A Home for Little Friends

This year, our goal is to secure a permanent home for NLF. The Capital Campaign is a concerted effort to achieve this goal, and we invite you to help by submitting a pledge.

For a larger view of this effort and the history behind the current dispute with the SF YWCA, please read further.

The 1830 Sutter Street Building Dispute

Summary

Since 1996, the Japanese-American community has been in dispute with the San Francisco YWCA over the ownership of the 1830 Sutter Street building, the former home of the Japanese YWCA. This dispute has led the Soko Bukai, an association of three Japanese Christian churches, to sue the SF YWCA to regain community ownership of the building after the YWCA attempted to sell the building.

The Japanese-American community believes that the SF YWCA holds only paper title to the property. In 1921, the SF YWCA agreed to acquire the property, with funds from the Japanese-American community, and to hold it in trust for the Japanese YWCA. Today, the SF YWCA denies that any trust ever existed, although the most compelling evidence comes from its own board of directors meeting minutes.

Historical Background

In the early 1900’s when segregation policies were prevalent and consistent with the times, the SF YWCA policies would not allow "Chinese, Japanese, or colored girls" to use its main facilities.

In 1912, in order to provide much needed services to the increasing number of immigrant Japanese women and girls, a group of Issei (immigrant) women form the Soko Bukai formed the Japanese YWCA. The Soko Bukai was an association of three Japanese Christian churches. The Japanese YWCA initially rented space for their programs but they quickly needed more space.

In 1920-21, the Japanese YWCA identified the 1830 Sutter building to buy since it was a larger and more permanent place for their programs. However, in 1913, California had enacted the racist Alien Land Laws that prohibited all Asian immigrants from owning property.

So to circumvent the law, the Japanese YWCA requested the SF YWCA to hold title to the property. To its credit, the SF YWCA board agreed to hold the property "in trust" for the Japanese YWCA’s "permanent use" and helped obtain financing. The Japanese YWCA raised the initial down payment and ultimately paid the full purchase price.

The Japanese YWCA used the original 1830 Sutter building until they also outgrew the space. The Japanese YWCA decided to construct a bigger building on the property. Renowned architect Julia Morgan volunteered her services to design the new building in a Japanese style, which included employing a Japanese carpenter and building a traditional "Japanese room", a Noh theater stage in the auditorium, and a Japanese outdoor garden. The Japanese YWCA used the new building as a residence hall and to provide many social and educational programs until World War II.

In 1942, the entire Japanese-American community was torn apart by the interment of all persons of Japanese ancestry during W.W.II. After the war, the Japanese YWCA did not reform. The Japanese-American community had been devastated by the internment. Many Japanese-American, including the pre-war leaders of the Japanese YWCA, did not return to San Francisco and the YWCA adopted and integration policy. With the passing of the Japanese YWCA’s founders, knowledge of the trust created in 1920-21 was lost until recently…

In 1996, the SF YWCA decided to sell the building and evict the tenants, including NLF. The Japanese-American community was outraged and this led to faint memories of a trust. This prompted a community leader to research this from the SF YWCA’s own board of director’s meeting minutes. The minutes revealed the presence of the trust. The SF YWCA steadfastly denied the presence of a trust and so a lawsuit was file to resolve the issue.

Current Status of the Lawsuit against the SF YWCA

In 1997, the Soko Bukai filed a lawsuit on the behalf of the Japanese-American community to regain ownership of the building after the YWCA attempted to sell the building.

The SF YWCA has continued to maintain that there is no trust and it is the rightful owner of the building. Because of the lawsuit’s importance to the community and its civil rights implications, prominent law firms have donated legal services. But even with donated legal services, taking the case to trial is expensive and the Soko Bukai is hoping to settle the case out of court.

NLF is currently negotiating the purchase of the building from SF YWCA. The Soko Bukai has selected NLF to become the new owner and trustee, because NLF provides a critical community service. Also, NLF has a stable 24-year history and has operated a preschool in the 1830 Sutter building for over 15 years.

In addition, NLF’s mission is consistent with the purpose of the Japanese YWCA trust, which provided services to Japanese women and girls. If a purchase is negotiated with NLF, the Soko Bukai will settle the pending lawsuit against the SF YWCA.

NLF plans to continue its childcare program at the site as well as continuing to house the Harrison Out-of-School Program, a 30-year program which serves mainly African-American youth. NLF also anticipates moving its administration offices into this building and providing opportunities for community use of the facilities.

In order to settle the lawsuit, NLF has agreed to maintain the 1830 Sutter building for its historic and architectural heritage in the community for future generations.

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