Fonds F010 - Shirley Yamada fonds

Shirley Yamada was born September 28, 1941 in Cumberland, B.C. Her mother, Nancy Sumako Yamada (nee Kanemochi) was born in Skeena River, B.C. (1915-1965), while her father Henry Iwao Yamada was born in Hawaii (1905-N/A), traveled to Japan, then later immigrated to Canada. Henry worked as a logger at the Deep Bay Logging Co. in Fanny Bay, B.C. At 6 months old, Shirley and her family were sent to Grand Forks, B.C. a self-supporting site. She would later move to Toronto, ON and become a teacher. The 1977 Centennial of the first Japanese to settle in Canada was a well celebrated event in Toronto. Shirley joined the JC Centennial Society as a secretary and helped organize newsletters to distribute information about the project across the country. She became an integral member of the NAJC and human rights activist.