At Pasadena Museum of History, we are deeply grateful for the passionate individuals who help us preserve the rich and diverse stories of our community. One such remarkable individual is Professor Susie Ling, a dedicated volunteer whose oral history work is helping ensure that voices from across Pasadena and the West San Gabriel Valley’s cultural spectrum are heard, honored, and remembered.
Born in Taiwan and raised in the Philippines, Susie now calls the San Gabriel Valley home. She earned a master’s degree from UCLA in Asian American Studies, where her thesis explored the struggles and resilience of women in the 1970s Asian American Movement. As a longtime Associate Professor of History and Asian American Studies at Pasadena City College, Susie inspires new generations of students through her scholarship and community engagement.
“I was the fastest typist in my high school class,” Susie recalls, “and I loved listening to my mother’s friends. Who knew that this combination would take me down a path of doing over 200 oral histories?” In addition to her affiliation with PMH, Susie volunteers for the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California (chssc.org), the Pasadena Digital History Collaboration (pasadenadigitalhistory.com), and with multiple historical societies in Monrovia.
Birth announcement for Diane Nishimoto, 1943. (Susie Ling Collection, NisD37a; Digital copy only)
At Pasadena Museum of History, Susie has recorded interviews with African American Pasadenans, Japanese American residents, and community members whose stories might otherwise go untold, including someone who has become familiar to many of our visitors over the years, Dee (Diane) Nishimoto, retired Museum Store Manager.
Kenneth (1907-1982) and Katsu Kay Kawagoe (1913-2009) Nishimoto,
parents of Diane. Photo signed by Sueo Serisawa, a friend of Nishimoto family
and well- known Japanese American artist, 1930s. (Susie Ling Collection, NisD24; Digital copy only)
Dee was born in an internment camp in Arizona in June 1943. Her father, Kenneth Nishimoto, was a respected architect and a charter member of the Pasadena and Foothill Chapter of the American Institute of Architects from the 1950s to the 1980s. Kenneth was born in Tokyo, Japan, graduated locally from USC in 1934, and received his architecture license in 1942. He became a citizen in 1956. As far as Dee can recall, he was the only Asian American member of the group. Kenneth also led architectural and garden tours of Japan.
Dee inherited her father’s creative spirit, becoming accomplished in jewelry making, pottery, and photography. These varied interests eventually led her to Pasadena Museum of History, where she found a perfect fit as the Museum Store Manager.
Diane Nishimoto at Gila River Camp, 1943. (Susie Ling Collection, NisD14; Digital copy only)
We are very proud of the acquisition of these new oral histories and deeply grateful to Susie Ling for being such an incredible force behind this effort. These additions to our collections help us bridge important gaps—making our archives more inclusive, diverse, and reflective of the community we serve.
– Anuja Navare with Prof. Susie Ling
