May 23rd 2021 O.A.

Rose Ochi Square

The intersection of First and San Pedro Street in Little Tokyo was dedicated as Rose Ochi Square. And the naming ceremony happened on May 4th.

Rose Ochi was a Japanese American civil rights leader and passed away last December due to COVID-19.

Ochi was from East LA and fought hard for the approval of the Manzanar camp in California to become a national historic site after being imprisoned in the Rohwer camp in Arkansas during WWII.

Rose was the first Asian American woman to be appointed to the American Assistant Attorney General during Clinton Administration, as well as the first Asian American LA Police Commission.

Ochi’s friend initiated the effort to honor her to the LA City Council and made this possible.

80 people attended the ceremony, like the councilmember Kevin de Leon, her husband Tommy Ochi, and her friend Darlene Kuba to celebrate Ochi’s achievement.