Exhibit: Santa Barbara Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage, 1870s-1970s
Akira Yamada (1928-2009)
Family man, Outgoing, Knowledgeable
By Holly Snyder and Brianna Bruce
Winifred Numazu and Akira Yamada
Early Life
Akira “Aki” Yamada was born on October 28th, 1928, in Santa Barbara, California, as the youngest of seven children. He had three brothers: Masato (1899-1960; Yamada’s half-brother, born in Hawaii), Fukuo (1922-1996), and Shoji (1927-2020), as well as three sisters: Tomoko (1921-2014), Kunie (1924-2021), and Harumi (1925-1997).
Both of Yamada’s parents–Sutezo (1878-1975) and Hisao (1891-1991), were born and raised in Mii-gun, Fukuoka-ken, Japan (Ohashi-mura and Zendoji-machi, respectively), and were united through what is believed to have been an arranged marriage in February 1920. Previously, Sutezo had lived in Hawaii, working on a sugar plantation, where Masato was born. Sutezo and Hisao came to the US in April 1920 and lived in Ventura County where Tomoko and Fukuo were born. The family visited Japan in November 1923, and Kunie was born in January 1924. They were unable to bring her back to the US when they returned in June 1924 because of the Immigration Act of 1924, so she was raised in Japan by Sutezo’s brother. Harumi was born in Ventura, and the family moved to Santa Barbara sometime before Shoji was born in 1927. Sutezo gained his US citizenship in 1954. Sutezo was a gardener until his retirement in 1960.
World War II
Yamada completed his early education at Lincoln Elementary School and Santa Barbara Junior High School; his secondary education was delayed due to the US government’s mass incarceration of Japanese-American individuals in 1942. On September 4th, 1942, Yamada and his family (with the exception of Kunie) were detained at the Gila River War Relocation Center in Pinal County, Arizona.
After leaving Gila River on October 27th, 1945, Yamada completed his secondary education at Santa Barbara High School, and then joined the Army, assigned to the Military Intelligence Service Language School at the Presidio of Monterey. He returned to Santa Barbara, and in 1953 received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial Arts from the Santa Barbara College of the University of California, which became the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1958.
From there, he began his career as an engineer for the City of Santa Barbara Public Works Department—an occupation that he would keep until his retirement thirty years later.
Wedding reception at Rockwood Women’s Club at Rocky Nook Park
Family
Early in 1955, Yamada became engaged to Winifred Numazu, a Santa Barbara College student and former swimming champion in her hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii. Her parents were Tomeyuki Numazu of Hawaii and Miye Watanabe of Santa Barbara. Akira and Winifred were wed on June 26, 1955 in Santa Barbara, California. They had three children: Gayle Ann Yamada Ravenscroft, Terri Ellen Yamada, and Kathy Alice Yamada Nishimoto. In 1995, his only grandchild, Kaylie Kyo Nishimoto was born. She became his and the family’s main focus, and continues to be to this day.
Winifred Numazu and Akira Yamada, wedding at SB Buddhist Church, June 26, 1955
Community Service
Throughout his adult life, Yamada maintained an active and influential presence in the Santa Barbara community. A longtime member of the Buddhist Church of Santa Barbara, Yamada spent two years of his membership as president. His dedicated participation at the Santa Barbara Masonic Lodge earned him the prestigious Hiram Award, which honors members who make frequent and significant contributions to their personal Masonic Lodge. In addition, Yamada was also involved with the Santa Barbara Scottish Rite, volunteering for the Aphasia Clinic, the Santa Barbara Shrine Club, and the Al Malaikah Shrine, and the Japanese American Citizens League.
At the age of 80, Akira Yamada died in his sleep on June 23, 2009; however, his legacy of outstanding service to his community remains palpable in his home city of Santa Barbara.
References
Ancestry.com
FamilySearch.org
Newspapers.com
‘Yamada, Akira “Aki”.’ Santa Barbara News-Press, 2 July 2009, n.p.; Gledhill Library, Santa Barbara Historical Museum, “SB Obituary Scrapbook,” scrapbook, 2009; book 21E, page 386. Digital copy from Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society.
Yamada family