History Japanese American Car Clubs in Southern California?

I'm a college professor trying to collect stories about Japanese American car clubs in the L.A. area back in the 1950s and '60s. My father-in-law and his high school friends formed one in the San Fernando Valley in that era (Kame) and so far, I've interviewed other people who were in Gardena/Torrance crews (Apostles, Shogans) and I know of at least one out of the Boyle Heights/East L.A. area (Mikados).

I know there's many more out there and thought there may be a few people in the forum who might have belonged to this community or knew people who were.

I edited the interview with my FIL: https://www.facebook.com/notes/oliv...an-fernando-valley-mid-1950s/1351894978194473

And here's the jacket patch for one of the South Bay crews:

If any of you might have suggestions for people I could talk to/interview, I'd absolutely appreciate it. Thanks!

--Oliver Wang @ CSU-Long Beach

 

I once knew a man named Ben Yumori. I'm not sure if he was in a car club, but in the 1940's he built flathead motors for Larry Shinoda when he raced the Chopstick special. He left to Utah during WWII so that he wouldn't be put into a concentration camp. Very interesting man.

 

And smart.^^^

 

I've been researching Nisei drag racers in the 1950s. I have a spread sheet of over 200 entries with their drag racing results. Some of these racers could have been involved in car clubs, too, but my research was not involved in noting that information. The racers included such men as Jay Yumori, Henry Tsukashima, Al Narasaki, Jim Agawa, Tets Ishimaru, and others.

 

Looks like he wrote his story though, or at least some of it.

https://discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2018/3/12/nikkei-car-clubs/

 

I see he mentioned Sam Oka... that's who I think of when someone brings up Asian hot rodders.

 

I'm not sure if he belonged to a car club.But when I think of Japanese Americans and Kustom I think of Bob Hirohata and his Merc!