Vancouver Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services (VPRCS) will host a free park naming celebration at 7 p.m. Friday, July 15 at Nikkei Neighborhood Park (N.E. 52nd St. and N.E. 137th Ave.). The event will feature Japanese storytelling by Alton Takiyama-Chung, a performance from Portland Taiko and live music from the Minidoka Swing Band.
A committee comprised of Vancouver residents and VPRCS staff researched a broad range of potential park names that would highlight the history of Vancouver. The committee narrowed the list to three options and the final name was selected by neighbors who live near the park through an online poll. The new park’s name was adopted by Vancouver City Council on Sept. 27, 2021, but a celebration was put on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Nikkei is a Japanese word used to identify the community of Japanese emigrants and their descendants. The name Nikkei Park was chosen to honor the Japanese American truck farmers who grew crops in the early 1900s in the area where the park is now located. Truck farmers were a vital part of the local food supply. By 1930, 47 percent of truck farmers in Clark County were Japanese American.
During World War II, Vancouver’s Japanese American farmers were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to “internment” prison camps. Of the 19 Japanese American households on record in Clark County in 1940, only one moved back after release from the prison camps. That family was required to buy their land back from its caretaker and start over from scratch.
Selecting the name Nikkei Park is a way to remember the families that experienced this great injustice and honor their legacy with a place that is filled with beauty, joy and a sense of belonging. Watch a video highlighting the history of Japanese truck farmers.
Parking is limited and free overflow parking is available at nearby Image Elementary School (5201 NE 131st Ave.). Carpooling, ridesharing, and biking is also recommended where possible. Immediately following the naming celebration, the park will host a free movie screening of the animated film “Sing 2.” Attendees are encouraged to pack a picnic and spend the evening enjoying the beauty of Nikkei Park.
Source:https://www.cityofvancouver.us/parksrecculture/page/new-park-name-honors-nikkei-truck-farmers-clark-county
