Thomas and Ruth Shigekuni Papers: Finding Aid
mssShigekuni
Kelly Kress
The Huntington Library
September 2023
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Thomas and Ruth Shigekuni papers
Identifier/Call Number: mssShigekuni
Physical Description:
7.84 Linear Feet
(16 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1910-2019
Abstract: Documents, correspondence, photographs,
clippings, and other materials related to Thomas Nobuyuki Shigekuni and Ruth Yamagishi
Shigekuni, business owners and members of the Los Angeles Japanese American
community.
Language of Material: Materials are in English and
Japanese.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
Restrictions apply to:
Box 4: Amache Co-op Souvenir album is fragile and only available with curatorial
approval.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Audiovisual items: 1 DVD and 2 CDs in box 1; 2 VHS videocassettes in box 3; 1 VHS
videocassette and six 8mm films in box 8; 1 DVD in box 10. Audiovisual items are unavailable
for paging until reformatted. Please contact Reader Services for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. Thomas and Ruth Shigekuni papers, The Huntington Library, San
Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Vicki Wong, August 2023
Biographical / Historical
Thomas Nobuyuki Shigekuni (1929-2019) was an American lawyer, businessman, and civil rights
activist for the Japanese American community. Born in Los Angeles on August 4, 1929, he was
one of four children of Yonetaro (Frank) and Shizuyo (Mary) Shigekuni, immigrants from
Hiroshima, Japan. From 1942 to 1945, the Shigekuni family was incarcerated in Colorado's
Granada War Relocation Center, also known as Camp Amache. As a young man during the Korean
War, Thomas Shigekuni served in the 6004th Air Intelligence Service Squadron in Tokyo,
Japan. After the war, he attended Pepperdine University and later opened Centrose Nursery in
the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles. In 1966, after graduating from the University of
Southern California School of Law, Shigekuni began practicing law and represented many
Japanese companies' early expansion into the United States. In 1982, he was appointed by
California Governor Jerry Brown to California's State Board of Food and Agriculture, the
first Japanese American to serve. Shigekuni was also involved with several community
organizations, including local chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Japanese
American Citizens League, the Torrance Rotary Club, and the California Association of
Nurserymen.
Ruth Yamagishi Shigekuni was born July 19, 1933, the oldest of Teizo and Fukiko Yamagishi's
three daughters. Teizo (Tacy) Yamagishi was a well-known studio portrait photographer based
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Yamagishi family was incarcerated in the Minidoka War
Relocation Center in Hunt, Idaho, from 1942 to 1945. After World War II, the family moved to
Salt Lake City, Utah, and later Oklahoma City where Tacy Studio was founded. During the
Korean War, the family hosted many Japanese American soldiers passing through the city,
including Thomas Shigekuni. In 1951, Ruth enrolled at Pepperdine University and later
transferred to the University of Southern California's art department. Ruth and Thomas
married in 1954 and settled in Palos Verdes Estates, California. The couple had three
daughters, Vicki, Cindy, and Leslie. During their 65-year marriage, the Shigekunis worked
together in wide-ranging activities related to the nursery business and many community
organizations.
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, photographs, documents, and other materials related to Thomas and Ruth
Shigekuni, first generation Japanese Americans living in the western United States. The
collection documents significant events and themes of the 20th century including the
Japanese American incarceration during World War II, military service in the Korean War, the
growth of the agricultural industry in Southern California, and the lives and communities of
Japanese Americans. Considerable material related to the Granada War Relocation Center, also
known as Camp Amache, documents the experiences of the Shigekuni family and other
incarcerated residents, and includes newsletters and brochures, historical reports,
photographs, reunions, interviews, and publications. There is also correspondence,
photographs, and other documents related to Thomas and Ruth Shigekuni and their families,
particularly Thomas Shigekuni's parents and siblings, and his education and military
service. The collection also includes business records related to Centrose Nursery, the
family business located in the Compton area of Los Angeles, and documentation of Thomas and
Ruth Shigekuni's involvement with professional, community, and religious organizations such
as the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, the Church of Christ, and the
Japanese American Citizens League.
Processing Information
Processed at the time of accessioning by Kelly Kress in September 2023.
Arrangement
Organized in three series:
- Camp Amache/Granada War Relocation Center, 1940s-2018
- Personal and family, 1910-2019
- Business and community activities, 1950s-2016
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Japanese Americans -- California
Japanese Americans -- Civil rights
Japanese Americans -- Forced removal and internment,
1942-1945
Nurseries (Horticulture) -- California
Family papers
Photograph albums
Photographs
Granada
Relocation Center
Pepperdine
University
United States. Air Force.
Camp Amache/Granada War Relocation Center
1940s-2018
Physical Description: 2.67 Linear
Feet(5 boxes)
Scope and Contents
Materials related to the Granada War Relocation Center, also known as Camp Amache, and
the experiences of the Shigekuni family and other incarcerated residents. Includes
newsletters and brochures, historical reports, photographs, and other materials related
to the camp, as well as documentation of reunions, an interview with Tom Shigekuni, and
publications about other internment camps for Japanese Americans.
Arrangement
Arranged by subject.
Conditions Governing Access
RESTRICTED. Amache Co-op Souvenir album in box 4 is fragile and only available with
curatorial approval.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
NOT AVAILABLE. Audiovisual items: 1 DVD and 2 CDs in box 1; 2 VHS videocassettes in box
3. Audiovisual items are unavailable for paging until reformatted. Please contact Reader
Services for more information.
Box 1
History
1942-2013
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
NOT AVAILABLE. Audiovisual items: 1 DVD and 2 CDs are unavailable for paging until
reformatted. Please contact Reader Services for more information.
Scope and Contents
Materials related to incarcerated residents' experiences at Amache and the
development of the historic site, including newsletters and brochures, historical
reports, Amache High School handbooks, correspondence, and development plans. Also
includes Thomas Shigekuni's Densho project video interview and transcript.
Box 2
Reunions
1976-1998
Scope and Contents
Directories, press clippings, photographs, and other documentation of Amache
reunions.
Box 3
Reunions
1940s-2018
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
NOT AVAILABLE. Audiovisual items: 2 VHS videocassettes are unavailable for paging
until reformatted. Please contact Reader Services for more information.
Scope and Contents
Photographs, clippings, and video documentation of reunions, including Return to
Amache in 1998. Also includes information and documentation of pilgrimages to the
Manzanar National Historic Site.
Box 4
Photograph albums and oversize photographs
1940s
Conditions Governing Access
RESTRICTED. Amache Co-op Souvenir album is fragile and only available with curatorial
approval.
Scope and Contents
Two photograph albums featuring images from Amache, and a series of documentary
photographs of the forced removal of Japanese Americans.
Box 5
Internment publications
1976-2013
Scope and Contents
Books and other publications related to the forced removal and incarceration of
Japanese Americans, particularly those from the Southern California area.
Personal and family
1910-2019
Physical Description: 2.67 Linear
Feet(5 boxes)
Arrangement
Arranged by subject.
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, photographs, and other documents related to Thomas and Ruth Shigekuni
and their families, particularly Thomas Shigekuni's parents and siblings, and his
education and military service.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
NOT AVAILABLE. Audiovisual items: 1 VHS videocassette and six 8mm films in box 8; 1 DVD
in box 10. Audiovisual materials are not available for paging until reformatted. Please
contact Reader Services for more information.
Box 6
Shigekuni and Sasaki families
1910-2009
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, photographs, and other documents related to the Shigekuni and Sasaki
families, including Thomas Shigekuni's parents Yonetaro Shigekuni and Shizuyo Sasaki
Shigekuni, and brother Tsuneo (Tunny) Shigekuni.
Box 7
Shigekuni photograph albums
1930s-1950s
Scope and Contents
Photograph albums compiled by Thomas Shigekuni's parents Shizuyo (Mary) and Yonetaro
(Frank) Shigekuni.
Box 8
Thomas Shigekuni - personal
1930s-2019
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
NOT AVAILABLE. Audiovisual items: 1 VHS videocassette and six 8mm films are
unavailable for paging until reformatted. Please contact Reader Services for more
information.
Scope and Contents
Personal and biographical items related to Thomas Shigekuni, including letters,
photographs, resumes, obituaries, and other documents. Also includes a copy of the
film Flying Leathernecks, in which Shigekuni was an extra, and several 8mm films
Box 9
Thomas Shigekuni - personal
1937-2016
Scope and Contents
Materials related to Thomas Shigekuni's time at Pepperdine University and on the
Alumni Board, his service in the 6004th Air Intelligence Service Squadron for the
United States Air Force during the Korean War, and a project to grow Matsutake
mushrooms.
Box 10
442nd Infantry Regiment
1979-2004
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
NOT AVAILABLE. Audiovisual items: 1 DVD is unavailable for paging until reformatted.
Please contact Reader Services for more information.
Scope and Contents
Writings by Thomas Shigekuni, photographs, reunion documentation, and publications
related to the 442nd Infantry Regiment of the United States Army, which was composed
almost entirely of second-generation American soldiers of Japanese ancestry.
Business and community activities
1950s-2016
Physical Description: 2.5 Linear
Feet(6 boxes)
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically, and then chronologically within.
Scope and Contents
Business records related to Centrose Nursery, the family business located in the
Compton area of Los Angeles, and documentation of Thomas and Ruth Shigekuni's
involvement with professional, community, and religious organizations.
Box 11
California Association of Nurserymen
1982-1989
Scope and Contents
Newsletters, correspondence, board meeting minutes, clippings, photographs, and other
materials related to Thomas Shigekuni's involvement with the California Association of
Nurserymen.
Box 12
California State Board of Food and Agriculture
1980s-1990s
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, clippings, press releases, meeting minutes, rosters, and other
materials related to Thomas Shigekuni's tenure as a board member. Issues of the time
included pesticide use and local farmers' markets.
Box 13
Centrose Nursery
1950s-1980s
Scope and Contents
Business records, advertising, photographs, and other materials related to Centrose
Nursery, the Shigekuni's family business in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Also includes copies of a newsletter produced by the Nursery, and plant care
instructions written by Thomas Shigekuni.
Box 14
Church of Christ
1952-2015
Scope and Contents
Photographs, publications, correspondence, and written histories related to the
Church of Christ and specifically the Westside Church of Christ in Los Angeles.
Box 15
Church of Christ
1964, 2001
Box 16
Japanese American Citizens League
1970-2016
Scope and Contents
Newsletters, notes, correspondence, photographs, clippings, and other materials
related to the Gardena Valley and South Bay chapters of the JACL. Both Thomas and Ruth
Shigekuni were heavily involved in the organization.
