Although Asians and Pacific Islanders have been an integral part of Los Angeles life since the mid-19th century – even amidst appalling acts of racism, from the Chinese massacre of 1871 to the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII – this anemic list reveals how slow L.A. developers and bureaucrats have been to honor them with street names. Hopefully one day that will change. Until then, here’s what I’ve found.
- Admiral Avenue (Del Rey, Marina del Rey). Originally Admiral Togo Avenue, for Japanese Navy commander Togo Heihachiro.
- Alcyona Drive (Hollywood Hills). Misnamed for the pseudonym (“Alcyone”) of Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti.
- Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Street (DTLA). For the Space Shuttle Challenger crew member.
- Judge John Aiso Street (DTLA). For a Burbank-born WWII officer and judge.
- Kagawa Street (Pacific Palisades). For Japanese Christian activist Toyohiko Kagawa.
- Linda Way (Culver City). For Linda Crank, the half-Tongan daughter of a Culver City developer.
- Mei Ling Way (Chinatown). For Soon Mei-ling, a.k.a. Madame Chiang Kai-shek. (See this entry for other laneways named for Chinese Nationalists.)
- Minoru Drive (Altadena). Quite indirectly named for Minoru Eida, whose father designed a Japanese garden in Ireland.
- Toyo Miyatake Way (DTLA). For a Little Tokyo (and Manzanar) photographer.