Day 335: Ozawa Boarding Houses, Los Angeles, California

📌APIA Every Day (335) - The Ozawa Boarding Houses, established in the early 20th century, include the only pre-war Japanese boarding house in L.A. that remains in operation. Comprising two buildings—the still-active Ozawa House and the adjacent Joyce House—these residences provided support to early Japanese Americans facing housing discrimination and racist immigration policies in California. For over 100 years and counting in the case of the Ozawa home, the boarding houses have served as important cultural centers, allowing immigrant residents to find community and stability in an unfamiliar country. 

During the early 1900s, as the first wave of Japanese immigrants arrived in California, many began settling in ethnic enclaves throughout Los Angeles. In 1914, Tsyua and Sukesaka Ozawa purchased a house in the emerging neighborhood of J Flats. As the Japanese population in the area grew, the Ozawas and their adjacent neighbor converted their homes into boarding houses to meet the demand for affordable housing. In addition to providing affordable residential units, the buildings also contained employment agencies that helped Japanese community members find jobs. 

By 1942, the Ozawas were operating both boarding houses, primarily housing single men who worked as local gardeners, farmers, and laborers. During World War II, the Ozawas were incarcerated at Heart Mountain, Wyoming, while a neighbor maintained operation of their homes in their absence. After the war, the buildings offered shelter and support to any returning community members struggling with displacement. The Ozawas also supported new business developments in the community, contributing to the construction of a neighborhood Judo Dojo and Japanese language school. They continued managing the boarding houses through the 1980s and expanded their reach by purchasing an additional four properties in J Flats. 

In 2021, the last Japanese family managing the boarding houses sold the buildings to a local developer. In response, the current residents of the Ozawa house formed a Tenants Association to advocate for the continued protection and maintenance of their home. Meanwhile, local neighbor Lindsay Mulcahy began an application to designate the boarding houses as a historic-cultural monument. Throughout the year, however, the residents struggled with habitability issues caused by the new landlord and ongoing construction. At this point in time, only seven elderly tenants remained in the 23-room boarding house. 

In 2022, the nomination passed and the two Ozawa Boarding Houses were officially designated as a Los Angeles historic-cultural monument. Today, a few elderly Japanese men still live in the Ozawa House. While the building is now safe from demolition threats, the tenants still worry about possible eviction amid growing gentrification in the area. Despite this challenge, local community members and advocacy organizations continue to support the remaining residents, working to preserve the boarding houses as living symbols of resilience and community in L.A.

Written by Avneet Dhaliwal

LEARN MORE:

Los Angeles Conservancy: Ozawa Boarding House 

The Fight for L.A.'s Last Japanese Boarding House 

LA Times: L.A.’s last Japanese boardinghouse is safe, for now. Elderly tenants still worry

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