A Japanese American family that has lived in their home for a century must vacate by June 1 for a parking lot, reports KABC.
The Yuge family lived at the home thanks to the generosity of philanthropist and cereal magnate William Kellogg.
Hanjiro Yuge worked at the Scripps-Kellogg estate, known as Scripps Hall, in Altadena near Los Angeles.
William built a home for Hanjiro to live in and the Yuge family has occupied it for 100 years.
Like other Japanese American families, the Yuges were forced to leave their home due to the forced evacuation into incarceration camps, but Kellogg hired the Yuges back after the war and insisted the family return to the home.
A rare Torrey pine tree planted by the family in 1920 still sits on the property.
“For me, it symbolizes the relationship between the Kelloggs and the Yuges, between Mr. Kellogg and my father,” Cindy Yuge said.
Kellogg donated his property to the Scripps home in the 1980 with the condition the Yuges be allowed to stay there. In 1985, Scripps sold the entire estate to the Pasadena Waldorf School. The school agreed to allow the Yuges to stay until the parents died.
That happened several months ago and now the family must move out by June 1 to make way for a drive way and parking lot.
You can learn more about this unique relationship between Kellogg and the Yuge family and a last ditch effort to save the home in the story below from David Ono.
RE: Japanese American family befriended by William Kellogg forced to leave family home: Hi there,
I’m sorry, but that report on KABC was total BS. David Ono should be ashamed of himself. I’m a parent at Pasadena Waldorf, and I know, the Yuges have always been treated with respect and kindness. Their story is well known by the parents and the students. The Yuges are the reason Japanese is studied by our students, and the reason the middle schoolers learn and perform with taiko drums.
There was an agreement between the Kellogg family and Takeo Yuge, that he and his wife could live on, and use the grounds of the Scripps Estate. The school honored that agreement.
It’s disheartening to see one news organization do some shoddy reporting and have it spread all over the Internet.
Thank you for your time.