This kind of story pops up a lot in Pasadena. My favorite plant nursery was owned by a Japanese family beginning in 1923; when they were interned, Mexican neighbors ran it for two years. They handed it right back to the Takemuras when they returned to run it– for another 50 years. It's still there.
Emily J. Edwards
Jackie Robinson grew up in a diverse Pasadena neighborhood, & when one of those neighbors, his baseball teammate Shig Takayama, was incarcerated at Manzanar with his family, the Robinsons helped take care of their home. For my new column, a story of the worst & best of America through baseball. 🗃️
Jackie Robinson can help us better remember a largely forgotten teammate and childhood friend, Shigeo “Shig” Takayama, and the connections between African American and Japanese American baseball.
