Children in kindergarten through sixth grade learn about themselves and the Japanese American culture. In the late 1970s, a concerned group of Sansei Mothers conceptualized the idea for a program to teach their children about their unique Japanese American heritage. Their concerns stemmed from the realization that their fourth generation Japanese American children were somehow missing out on their
cultural heritage as well as the opportunity to develop a strong self-image associated with being Japanese American. After looking into the Nikkei summer schools in Sacramento and San Jose, they developed a curriculum to be taught by credentialed teachers that was “designed to help build strong, positive self-images and identities through Japanese American: history, literature, language, music, art, food, field trips and community involvement.”
Through the leadership and administration provided by Etsuko Steimetz and the generous donation by the Berkeley JACL, Daruma no Gakko opened at Berkeley Buddhist Temple in June 1979 with 89 students. Thus, in 1978 Daruma no Gakko was born, out of the love and dedication of ten very special Japanese American mothers. Over thirty years later, Daruma no Gakko continues to enrich the lives of our children with the same principles in which the school was founded. Daruma no Gakko is a non-profit co-op run school which relies on the volunteerism and support of the families involved. Children in grades kindergarten through sixth learn about themselves through their heritage under the school’s unique Japanese American curriculum.
