August 30, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Arnold Maeda, Santa Monica-Born Manzanar Internee, Passes Away at 94

Longtime Westsider who helped memorialize Mazanar internees passes away September 10

By Sam Catanzaro

Manzanar internee and longtime Westside resident Arnold Maeda passed away on September 10 at the age of 94.

In April of 1942, Arnold Maeda was 15 years old when he and his father Takeda were forcibly removed from their home and lined up on the northwest corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Venice Boulevard to be taken to the War Relocation Authority camp at Manzanar as prisoners.

“Instead of being worried about where we were going, I was obsessed with the fact that I had parted with my constant companion, my pet dog Boy. For a 15-year-old, that was unforgettably traumatic,” reads Maeda’s quote inscribed on a monument at the very corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Venice Boulevard where he and thousands of other people of Japanese ancestry were forced to report to in 1942.

Born on July 17, 1926, in Santa Monica, Maeda grew up in on the Westside where his parents ran a nursery business. During World War II, Maeda and his family were sent to the Manzanar concentration camp in California. After leaving the camp, Maeda worked as a chick sexer (distinguishing the gender of chicks), a technical illustrator in the aerospace industry and a life insurance salesman.

Maeda would go on to become heavily involved in community organizations, including the Venice Japanese American Memorial Monument Committee (VJAMM), where he helped create the monument that stands today at the intersection of Venice and Lincoln boulevards to memorialize the tragic chapter in American history.

“The VJAMM Committee mourns the loss of VJAMM Committee charter member Arnold Maeda, who passed away on September 10, 2020. One day shy of ten years ago, Arnold gave an informed and impassioned presentation at the first VJAMM community meeting, held at the Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple on September 11, 2010, in favor of permanently memorializing the northwest corner of Venice and Lincoln Boulevards. The memorial would honor the 1,000 persons of Japanese ancestry from Venice, Santa Monica, and Malibu who assembled on the sidewalk in April, 1942 with only what they could carry,” VJAMM said in a statement. “The VJAMM Committee extends sympathy and condolences to Arnold’s family, including Arnold’s brother, Brian Maeda, also a VJAMM Committee charter member, who was born in Manzanar.”

Councilmember Mike Bonin, whose district includes the intersection of Venice and Lincoln boulevards where the VJAMM memorial stands, expressed his condolences surrounding Maeda’s passing, writing in a Facebook post “Arnold gave selflessly to his community and he will be dearly missed. Rest in Peace.”

<>Related Posts

Muscle Beach Championship Returns to Venice on Labor Day

August 29, 2025

August 29, 2025

The event will feature competitions across categories including bodybuilding, bikini, men’s physique, classic physique, angel bikini, and couples The iconic...

Film Review: Relay

August 28, 2025

August 28, 2025

FILM REVIEWRELAYRated R112 MinutesReleased August 22nd This movie plays like a chess game, mentally and physically – on foot and...

Santa Monica’s E-Bike Voucher Program Marks One-Year Milestone

August 28, 2025

August 28, 2025

A city blog post highlighted personal impacts, with one family avoiding a second car purchase for a commute to Burbank,...

Westside Classics Car Show Set to Roll into Venice Beach

August 28, 2025

August 28, 2025

The show will feature a curated lineup of vintage sedans, low-slung cruisers, and unique custom builds The Westside Classics Car...

Westside Chefs Shine at the Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival in September

August 28, 2025

August 28, 2025

South Bay’s Culinary Festival Returns With Two Nights of Food, Wine, and Music Santa Monica, Westchester, Los Angeles, and West...

(Video) Public Transit Returns to Pacific Palisades

August 27, 2025

August 27, 2025

The Return is Part of a Broader Summer Overhaul, Aiming to Boost Connectivity Across the Westside Public Transit Returns to...

Raising Cane’s Plans New Location on 3rd Street Promenade

August 27, 2025

August 27, 2025

The move marks the chain’s latest expansion in California Louisiana-based fast-food chain Raising Cane’s confirmed to the Santa Monica Mirror...

(Video) Come Tour The Willows Community School!

August 27, 2025

August 27, 2025

Sign up for a tour at The Willows and come see what makes our school such a vibrant, inspiring place...

Search Underway for Missing 14-Year-Old in Santa Monica Mountains

August 27, 2025

August 27, 2025

The sheriff’s department considers Wind a habitual runaway and is urging the public to contact Detective Aquino The Los Angeles...

Army Corps Nears Completion of Palisades Wildfire Cleanup

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

Debris removal began in late January with the Environmental Protection Agency handling hazardous materials, followed by Army Corps-led crews tackling...

Opinion: Jim Harris Wants to Change the Way You Think About Santa Monica Pier

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

For 36 years, I have spent almost every day walking these cool old deck boards on the Santa Monica Pier....

Santa Monica Police Department Announces Overnight DUI Checkpoint This Week

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

Checkpoint Will Run From 6:00 p.m. To 2:00 a.m. at an Undisclosed Location The Santa Monica Police Department will operate...

Rally Against SB 79 Draws Crowds in Palisades

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

The bill, which advanced through Senate and Assembly committees, faces review by the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week, with a...

Abbot Kinney Festival Canceled for Second Straight Year

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

Organizers expressed hope that the additional time will allow them to restructure and deliver a more vibrant event in 2026...