City Of San LeandroCity of San Leandro
Public Information Office
City Hall
835 East 14th Street
San Leandro, CA 94577
Phone: 510.577.3351
Fax: 510.577.3340
http://www.sanleandro.org

7/11/2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE #CM2012-07-11
Subject :

San Leandro Library Hosts Japantown Field Trip Sponsored by the California Reads Program
Contact :Mary Beth Barloga    (510) 577-3991
    mbarloga@sanleandro.org
The San Leandro Public library is offering a field trip to Japantown in San Jose on August 18, as a part of the CALIFORNIA READS 2012 program. The trip will include transportation, a tour of the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, Japantown landmarks and historic buildings, the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin and a bento box lunch for a fee of $30. Tickets are available for in-person purchase after 12:00 pm at the Main Library Reference desk.

CALIFORNIA READS is a statewide reading and discussion program developed by Cal Humanities in collaboration with the California Center for the Book and with the support of the California State Library. The theme of the program is "Searching for Democracy." It is designed to animate public conversation on the nature and needs of democracy.  For the read, the library has chosen the book Farewell to Manzanar about Japanese-American internment during World War II.

The Japantown trip will include a tour of the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, housed in a building modeled after a rural Japanese farmhouse. Its unique collection highlights how Japanese Americans have struggled in their adaptation and contributions over the past century. The permanent exhibit includes farm and community life, a range of World War II experiences including evacuation, incarceration, military service and post war resettlement. Visitors can experience the conditions of a relocation center in an exact replica of the Tule Lake barracks. The Japanese American Museum of San Jose displays the largest collection of farm equipment of the Issei (Japanese immigrant generation) and the Nisei (first born in the U.S.).

Japantown is one of the three remaining in the United States. The tour consists of 29 historic sites both commercial and cultural. Some of the sites to be visited are The Original Dobashi Market (1922), Ishikawa Dry Goods Store (1906), San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin (1902) and the Hori Midwifery Site (1915).

Tours will be led by docents who will share memorable stories of this amazing community from the early 1900's to today. What a great way to spend an August day! For more information, call Addie Silveira and Mary Beth Barloga at 510-577-3991 or email asilveira@sanleandro.org.

About San Leandro

A diverse community of nearly 85,000 residents, San Leandro maintains a safe, small town feel, while offering a wide range of shopping, dining, recreation amenities, miles of shoreline, and easy access to nearby regional parks and nature areas.  

Located in the center of the San Francisco Bay Area, San Leandro enjoys close proximity to the Oakland International Airport and Port of Oakland, and is served by two major freeways and two BART stations.  Through a public-private partnership known as Lit San Leandro, an eleven-mile fiber optic loop is under construction in the city's large industrial and commercial zone.  Lit San Leandro will assist a new set of businesses to leverage San Leandro’s assets and become industry leaders in the data revolution.  Further information about Lit San Leandro can be found at http://www.litsanleandro.com/.

Visit the City’s website at www.sanleandro.org for more information on the City’s programs and services.  To register to automatically receive press releases, meeting agendas or other electronic notifications, go to http://www.sanleandro.org/portal/default.asp.

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