ONO, Yoneo E. (1925-1998)

Yoneo Ono

  Yoneo E. Ono was a Japanese American born in Bakersfield, California on April 25, 1925 to Yonishiro George and Tome Ono. He was evacuated on May 25, 1942 with his parents and siblings, (Minoru Joe, Tomi, Taeko Joanne, and Takashi) to the Poston, Arizona internment camp block 19-9-C.  He  graduated from Poston I High School, worked at the Poston General Hospital, and read books on philosophy and sociology during the summer. He left the Poston camp and went to Hartford, Connecticut on June 9, 1944, where he later graduated from the University of Connecticut.

      As an adult, Yoneo worked tirelessly for rural development, and was the Associate Planner of the city of Fresno.  He was an active volunteer in the rural housing and assistance programs and founded Rural Community Assistance Corp (RCAC). 

      For his lifelong commitment, the RCAC honored him with an award when he retired from its board in 1984. The RCAC Board of Directors has presented the award to outstanding volunteers who have made immense contributions to rural development. Yoneo was presented the 1998 Yoneo Ono Award at the Rural Community Assistance Corporation  (RCAC) Conference in Seattle.  He died on April 16, 1998 in Redding, California.

 

Sources:

http://www.rcac.org/doc.aspx?521

http://library.csus.edu/collections/jaac/oralhist.html#YONEO%20ONO