Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:18:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: REDACTED
Subject: (Please read, sign, forward): Little Tokyo Petition
Friends –
It’s happened again!
As you may already be aware, several recent property transactions have
put the future of Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo in jeopardy. Japanese
Village Plaza was sold to American Commercial Equities in late July,
and on August 17, the New Otani Hotel and Weller Court Shopping Mall
were bought by 3D Investments—the SAME company that bought the large
chunk of San Francisco J-Town from Kintetsu Enterprises last year.
While neither of these companies are inherently bad, it is also clear
that neither company has a strong tie to Little Tokyo. With only
three Japantowns remaining, there exists a critical need to maintain
Little Tokyo as an important historic cultural neighborhood. When a
company decides to purchase a main commercial and gathering area of
Little Tokyo, they should also take the initiative to develop the
properties in a responsible manner with community input.
Little Tokyo community members have a history of being actively
involved with the changes in Little Tokyo, and we are proud of our
community’s achievements. It’s time again to make our voices clear -
Little Tokyo is our home. Little Tokyo is our history. Little Tokyo
is our future. And the people who share that home should have a say
in what happens to it.
If you feel similarly, we would urge you to take the following action:
1) Sign the following petition.
http://www.petitiononline.com/jtv1/petition.html Doing so will send
a message to 3D Investments and American Commercial Equities that they
can not buy and develop land in our neighborhood without taking into
consideration the wants and needs of the existing community. Further,
it will also ensure that the Kajima Corporation is held responsible
for their secretive sale to 3D Investments. Although their
transaction may be completed, they have not heard the end of this from
the Little Tokyo community. Third, it will reinforce to Jan Perry
(Little Tokyo’s City Councilwoman)that there is broad support to
maintain active community involvement in determining the future of
Little Tokyo. Finally, it will put current property owners and
potential buyers on notice that our community is organized and not
afraid to take action to ensure that they act responsibly and remain
sensitive to the historic and cultural importance of Little Tokyo.
2) Attend the Little Tokyo Community Council’s public meeting at 6:30
PM on Thursday, October 4, 2007, and the Japanese American National
Museum. This meeting will be an important opportunity for Little
Tokyo’s stakeholders (that’s you!) to make their voices heard and
demand what is due to them.
Please don’t miss out on this opportunity to demand respect and
justice for our community!
Sincerely,
Your friends at J-Town Voice
Ps. To find out more about the petition, the Little Tokyo Community
Council meeting, or how you can make your voice heard during our
community’s planning process, contact jtownvoice@yahoo.com
