Kimi Sugiyama Human Services Award

The Kimi Sugiyama Human Service Award was established in 2002 by the family of the late Kimi Sugiyama, a pioneer member of the Japanese (Grace) Presbyterian Church of Long Beach. Unusual for her generation in being able to speak both Japanese and English fluently, she was a pivotal person in the Japanese American community in Long Beach. Though not a lawyer, she studied law at USC, and combined her training and her facility in language to advocate for labor rights and human rights on behalf of Japanese workers and immigrants.  She and others also started a Japanese community center to teach language and culture, which continues today as the Long Beach Japanese Cultural Center.

In 1988, Kimi received the Kunsho Award from the Japanese government for her lifelong commitment to the Nisei community.  She returned to her creator in 1996.

Sugiyama Award Recipients

2004      Dr. Raymond & Sharon Sugiyama

2005      Frances Kobata

2006      Victor Fukuhara, Dr. Audrey Yamagata-Noji

2007      Carol Tamanaha, Dr. Mas Takeshita

2008      Amy Tsubokawa, Mae Yamagata

2009      Aiko Takeshita

2010       Irene McReynolds

2011        Dan Barackman, Mary Buck

2012 Judy Goodrich, Beverly Yamagata

2013 Shirlee & Timothy Jackert

2014 Maderia Bruton, Eunice Sato

2015 Randy Tubbs, Barbara Lai

2016 Alfred Mitsuo Higa, Susan & Edward Craig

2017 Roger Kobata, Cheryl Morse

2018 Agnes Hikida, Terry Hopper

2019  Linda Kishiyama, Bill Saul

2020  Geri Kornmann, Rudy & Ineke Rosier

2021 - 2022 Rick Hind, Hatsune & Kats Izumi,

Grace Kim, Cheryl White

2023 Joyce Okazaki, David and Stacy Rosales