Ruthann Shigeko Kurose has died at the age of 75. She passed away at her home on Mercer Island on Oct. 15.
Born in Seattle in 1951, Kurose was a longtime human rights advocate who worked on the frontlines of a campaign for redress payments to Japanese Americans whom the U.S. government incarcerated during WWII, while serving as a legislative aide to former Congressman Mike Lowry. Lowry also served as Washington’s governor in the 1990s.
“Lowry championed direct compensation for the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. As a member of his staff, I had the opportunity to contribute to the burgeoning movement for redress,” Kurose told the North American Post in 2020. She remembered coordinating with other offices and outside civil rights figures, such as Sansei civil rights lawyer Phil Tajitsu Nash, to raise support for Lowry’s direct compensation bill. “My colleague, Kathy Halley, was critical to securing the support of the Congressional Black Caucus, which was beginning to discuss reparations for the enslavement of African Americans—a debt which is still long overdue.”
Ruthann Kurose (middle) accepted the Golden Circle Award on behalf of her family. (Photo by Luis Navarro)
In that article, Kurose spoke about how her parents, Aki and “Junx” Kurose—both survivors of incarceration—shaped her worldview, as well as what activism looked like. Aki Kurose Middle School is named for Kurose’s mother, as is Aki Kurose Village, an affordable housing complex.
“My parents taught us that activism takes many forms, and that started in our home. My mom, Aki, often hosted organizing meetings in our living room. And my dad, “Junx,” always had compassion for others and created a welcoming environment at home for any one of our friends who needed a place to stay or some food to eat,” she told the Post. “My mother and father also formed meaningful relationships inside and outside of the Japanese American community. Because of Seattle’s racially restrictive housing laws, we grew up in a multiracial (African American, Asian American, and Jewish) neighborhood, and our social networks and political alliances reflected that diversity.”
Kurose also served on a number of boards, including as a member of the Wing Luke Museum’s capital campaign committee and chairing the Bellevue Community College Board of Trustees. Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire also appointed Kurose to the state’s Liquor & Cannabis Board in 2007. She also worked in economic development policy to promote international trade and tourism for Tacoma and Seattle.
One of her final positions was as a member of the advisory committee for a fundraising effort for the Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center. The North Beacon Hill center, which opened in 2025, serves as the state’s first aging-in-place facility for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
Kurose’s family is planning to hold a celebration of life in her honor at the end of the year.
Leave a Reply