A Royal Tradition
A Nisei Week tradition continued with the 35th annual Queens Reunion, held on Aug. 11 at the Japanese American National Museum. The reunion was started by Em Kato Yamada (1952), and she has continued to lead the reunions, along with Sandy Toshiyuki (1976). This year, Tish Okabe Kato and Tracy Isawa Ahn were announced as the new reunion co-chairs.
The first luncheon was held at what was then the New Otani Hotel. Dr. Fred Kurata hosts the annual luncheon with catering provided by Cherrysones Restaurant.
Seated from left: Helen Funai Erickson (1963); France Yanai Wong (1962); Stella Nakadate Matsuda (1955); Penny Akemi Tani Sakoda (1960); Em Kato Yamada (1952); Sandy Toshiyuki (1976); Faith Higurashi Ono (1959); Dianne Kubota Hamano (1961); Carol Kunitsugu Itatani (1965); Tracy Isawa Ahn (1983)
Standing from left: Tish Okabe Kato (1985); Nikki Kodama (2004); Lauren Kinkade Wong (2001); Lauren Iwata Hui (2013); Sara Hutter (2015); Jordyn Adachi (2017); Jaclyn Tomita (2016); Steffanie Tamehiro Takahashi (2005); Alice Amano (2018); Naomi Ono Sognefest (1993); Jamie Mizuhara Sakamoto (2002); Janet Barnes Cubak (1982); Joann Shin Cordeiro (1996); Liane Takano Pham (2006); Tori Nishinaka-Leon (2014); Jill Hiraizumi-Artino (2008)
2019 Court, standing in back from left: Princess Ariel Imamoto; Princess Emily Ishida; Mia Lopez, First Princess; 2019 Nisei Week Queen Juli Yoshinaga; Kara Ito, Miss Tomodachi; Princess Marika Gotschall; Princess Kayla Igawa and 2019 Nisei Week President David Yamahata.
From the first Queens Reunion in 1984:
Seated from left: Joyce Kikuchi Sumi (1971); Dianne Kubota Hamano (1961); Em Kato Yamada (1952): Tracy Isawa Ahn (1983); Judy Sugita de Queiros (1953); Dulcie Ogi Kawata (1975); Sandy Toshiyuki (1976)
Standing from left: Joanne Uehara Masuda (1967); France Yanai Wong (1962); Jo Ann Uyemura Yamashiro (1970); Frances Shima Matsumoto (1981); Phyllis Ono Imamoto (1956); Carol Kunitsugu Itatani (1965); Terri Hokoda Tamaru (1949); June Aochi Berk (1954); Toni Sakamoto Noda (1969); Janet Barnes Cubak (1982); Hedy Posey (1980)
Photos by MARIO GERSHOM REYES/Rafu Shimpo