The 1999 Nisei Week Queen and Court

1999 Queen - C. Traci Murase, Orange County Nikkei Coordinating Council

A Huntington Beach, California native, Traci Murase, 21, is a senior at the University of California, Irvine, where she is studying environmental science. She hopes to become an environmental researcher to help with the restoration of our national parks and wildlife preserves. She is a member of the Kappa Zeta Phi sorority and also enjoys gardening, golfing, running and attending concerts and operas. Murase is not the only one in her family to have participated in the Queen's contest, her grandmother, Fukiko Hori Murase who is now 81 years old, was a princess of the very first Nisei Week court in 1935.

Alissa Hana Hiraga, East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center.

A resident of Rosemead, California, Alissa Hiraga, 24, graduated from Whittier College with a bachelor's degree in English. Currently an assistant editor at T.H.E. Journal, Hiraga aspires to publish many novels, especially children's storybooks. She believes in O. Henry's quote, "there is a story in everything," and jots down ideas from everyday observations that, she says, "people normally take for granted." In the future she hopes to work with community organizations specifically on cultural history and reading programs to fuel interest in Japanese authors and book reading in general. In her spare time, Hiraga enjoys reading, writing, painting, cultural arts and watersports.

Deanna Midori Nakamura, San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center and Coordinating Council (SFVJACCCC)

Deanna Nakamura, 23, is a life-long resident of North Hills, California, and student at California State University, Northridge. She hopes to obtain a teaching credential so she can work with children everyday to introduce them to the fundamentals of life. She is currently a teacher's assistant for the Los Angeles Unified School District in the neglect and delinquent division. Nakamura was the core coordinator of the Asian American Christian Fellowship, and is currently the children's ministry intern for the Victory Fellowship Church and volunteer for the SFVJACCCC. In her spare time, she enjoys paper crafts, ikebana, and playing basketball, volleyball and tennis.

Naomi Takahashi, West Los Angeles Japanese American Citizens League & Auxiliary and the Venice Japanese Community Center

Naomi Takahashi is a native of West Los Angeles and recently graduated from University of California, Los Angeles, with a bachelor's degree in Japanese with a specialization in business administration. She plans to pursue a career in marketing/advertising, earn an MBA and one day start her own business so that she can donate money to worthy causes and the Japanese community. Takahashi was most recently president of Chi Alpha Delta sorority and has spent a lot of time throughout her life doing community service work. Her ultimate goal in life is to be happy, and aside from volunteer work, other activities that make her happy include traveling, skiing, going to the theater, cooking and doing arts and crafts.

Jennifer Mariko Yamada, South Bay Japanese American Citizens League

Currently residing in Torrance, Calif., Jennifer Yamada grew up in Irvine, California, and works as an operations coordinator at Eizo Nanao Technologies, Inc. in Cypress, Calif. This 25-year-old is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and hopes to become a fashion stylist for the motion picture/television industry. Yamada has been studying Japanese classical dance  since she was a child and has danced in the Nisei Week Parade for 20 years as a member of Bando Mitsusa Kai. In her spare time she plays basketball, draws, paints and volunteers with the Motion Picture Television Fund.

Jennifer Nana Yoshida, Little Tokyo Lions Club

A native of San Francisco, Jennifer Yoshida, 25, presently lives in Los Angeles and attends the University of California, Los Angeles. She is working on her bachelor's degree in East Asian studies and Japanese with a specialization in business administration. Yoshida enjoys traveling and has been to numerous places, most notably Japan, where she has spent many summers. She hopes to utilize her interest in the world with her Japanese culture and language ability in either international business or teaching and also plans on pursuing an MBA. Aside from her studies, Yoshida enjoys ballet, literature and poems (haiku/tanka), karaoke and piano.

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