Hastings Library host Japanese Americans history in Nebraska

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) – An unsung part of Nebraska’s history made its way to Hastings, celebrating Japanese Americans. The Hastings Public Library held an event documenting Japanese Americans longstanding history in Nebraska.

The history of Japanese Americans in Nebraska goes back to the late 1920s. Most of the demographic resided in Scottsbluff. The presentation also documented how Japanese Americans served in the United States military during World War Two.

“It’s not a part of culture that we are introduced to very much,” said Samantha Rundel, Programming Librarian at Hastings Public Library. “I did not know anything about Japanese Americans in Nebraska. And so when I came across Vickie’s information in a news article, she had won an award or something. I just wanted to bring her information to Hastings.”

The library wanted the public to understand all the cultures that make up the people of Nebraska. There is a Japanese Hall in Gering chronicling Japanese ties to Nebraska, but it was almost lost before the efforts of Vickie Sakurada Schaepler.

“When I found out that this hall had been there for 90 years and there was talk of demolishing this hall I decided on my way home that I needed to save that hall and save that legacy,” said Vickie Sakurada Schaepler.

Nebraska has some ties to Japan as the country gets a lot of its beef from the state. There’s also a government tie with Governor of Japanese prefecture, Kumamoto, Ikuo Kabashima being a University of Nebraska-Lincoln alum.

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