Mrs. Iku Kiriyama

Held concurrently will be beginning writing and intermediate writing classes led by Iku Kiriyama of JAHSSC and editor and novelist Naomi Hirahara, respectively.
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Kiriyama, a retired teacher with Los Angeles Unified School District, taught English at the secondary level and various subjects in Adult Education, served as a teacher advisor on the Human Relations Education Commission, and worked as a teacher advisor in Title I compliance in the District 7 local district office. Active with JAHSSC, she has been involved in the creation of the organization's Nanka Nikkei Voices anthology series.
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For more information, e-mail bachi (at) naomihirahara.com, write Midori Books, P.O. Box 60614, Pasadena, CA 91116, or call Iku at (310) 326-0608.

But his wife of nearly 36 years, Iku, said Kiriyama's life was "not really about politics."His role as a mentor and educator in the region's Japanese-American community will be his legacy, she said.

"To the day he died, he was doing things for the community," said Iku Kiriyama, who co-founded the Japanese American Historical Society of Southern California with her husband."Wherever we went, to the market or to a restaurant, people would call out to him."

Born in 1931 in West Los Angeles, Kiriyama was himself a product of the Los Angeles Unified school system.During World War II he spent more than three years at an internment camp, but returned to Los Angeles and graduated from University High School in 1950.

"I came out with scars, but I still think this is the greatest country in the world," he told the Daily Breeze in 1995.

During the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Air Force.He earned a bachelor's degree in U.S. history from UCLA, a teaching credential from USC and a master's degree in school administration from Pepperdine University.

His 39-year career in the Los Angeles Unified School District was capped by a five-year stint as principal of Gardena Adult School.

During his tenure on the school board, Kiriyama was credited with introducing a character-education program, helping restore music and art classes at schools, opening the Wilmington Skills Center, and voting for teacher salary increases and against spending $100 million on the beleaguered Belmont High School project.

He was at times criticized for his quiet and understated style during a period of district upheaval and secession threats from parent groups in Carson, Gardena and Lomita.But his supporters said that one-on-one, Kiriyama was someone they could count on.

With a standing room only attendance of 124, the special guest speaker for the seminar was Iku Kiriyama of the Japanese American Historical Society of Southern California. Mrs. Kiriyama presented information on building a document box of vital files for the benefit of survivors. She shared her experiences of the difficulties she encountered after her husband, George, passed away. She provided tips and suggestions that could help surviving family members at a difficult time.

Mrs. Kiriyama's box was organized into the following general categories:
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The VJCC Committee on Caregiving expresses its appreciation to Mrs. Kiriyama for taking her own difficult personal experiences dealing with the paperwork when a spouse dies and using them to create an education program to help give attendees foresight from her hindsight.

The special guest speaker will be Iku Kiriyama of the Japanese American Historical Society of Southern California. You will learn how to build a document file for the benefit of survivors. Iku will share her experiences of the difficulties she encountered after her husband, George, passed away. She will provide tips and suggestions that will later help surviving family members at a difficult time.