Wayne M. Kanemoto

Wayne M. Kanemoto Who became the first Japanese-American attorney and judge in Santa Clara County, died on Saturday May 24 in San Jose at the age of 90. The cause was chronic congestive heart failure. Born in San Jose in 1918 and a lifelong resident, Wayne Masao Kanemoto attended San Jose State College, and entered the University of Santa Clara Law School in 1939 with a desire to serve the interests of a largely unrepresented Japanese community. He was graduated in absentia in May 1942 when, like all other Japanese in California, his family was detained by the federal government prior to removal from the west coast, solely for reasons of ethnicity and without the right of habeas corpus. The family was sent to Santa Anita Assembly Center, a converted horse-racing track in southern California where, with the help of sympathetic associates, he was allowed to attend the state bar examination in Los Angeles under military escort. Later, after being moved with his family to an internment camp in Gila River, Arizona, he was allowed under a rare exception to be sworn into the California state bar while under federal detention in Arizona. Despite the internment of his family and community, he then volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the all-Nisei combat regiment. He was subsequently transferred to the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Camp Savage, Minnesota, then to the U.S. 10th Army Air Force in India and Burma, where he served as a Japanese-language signal intelligence specialist for the remainder of World War II. After returning from the war in 1946, he met and married his wife of 60 years, Betty, and began private law practice in San Jose as the only Japanese-American attorney in Santa Clara County, representing many local Japanese-Americans and becoming active in community affairs. With the repeal of laws forbidding immigrant Japanese from becoming naturalized citizens in 1953, Kanemoto assisted in the creation of naturalization classes and mass swearing-in ceremonies for first-generation immigrant Issei in San Jose, who finally became citizens after a lifetime spent in the U.S. Other community activities included the City of San Jose Human Relations Commission, the City of San Jose Sister City Program with Okayama, Japan, and the planning, promotion and construction of the Japanese Friendship Garden in Kelley Park in cooperation with the City of Okayama, among many other involvements. Over the years he was the recipient of numerous honors from both community and peers. Always active in local politics, Wayne was appointed in 1962 to the San Jose Municipal Court, becoming the first Nisei jurist in northern California. He served as Presiding Judge, President of the Conference of Santa Clara County Municipal Court Judges, and President of the Santa Clara County Law Library Board. He retired from the bench in 1982. Following his retirement he continued to be active in the community, and was a member of the City of San Jose Commission on Internment of Local Japanese Americans, which documented the history of the local Japanese-American internment experience and commissioned a memorial monument to the internment by the noted sculptor Ruth Asawa, located at the San Jose Federal Building. He is survived by his wife, Betty, and children William, Mary, Alan and Margery. In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the family requests that donations be made to Yu Ai Kai or the San Jose JACL Building Fund. At Wayne's request, no funeral services will be held. Plans for memorial services are pending. Arrangements by Willow Glen Funeral Home.