Alan Nishio, 78 (Beloved Civil Rights and Community Leader)

Alan Takeshi Nishio was a **beloved civil rights and community leader** who dedicated his life to the welfare and recognition of the Japanese American community in the United States. He was born on August 9, 1945, in the Manzanar concentration camp, California, and grew up in the Venice-Mar Vista area of Los Angeles¹. Nishio received his B.A. in political science from UC Berkeley in 1966 and his M.A. in public administration from the University of Southern California in 1968¹. He completed a certificate program in Asian studies at Sophia University in Tokyo in 1972¹.

Nishio played an instrumental role in the fight for Japanese Americans to attain redress and an apology from the government for their wartime incarceration as founder and co-chair of the National Coalition for Redress/Reparations (NCRR)¹. His leadership from 1980-90 assisted in the enactment of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 and greatly enhanced the public’s understanding of Japanese Americans and their unique history, challenges, and triumphs¹. He testified before the federal Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians in Los Angeles in 1981 and was a speaker at Day of Remembrance observances in both Southern and Northern California¹.

As a leader of the Little Tokyo People’s Rights Organization (LTPRO), Nishio assisted residents and small businesses that were displaced by redevelopment carried out by the city and large corporations in the 1970s and early 1980s¹. LTPRO and Japanese Community Progressive Alliance in San Francisco teamed up to produce a newspaper, the Nikkei Sentinel¹.

Alan Nishio passed away on December 27, 2023, at his home in Gardena, surrounded by family, after battling cancer for more than 17 years¹. He was 78 years old. His legacy will continue to inspire and guide the Japanese American community and beyond²³.

Source: Conversation with Bing, 1/11/2024
(1) OBITUARY: Alan Nishio, 78; Beloved Civil Rights and Community Leader. https://rafu.com/2024/01/obituary-alan-nishio-78-beloved-civil-rights-and-community-leader/.
(2) Remembering Alan Nishio (1945-2023) Visual Communications. https://vcmedia.org/latest-news/2024/1/9/remembering-alan-nishio-1945-2023.
(3) JANM Mourns the Passing of Alan Nishio. https://www.janm.org/press/release/janm-mourns-passing-alan-nishio.