Our Mission

The Early History of ACC

ACC Senior Services was founded in 1972 as the Japanese Community Center of Sacramento Valley (JCC). Its name was changed in 1979 to the Asian Community Center of Sacramento Valley and later to ACC Senior Services.

The seeds of ACC were planted in Sacramento by young Asian activists in the late ‘60s. They were empowered by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, emboldened by the protests of the Vietnam War, and deeply concerned about the welfare of Asians, specifically non-English speaking immigrants.

Many of the activists were students of Isao Fujimoto and George Kagiwada of the Asian Studies department at UC Davis, and Ivy Lee and Earl Shiroi from the Department of Social Work at CSUS. In 1969, they formed an organization called Asian Community Services (ACS)  to advocate for and initiate community development programs for the Asian community. The founding board members were Marshall Wong, Harold Fong, Betty Eng, Don Lee, and Janice Tanaka. They set up an office at 1118 V Street.

While all this was happening, another development in the Sacramento Asian community was taking place. Seattle-born Leo T. Goto, the son of a minister, moved to Sacramento to work as a project manager for the Sacramento Redevelopment Agency. He harbored a dream of building a “Japanese Culture Center” for elderly Japanese immigrants (Issei). It would promote the celebration of their heritage and provide much-needed services like housing, healthcare, and enrichment activities. The project would rely on federal funds for construction.

In 1971, Leo convened a study group of 50 representatives from different churches, organizations, and activist groups including ACS to solicit their input. On March 1, 1972, the study group incorporated itself as the Japanese Community Center of Sacramento Valley, or JCC, with the help of young attorneys Phil Hiroshima, then president of JACL, and Frank Iwama. Leo became the founding Chairman.

Architect Alan Oshima created drawings for the Japanese Culture Center which attracted a lot of supporters thanks in part to coverage in the Sacramento Union and the Sacramento Bee. Despite the project’s Japanese identity, Leo did not see this project as something for Japanese people only. He wanted American society at large to learn more about Japanese culture and to participate in it. He wanted the Japanese Culture Center to be inclusive and “open to all Americans in all walks of life.”

By now, the activist members of ACS were involved with and being supported by JCC. They were operating after-school programs for kids and classes for the elderly including English, ceramics, knitting, and calligraphy. These took place at Parkview Presbyterian Church and at William Land Elementary School. They also sponsored field trips to places of historical interest to the Asian community. ACS integrated the elderly from Japanese and Chinese communities on these field trips. Given the historical conflicts between Japan and China, this move was considered progressive and maybe even risky. However, it set the stage for cooperation between the two communities that would carry ACC through the next 50 years.

Truth be told, JCC leaders were older and more established in their professions than their counterparts in ACS. Some of them felt that the ACS folks were rebels, radicals, and even communists! Eventually, they took a liking to their younger counterparts for their thoughtful views and action-oriented agenda.

Among the ACS members who had developing roles in JCC were Peggy Saika, Hach Yasumura, June Otow, May O. Lee and Randy Shiroi. JCC commissioned Peggy to direct its first Needs Assessment Study, which was published in December 1972. It listed housing and healthcare as the top needs of the Japanese community at the time. May became ACC’s first employee in 1976. She was hired by Chewy Ito, a Japanese American because she was bilingual in Chinese. Randy served on ACC’s board from 1989 to 1993.

In 1973, ACS ceased operations, turning over its programs over to JCC. With JCC’s increasing community support, these programs expanded and multiplied. Truly, ACS laid the foundation for the ACC programs that we enjoy today.

In 1974, the Nixon administration froze the funding of new housing projects. As a result, JCC had to abandon its plan for the Japanese Cultural Center. By now, however, ACC was deeply invested in its programs.

In 1979, JCC changed its name to Asian Community Center (ACC) in recognition of the wider, pan-Asian community it served. It would go on to incubate and spin-off projects that led to the founding of Health for All, Tanoshimi-Kai, Asian Resources, Inc., and Asian Pacific Community Counseling, which all still operate today.

From 1975 to 1987 ACC’s office was located at 2200 6th Street. The Tambara House, as it was called, also served as a hang for other groups including Asian Legal Services Outreach and the Asian Pacific State Employees Association.

In 1980, under the leadership of ACC President, Chewy Ito, the ACC Board decided to once again explore housing for the Asian elderly. It was common knowledge that Asian immigrants who were in existing nursing homes were languishing because of differences in culture, language, and dietary needs. Many of ACC’s leaders had parents who needed skilled nursing but lacked options.

In 1983, after much development work, ACC launched a capital campaign to fund the construction of the Asian Community Nursing Home. That year, ACC also started its bingo operations, a licensed venture that would last more than two decades and fund the nursing home. Frances Lee volunteered to be the Bingo Manager, remaining in that position for ACC Bingo’s entire run.

The Asian Community Nursing Home was built on land donated by developer Angelo Tsakopoulos. It received support from elected officials, churches, businesses, and thousands of individuals from the Asian community. Not only did ACC enjoy their outpouring of financial support but also the thousands of volunteer hours they put in.

The nursing home project bolstered ACC’s reputation, putting it on a strong footing to expand its services. In 2002, ACC hired its first CEO, Donna L. Yee Ph.D. Under her leadership, ACC established ACC Rides (2003), ACC Greenhaven Terrace (2007), Meals on Wheel by ACC (2010), and began the development of ACC Maple Tree Village which was completed in 2020. ACC also took on the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).

In 2018, Donna retired and was succeeded by Darrick Lam, MSW, MBA. He is the current President and CEO of ACC Senior Services. Under his leadership, ACC has launched its home and community-based services, online workshops and classes, and a Senior Escort Program.

Timeline

1972 is the official founding year of ACC Senior Services, which was originally incorporated as Japanese Community Center (JCC) of Sacramento Valley.

Prior to JCC, there was, Asian Community Services (ACS), an activist organization founded in 1969 by students and faculty from UC Davis, CSUS, and Sacramento City College. They merged their programs with JCC in 1973.