Change has always been rapid and rapid in Little Tokyo. As one of Los Angeles’ oldest neighborhoods, it has changed shape over the past 140 years under the forces of urban renewal and gentrification, as well as the unjust incarceration of its residents over time. of war.
In recent years, evictions, closures and relocations of businesses that were once staples of the community have continued. The forced relocation of Suehiro Café recently sparked a street protest, drawing attention to the disappearance of establishments that were once anchors of this historic community.
Citing the need to safeguard the identity of one of Los Angeles’ most culturally distinct neighborhoods, the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced Wednesday that Little Tokyo had been designated as one of the 11 most endangered historic places in the world. America.
“We hope that by calling attention to the displacement and gentrification occurring in the neighborhood, Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo can garner the necessary support and policy protections so that the community can thrive in the long term,” he said. said Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the trust.
Little Tokyo joins, among other sites, the Texas home of country singer Cindy Walker, a lighthouse on the Hudson River, a sugar plantation in the U.S. Virgin Islands and one of the nation’s first all-black municipalities, Eatonville, Florida .
The designation of Little Tokyo, which comes as the downtown Los Angeles neighborhood is about to celebrate its 140th anniversary, is the result of the efforts of Sustainable Little Tokyo, a broad coalition of local interests that includes the Museum Japanese National and the Little Tokyo Community Council.
Kristin Fukushima, executive director of the Little Tokyo Community Council, sees the trust’s decision as “another step in a long journey to view preservation as a tool for survival, securing our future and combating displacement.”
“It doesn’t come with guarantees or funding,” she said, “but it does provide us with a national platform to showcase our neighborhood.” »
Since 1988, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has published an annual list of sites—homes, neighborhoods, and even highways—that are vulnerable to redevelopment and that “illustrate the complexities and challenges that have always been part of what it means to be American.” » Many of these places – often landmarks in ethnic communities – have been neglected or ignored.
Last year’s list included Philadelphia’s Chinatown, which Fukushima said helped inspire Little Tokyo’s bid.
In granting this status, the trust looks for places of historical significance “that tell the whole story of American history,” Quillen said, and that, among other criteria, offer a solution: “a path to bringing the site to life so that “it becomes the center of activity that they are looking for.” preserve it, I want it to be.
This year, Quillen said, the trust received 111 letters of intent from 40 states and territories; 28 were advanced to the next round and of them, 11 were selected.
In describing Little Tokyo’s bid, Quillen specifically highlighted the vision the Sustainable Little Tokyo coalition has for its future.
“Their initiatives are policy-oriented,” she said, and include expanding the city’s legacy business program; giving the community a voice in new development projects; and preserve cultural heritage, while serving the current community.
“It is not a place where we freeze in amber, but rather seeks to create a dynamic and living Little Tokyo, serving the communities of the present through this rich cultural heritage,” he said. she declared.
The Sustainable Little Tokyo coalition hopes the endangered status will draw attention to the fragile nature of the neighborhood, which is home to 400 small businesses facing pressures from development in the area. Fifty of them are considered “historic companies”, that is to say at least 20 years old.
Between 2008 and 2023, at least 50 businesses 10 years or older closed or moved due to rising rents, according to the Little Tokyo Service Center, which is fighting for more control over development that would provide more affordable housing , cultural centers and green spaces. the spaces.
“We would have had more legacy businesses if we hadn’t lost so many over the years,” Fukushima said.
Suehiro Cafe’s First Street location is one of the most recent casualties — the restaurant now operates at 4th and Main streets — but it’s not the only one. Little Tokyo Arts & Gifts closed its doors, as did convenience store Family Mart. Anzen Hardware is moving to a building down the street. Little Tokyo Cosmetics was forced to leave on the eve of its fifth anniversary. Shabu Shabu House – the first restaurant of its kind in the United States – also closed its doors after 32 years.
The neighborhood has been particularly hard hit by Metro’s Regional Connector project, with its construction delays, and by the effect that transit projects often have on the cost of rental properties.
“Little Tokyo faces a number of existential threats that are driving changes to the neighborhood, including rising rents and the eviction of small businesses,” said Kristen Hayashi, curator of the Japanese American National Museum.
Hayashi cites among those threats not only the pressures of gentrification and the regional connector project, but also the city’s plan to replace the former LAPD headquarters, Parker Center.
“Saving Little Tokyo is really daunting,” said Fukushima, who is adding a $2 billion megaproject in the arts district to his list of concerns.
“We talk to some community members who have been doing this work for 50 years, and there is a weariness,” she said. “They ask, ‘What can we do about this?’ The gears are in motion. How can we stop these broader impacts that other communities have been unable to do anything about? But the story of Little Tokyo is rooted in a stubbornness that won’t allow us to give up.”
Hayashi argues that Little Tokyo’s importance to Los Angeles extends beyond its borders.
“Why should we care about Little Tokyo? ” she asked. “In addition to being at the heart of Los Angeles’ Japanese-American community, it reflects the diversity that has always characterized this city. It represents a time in the city’s history when housing conventions dictated where Japanese Americans could live, and it became their refuge from discrimination, a place that gave them a taste from their home.
Although its footprint has shrunk over the years, Hayashi is confident the community will endure.
“This community cares too much,” she said. “We’re trying to sustain Little Tokyo, preserve its history and make sure people don’t forget the roots of the place.”
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