Paul Nagano

Sansei male. Born, June 17, 1920, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in "Little Tokyo," and the Boyle Heights area. During World War II, was removed to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Became ordained as a Baptist minister while incarcerated, ministering to fellow camp inmates and leading ecumenical worship services in camp. Left Poston to attend Bethel Theological Seminary in St Paul, Minnesota. Following the war, resettled in Los Angeles and established the Japanese Baptist Church, later renamed to Evergreen Baptist Church. Appointed the first director of Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society. Spent eight years as pastor of the Makiki Church in Honolulu. Returned to the mainland and earned his doctorate degree (D. Rel.) from the School of Theology, Claremont, California, authoring a thesis on Japanese American identity, ethnic pluralism, and Christianity. Spent fifteen years as Pastor as Japanese Baptist Church in Seattle, Washington. Taught at the American Baptist Seminary of the West, Berkeley, California, and served as Director of the Council for Pacific Asian Theology, Oakland, California. Presently, Minister-at-Large-Northern California Japanese American Church Federation.

Interviews

Paul Nagano Interview — ddr-densho-1000-65
May 25, 1999. Seattle, Washington.
01:36:37 — 20 segments.
Paul Nagano
API