Crossing the Line Japanese American History in Mesa, Arizona By Emily Jex Boyle
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red Rogers says, “All of us, at some time or other, need help… each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors, in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.” According to the Mesa Historical Museum, by the 1900s Mesa was one of Arizona’s first Japanese American communities. Kurataro Ishikawa from Hiroshima came to farm. Once settled, he sent for his wife-to-be, Hatsuno Taniguchi. Owning land wasn’t an option for non-citizen immigrants at that time.
Ishikawa’s grandson CK Sato explains, “George Rogers offered to buy the land for Kurataro and he paid Rogers for it. When the Ishikawa children turned 18, Rogers promised to deed the property to them, and he did.” Considering Roger’s impact, Sato reflects, “It’s always been amazing to me.” One son and six daughters were born into the Ishikawa family in Lehi. Their family successfully farmed and sold cantaloupe, cabbage, tomatoes, and onions. “Back then,” Sato recalls, “Lehi was not close to the town of Mesa. We were out there!” In 1932, their oldest son, Jiro
Photo by CK Sato
Kurataro and son Jiro (Zedo) Ishikawa riding through town with a load of cabbage.
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Hatsuno Ishikawa, wife of Kurataro Ishikawa, and their children.
“Zedo”, was a running back on the varsity football team at Mesa High School, one of Arizona’s oldest schools. One night before a rivalry game against Gilbert, Zedo died tragically attempting to break up a dog fight near his home. His mother was en route home from Japan and never had the chance to say goodbye. The community mourned alongside the Ishikawa family. Ninetyyears later, evidence of Zedo’s courage and legacy lives on in the Mesa Public School District. As years passed, the Ishikawa’s second generation worked the land, including Sally Ishikawa and her husband, Paul Hirohata, who changed his name to Ishikawa to carry on the family name. Following the Japanese bombing of
Photo by CK Sato
Pearl Harbor in December 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. March 21, 1942, marked the beginning of internment and relocation for Japanese Americans living within the exclusion area in the western states and Hawaii. Nearly 120,000 residents were interned until 1944. Shizue (Susie) Sato’s mother married Carl Sato, a farmer from El Centro in 1941. “After the executive order,” Sato tells, “my parents left California and came to Mesa to be in the safe zone.” Due to their location, the Ishikawa family was not required to relocate nor lose their homestead. “In Arizona,” Sato explains, “the exclusion line was Main Street in Mesa continuing west to Phoenix. This line certainly restricted daily life. If crossed, they could be sent to an internment camp. John Ishikawa explains, “Throughout the war, when Dad (Paul Ishikawa) had deliveries to Phoenix, someone from the community was kind enough to make the deliveries for him.” Such kindness was not solitary. Mesa High School was located beyond the exclusion line, hindering Mary Ishikawa from attending. Teachers and students brought schoolwork to her. “Mesa is an interesting collection of cultures,” John says, “Our family was always accepted by the community, Mesa and Old Lehi were very supportive.” For more information about Japanese American history in Mesa visit: https://www.mesahistoricalmuseum. com/
