Our Namesake
The Board of Education named our school after Saburo Muraoka (M-UU-R-AA-O-KUH), who was part of the fabric of early Chula Vista. Mr. Muraoka left his hometown in Japan and immigrated to Chula Vista in 1915, thriving in the agriculture business his father had started. He dedicated his life to consistently experimenting in pursuit of effective farming strategies. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mr. Muraoka suffered the forced relocation to an internment camp, a fate that befell an estimated 117,000 other Japanese-Americans in the United States. After World War II, Mr. Muraoka returned to Chula Vista, rebuilt his life, his business—and community. Mr. Muraoka died in 1983.
Saburo Muraoka Elementary is San Diego’s very first school to be named after an influential Japanese-American citizen. The eye-catching two-story structure includes 36 classrooms, “makerspaces,” a stunning digital media/library space, and a multipurpose room. “The school’s design and learning environment mirror the innovative spirit of Saburo Muraoka,” said Superintendent Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D., at the school’s grand opening. “He was known to be an innovator in growing celery and cucumbers, developing unique grafting and farming techniques. Similarly, this school’s design will promote critical-thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication for our students.”