Alan Nakanishi

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Alan Shinji Nakanishi

| image = AlanNakanishi.jpg

| imagesize =

| alt = Alan Nakanishi

| state_assembly = California

| district = 10th

| term_start = December 2, 2002

| term_end = November 30, 2008

| predecessor = Anthony Pescetti

| successor = Alyson Huber

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1940|03|21}}

| birth_place = Sacramento, California, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Republican

| spouse = Susan Nakanishi

| children = 3

| residence = Lodi, California

| alma_mater = Pacific Union College
Loma Linda University
Virginia Commonwealth University

| occupation =

| profession = Ophthalmologist

| signature =

| website =

| footnotes =

|assembly =

| constituency =

| office =

| district2 =

}}

Alan Shinji Nakanishi (born March 21, 1940) is an American physician and politician who represented California's 10th State Assembly district in the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2008.{{Cite news |last=Bonnett |first=Jennifer |date=29 November 2002 |title=Alan Nakanishi ready for another challenge |work=Lodi News-Sentinel |url=https://www.lodinews.com/news/article_774eb480-d165-5362-a3f4-8d9ba9257ea3.html |access-date=12 September 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Adams |first=Andrew |date=11 May 2008 |title=Hoping to succeed Nakanishi |work=Lodi News-Sentinel |url=https://www.lodinews.com/news/article_28936fdf-8edd-5280-93d1-c965ec51af75.html |access-date=11 September 2023}}{{Cite web |title=Alan Nakanishi |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-nakanishi-84682a32 |access-date=11 September 2023 |website=LinkedIn}} He has also been a member in the City Council of Lodi, California, since 1998, and served four separate two-year terms as the city's mayor.{{Cite web |date=26 January 2023 |title=Lodi City Council History |url=https://www.lodi.gov/DocumentCenter/View/830/Lodi-City-Council-History-PDF |access-date=11 September 2023 |website=Lodi City Council}}{{cite web |date=26 January 2023 |title=History of Lodi's Mayors |url=https://www.lodi.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3965/Lodi-Mayor-History-PDF |access-date=11 September 2023 |website=Lodi City Council}}

Early life

Alan Nakanishi was born in Sacramento, California. At the age of two, he and his family were relocated to Tule Lake as part of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, where they spent three years. After the war, they returned to Sacramento. To make money while in school, Nakanishi worked picking fruit and stacking cans at a cannery. He left Sacramento after graduating high school, living in Napa County, Los Angeles, and Texas before settling in Lodi, California.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

Education

Nakanishi received a B.A. in chemistry from Pacific Union College in 1961. He went on to receive a master's degree in health administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, and an M.D. from Loma Linda University. He completed his medical internship at USC Medical Center.{{cite news|last=Lee|first=Julie Z.|title=Assemblyman Nakanishi Visits PUC|url=http://www.puc.edu/news/archives/2007/assemblyman-nakanishi-visits-puc|accessdate=15 May 2011|newspaper=Pacific Union College News and Events Archive|date=9 November 2007}}{{Cite news |last=Mann |first=Steve |date=1 December 2022 |title=Taking the fifth: Lodi's Nakanishi takes record term in stride |work=Lodi News-Sentinel |url=https://www.lodinews.com/news/article_36de180c-7116-11ed-aad2-5fb0d584dcfa.html |access-date=11 September 2023}}

Military service

While living in Texas, Nakanishi served as a captain in the U.S. Army.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}} He later became a major, leading a surgical department at McDonald Army Hospital. He also served as Chief of Ophthalmology from 1969 to 1971.{{Cite web |title=Dr. Nakanishi |url=https://www.deltaeyemedicalgroup.com/eye-doctor-stockton/alan-nakanishi-md-facs/ |access-date=11 September 2023 |website=Delta Eye Medical Group}}

Medical practice

Since 1971, Nakanishi has practiced medicine in Stockton. He is the co-founder of the Delta Eye Medical Group, an ophthalmology practice with offices throughout the San Joaquin Valley. He continued practicing in Lodi throughout his time in the State Assembly.{{Cite news |last=Bonnett |first=Jennifer |date=9 May 2003 |title=Dr. Nakanishi goes to Sacramento |work=Lodi News-Sentinel |url=https://www.lodinews.com/article_cfe56684-800f-5365-afb8-13cd0e57f868.html |access-date=11 September 2023}}

Public service career

Nakanishi was first elected to the Lodi City Council in 1998 and was chosen as mayor in 2001, but left to represent the state's 10th Assembly district in the California State Assembly in 2002. As an Assemblymember, Nakanishi served as Vice Chair of the Health Committee. He was also a member of the Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus.{{Cite web |title=A History of Asian Americans in the California Legislature |url=https://aapilegcaucus.legislature.ca.gov/history-asian-americans-california-legislature |access-date=11 September 2023 |website=California Asian & Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus}}

Nakanishi returned to Lodi in 2010 after a brief stint at the California State Board of Equalization, being elected once more to the city's council. He served four more terms as mayor, and his current and fifth term began in December 2023.

In 2000 and again in 2016 he also ran to represent California's 5th senatorial district in the California State Senate, but lost to Michael Machado and Cathleen Galgiani, respectively.{{Cite web |title=California State Senate elections, 2000 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/California_State_Senate_elections,_2000 |access-date=11 September 2023 |website=Ballotpedia}}{{Cite web |title=California State Senate elections, 2016 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/California_State_Senate_elections,_2016 |access-date=11 September 2023 |website=Ballotpedia}}