Organizing Japanese and Asian Workers in Little Tokyo
By David Monkawa

I was a member of the Little Tokyo Peoples Rights Organization, whose predecessor name was the “Anti-Eviction Task Force of JACS-AI” (Japanese American Community Services Asian-Involvement).

The struggle to stop the forced destruction and dispersal of Little Tokyo, gain adequate relocation housing and a community center to maintain LT as a JA community center was a multi-layered struggle which involved the organizing of hundreds of tenants, cultural community groups and workers in and around Little Tokyo.

We were all very conscious of the fact that Little Tokyo had to be developed in the interest of working people in our communities and not in the interest Japanese or US capital. Most of the tenants who were being evicted were local workers in the hotel, food service, garment, or other low income industry in the downtown area. Of the tenants about half were Latino and others Asian and Japanese.

So as we carried out our day to day organizing we tried to insure that the tenants, workers and community people who were being evicted and displaced had direct input and participated in every level of decision making and leadership.

The chronology below will provide a sketch of the direct workplace organizing efforts and campaigns which LTPRO was involved in which was part and parcel of the struggle to maintain LT as a JA community center.

1975

The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) of L.A. succumbs to pressure from JACS-AI activists to hire a larger number of local workers for construction jobs for the demolition of LT. Three JACS AI activists manage to get onto this program and become apprentice construction workers on the wrecking ball and carpentry crew. The goal was to organize other workers so that the demolition could be slowed down if needed as well as to provide some income as activists.

Other activists began to move into the low income apartment-hotels in the Tomoye Hotel, Alan Hotel, Matsushita Hotel and other strategic hotels to directly organize the tenants and to build strong base areas inside the hotels targeted for eviction and demolition.

1977-1980

In the period after the demolition of the Sun Building and construction of the luxury New Otani Hotel, several LTPRO activists attempted to “dig in” to the community and continue organizing to not only improve working conditions on the floor but to educate and recruit workers to develop LT in the interest of working people and for progressive social change.

New Otani Hotel workers, including LTPRO activists who got jobs inside the hotel, attempt to unionize for better pay and benefits.

Horikawa Restaurant workers led by LTPRO activists organized for improved wages and working conditions.

Shogun Restaurant waitresses refused to accept unfair pay practices and wear uncomfortable “costumes” at work. At this point, LTPRO formed a Worker Support Committee to act as an umbrella groups to coordinate these support efforts.

Tokyo Kaikan Restaurant workers were consistent supporters of LTPRO and fought for improved conditions at the workplace.

In the winter of 1980 a strike was organized by about 150 workers at 3 Japanese food distribution companies. Japan Food Corporation ( a subsidiary of Kikkoman) , Mutual Trading and Nishimoto Trading. The mainly Japanese and Asian immigrant truck drivers and warehousmen were led by LTPRO activists who gained jobs inside. They demanded equality in pay with white truck drivers and warehousemen who did less hazardess jobs with better equipment and shorter hours.

The workers delivered rice, shoyu and all essential supplies to all hotels and restaurants in LT as well as all the JA community centers between San Diego and Santa Maria, CA.

After many large marches in LT by strikers, their families and LTPRO, a boycott of certain Japanese food products made by Kikkoman, and support from Committee Against Nihonmachi Eviction, CANE in northern CA, the three companies agreed to provide pay increases which moved the union contracts of the workers, members of Teamsters Local 630 closer to full equality.

1980

LTPRO dissolved to become the National Coalition for Redress and Reparations. At the founding conference in LT at the new JACCC. The JFC, Mutual and Nishimoto workers were featured guests who spoke about the need for the interest of community and working people of LT and the broader API communties to be at the center of economic development.