WASHINGTON — Rep. Dave Min (D-Costa Mesa) on Sept. 16 introduced legislation to designate the U.S. Postal Service facility located in Irvine as the “Mary Kageyama Nomura Post Office Building,” honoring the life and legacy of Mary Kageyama Nomura, widely known as the “Songbird of Manzanar.”
If enacted, the legislation would make the Irvine facility the first U.S. post office named in honor of a Japanese American who was incarcerated during World War II at a concentration camp.
“Mary Kageyama Nomura lived through one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history, but she never allowed that injustice to extinguish her hope or her commitment to others,” said Min. “At Manzanar, her music brought comfort and joy to a community that had been stripped of its freedom and dignity simply because of its ancestry.
“Naming this Irvine post office in her honor is a small but meaningful way to preserve her extraordinary legacy of resilience, hope, and community for generations to come.”
Born in Los Angeles in 1925, Nomura was a teenager when the U.S. entered World War II. After losing both of their parents within four years, Nomura and her siblings were living on their own in Venice when the federal government forcibly incarcerated them at the Manzanar War Relocation Center along with thousands of other Japanese Americans.
While incarcerated, Nomura became known for her remarkable singing voice. Her performances offered moments of joy and comfort amid the hardship of camp life, earning her the enduring nickname “Songbird of Manzanar.”
Following the war, Nomura and her husband built a life in Orange County, opening Shi’s Fish Mart in Garden Grove. She remained deeply involved in the Southern California Japanese American community and continued singing and participating in Manzanar reunions throughout her life. Nomura passed away earlier this year at the age of 100.
Min’s legislation is supported by Reps. Mike Thompson (D-Santa Rosa), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Maxine Waters (D-Gardena), Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), Mark Takano (D-Riverside), Judy Chu (D-Pasadena), Mike Levin (D-Carlsbad), Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), Linda Sánchez (D-Whittier), Derek Tran (D-Cypress), Darrell Issa (R-Escondido), Celeste Maloy (R-Utah), James Gallagher (R-Yuba City), Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-Northern Mariana Islands), Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-American Samoa), Brad Finstad (R-Minn.), Young Kim (R-Yorba Linda), Ken Calvert (R-Corona), and Kevin Kiley (I-Rocklin).