfather, Gardener and Church Leader
“… but I did not accumulate green money, I accumulated happiness.”
By Melinda Yamane Crawford
Tsumoru Frank Fukuzawa
Early History
Tsumoru Fukuzawa was born in Akaho-mura, Kamiina-gun, Nagano-ken, Japan on January 1, 1886. He was the son of Hamashiro and Sai Fukuzawa of Nagano-ken, Japan, and he had a brother, Atsumi Fukuzawa of Hokkaido-ken, Japan. Tsumoru had completed eight years of grade school and another eight years of agricultural school in Nagano-ken, Japan.
He first arrived in the United Stated in 1904 in San Francisco, where he lived from 1904-1906 and worked as a janitor for the Union Drug Company. From 1906-1910, he worked at various jobs as a laborer in Los Angeles. Then, in 1910, he moved to Santa Barbara and worked there as a gardener and served in an officer position at the Japanese Congregational Church, which also operated a Japanese language school.
Quoting an interview with daughter, Barbara Fukuzawa (September 20, 2018):
I’m Barbara Fukuzawa, and I’m 93-years-old. Born and raised here in Santa Barbara. Dad came over when he was 18-years-old. Finished agriculture college in Japan. Being that he was not the oldest [son] in Japan, he came here because he heard the streets were paved with gold. He didn’t talk too much about it but being a young man. I know he was a young man up in Seattle and San Francisco, Los Angeles, and somehow, he came to Santa Barbara.
Detention
On March 13, 1942, Tsumoru, age 56, was apprehended and detained as an enemy alien. At the time of his arrest, Tsumoru was living at 120 S. Voluntario Street, Santa Barbara with his wife, Midori (Teramoto), and six children: Yoshiko Asakura, age 21; Michiko Fukuzawa, age 18; Barbara Fukuzawa, age 17; Florence Fukuzawa, age 15; Martha Fukuzawa, age 14; and Frances Fukuzawa, age 11.
During their interview in 2018, Barbara and her sister Florence Nakamura shared about their happy family life and growing up in the Japanese Congregational Church. That is, until the war came, and their father was taken first to the Santa Barbara County Jail where they visited him prior to his removal to Tuna Canyon Detention Center and then to the U.S. Department of Justice prison camp in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was not until his “release” on June 6, 1942 that Tsumoru was able to join his family at Tulare Assembly Center before their “final destination” at the Gila River internment camp located on 16,500 acres of the Gila River Indian Reservation in Pinal County, Arizona.
After the war, the family was eventually able to return to their family home at 120 S. Voluntario Street, Santa Barbara. Tsumoru passed away on July 22, 1974 at the age of 88 in Santa Barbara. His wife, Midori (Teramoto), was born on September 29, 1894 in Kumamoto-ken, Japan and died on August 18, 1989 at the age of 95 in Santa Barbara.
An Only Son and Brother
Michito Frank Fukuzawa, 93, of Gardena, California, passed away on June 24, 2017. Frank was born on October 5, 1923 in Santa Barbara. In April 1942, Frank was just two months away from his Santa Barbara High School graduation. Instead of having the opportunity to participate in his high school graduation, he served in the US Army’s 442nd Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Company F. For his service, Frank received three battle stars for action, a Bronze Star for bravery, a Presidential Citation with Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Combat Infantry Badge.
Sixty-six years after his internment, Frank joined his fellow graduates from the Santa Barbara High School Class of 2008 as they marched together into Peabody Stadium to receive their high school diplomas. That day he not only realized a dream but also embodied the school’s motto: “Once a Don, Always a Don.”
Michito Frank Fukuzawa
Barbara Fukuzawa and Roke Fukumura
Three Fukuzawa Sisters
Florence (Fukuzawa) Nakamura was born on September 23, 1926 at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California. She was the fourth of six children born to Tsumoru and Midori Fukuzawa, who named her after Florence Nightingale. Florence died on January 15, 2021 in Santa Barbara, CA at the age of 94.
Frances (Fukuzawa) Kozaki was born on September 2, 1930 in Santa Barbara, CA at St. Francis Hospital. She was the youngest among her five other siblings. Her parents named her Frances after the hospital that she was born in. Frances died on April 6, 2019 at the age of 88.
Barbara Fukuzawa was born on January 25, 1925, and her parents named her Barbara after her birthplace, Santa Barbara. Today, at age 98, she is the last surviving family member of her generation and is also one of two remaining Bethany Congregational Church members who were part of the original Japanese Congregational Church in Santa Barbara’s Nihonmachi, with the other person being 100-year-old Roke Fukumura.
Acknowledgements
Warm thanks to Barbara Fukuzawa for her inspiration and to Julie Asakura Slagle, Brian Slagle and other family members for their support and contributions.
References
“Florence (Fukuzawa) Nakamura”. Obituary, Santa Barbara Independent, accessed 4/10/23 at: https://www.independent.com/obits/2021/01/26/florence-nakamura/
“Frances (Fukuzawa) Kozaki”. Obituary. Santa Barbara Independent, accessed 4/10/12 at: https://www.independent.com/obits/2019/04/17/frances-kozaki/
“Frank Tsumuro Fukuzawa”. Enemy Alien Case File, accessed 4/5/2023, National Archives at Riverside, California
“Frank Fukuzawa”. Go For Broke National Education Center Oral History Project Oral History Interview with Frank Fukuzawa, February 24, 2001, Los Angeles, California
“Frank Fukuzawa”. It’s ‘Once a Don, Always a Don’ for 84-Year-Old Alumnus, June 13, 2008, Noozhawk, Santa Barbara, California
“Fukuzawa Sisters”. Interview: Fukuzawa Sisters (Barbara, Florence and Frances), September 20, 2018, Tuna Canyon Digital History Collection, Tuna Canyon, Digital History Collection, Japanese American National Museum ArchivesTuna Canyon Detention Station Legacy Project
“Michito Frank Fukuzawa”. Obituary. Fukui Mortuary, accessed 4/10/23, at: https://www.fukuimortuary.com/obituary/m-f