NVC Foundation Japanese American Memorial Wall

Born: January 4, 1887 in Furukawa, Miyagi-ken, Japan
Died: January 25, 1967 in Seattle, Washington, USA

Meiji 29 (1896) March – Graduated from Elementary School in Morioka
Meiji 32 (1899) March – Graduated from Junior High School
Meiji 35 (1902) March – Graduated from Tohoku Women’s High School
Meiji 39 (1906) September – Graduated from Sendai Women’s School
Meiji 40 (1907) March – Entered Tokyo Yotsuya Nursing Training School (Jesuit origins)
Meiji 42 (1909) September – Graduated from Tokyo Fu Kyoikukai Fuzoku

In March 1909 (Meiji 42), she received a certificate of Kindergarten teacher from the Iwate Prefecture. While living in Kure, Hiroshima-ken in November 1925, Kuni received a certificate from the City of Kure to become the Principal of the Kindergarten. Finally in June 1928 (Showa 3), Kuni Wada received a New Kindergarten teacher’s certificate from Hiroshima-ken.

Masahiko Wada married Kuni Anazawa on 29 November 1909 in Morioka, Iwate-Ken.

In June 1931, Mrs. Kuni Wada came to the USA with the rest of the Wada family - Michihiko, Midori, and Yasushi. They joined the rest of the family at Gardena Baptist church parsonage.

On March 13, 1942, the FBI executed an arrest warrant under emergency authorization from the Assistant US Attorney Leo Silverstein. As stated in the warrant, the charges against Kuni Wada were for “being a dangerous alien engaging in subversive activities.” The warrant stated that Mrs. Wada was a teacher at the Upland Kyosei-Kai Japanese Language School in Laguna which was indirectly controlled by the Japanese Gov’t by approving the books it used.

Mrs. Wada was transferred from LA County jail on March 14th to Terminal Island Federal prison then, after several months, sent to be “interned” at Seagoville, Texas. All of the Wada children were sent to different internment camps. Michihiko was sent to Heart Mountain, WY, 14-8-24(?). Yasushi Wada, a Gardena High graduate and Univ. of Redlands student, was sent to Poston, AZ, Block 14-14-D until his parents and missionary friends were able to get him into Eastern Baptist Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. Midori, who was going to Pomona City College, went to Santa Anita and then Amache, 12K-12E, with the Homma family.

An Enemy Alien Hearing Board (4-17-42) and Attorney General Review (5-20-42) did not believe the facts presented warranted a change in status and denied request to rejoin her family. They stated, “She is a woman of far more than average education and is an active Japanese language teacher.” Page 2 also concluded that this case should not be considered a hardship because the children are mature. On May 31, 1943, Mrs. Kuni Wada was transferred to Crystal City, Texas internment camp after several petitions from the American Baptist Assoc. Rev. and Mrs. Wada were reunited in Crystal City, Texas for a few weeks prior to being paroled to Amache Internment Camp in Colorado where the Homma family and Midori Wada were being held. Ruth Hara, a Wada cousin from Morioka, was also at Amache in Block 12.

On September 7, 1945 after WWII, Rev. and Mrs. Wada along with the Homma family relocated to Seattle, Washington. Rev. Wada became the senior pastor of Japanese Baptist Church in Seattle. The Wada and Homma families lived in the church parsonage.