Nihongo Gakko (Tacoma) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Nihon Go Gakko
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Nihon Go Gakko before it was demolished
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 Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | Tacoma, Washington |
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| Built | 1922 |
| Architect | Heath & Gove |
| NRHP reference No. | 84003568 |
| Added to NRHP | August 30, 1984 |
The Nihon Go Gakko (日本語学校, Nihongo gakkō, literally, Japanese Language School) alternately, Nihon Gogakko was a special school in Tacoma, Washington. It was one of many Japanese language schools in Washington before World War II. This school helped teach Japanese culture and language to children.
Contents
History of the School Building
The Nihon Go Gakko building was built in 1922. It replaced an older, smaller school. The new building was needed because more students wanted to attend. Frederick Heath helped design the building.
At that time, laws in Washington stopped people who were not U.S. citizens from owning land. So, a special group of Americans and Japanese immigrants bought the land for the school. They bought two lots for $1,600. The school building itself cost $9,000 to build. A new part was added to the building in 1926. The school taught English, Japanese, and Japanese culture.
During World War II
During World War II, things changed for Japanese Americans. The U.S. government ordered many Japanese residents to leave their homes. The Nihon Go Gakko building was used as a place to gather Japanese families. From there, they were sent to special camps far away. This was a difficult time for many people.
Later Years and Demolition
After the war, the building was empty for many years. In 1993, the University of Washington bought the school. They had opened a new campus in Tacoma. The old school building was in very bad shape.
The university wanted to tear down the building. They planned to build a garden there instead. The city of Tacoma agreed to the plan. But the university did not act right away. In 2001, the city said the building was unsafe. The university found out it would cost $3 million to fix it. They decided it was too expensive.
Even though the school was a historic landmark, it was torn down in 2004. It had been empty since the 1940s. Before it was demolished, it was one of the last Japanese language schools left in the western United States.
In 2014, a special memorial was put up on the University of Washington Tacoma campus. It includes a sculpture and a sign. The sign tells the story of the school and its principal, Masato Yamasaki.
See also
- Japanese language education in the United States
- History of the Japanese in Seattle
Sources
- Asato, Noriko (2006). Teaching Mikadoism: The Attack on Japanese Language Schools in Hawaii, California, and Washington, 1919-1927, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, ISBN: 0-8248-2898-4.
- Magden, Ronald E. (1998). Furusato: Tacoma-Pierce County Japanese 1888-1988, Nikkeijinkai: Tacoma Japanese Community Service.
- Sandercock, Leonie (1998). Making the Invisible Visible: A Multicultural Planning History, University of California Press, ISBN: 0-520-20735-1.
