Densho Digital Archive
Japanese American Museum of San Jose Collection
Title: Eiichi Sakauye Interview
Narrator: Eiichi Sakauye
Interviewer: Jiro Saito
Location: San Jose, California
Date: February 8, 2005
Densho ID: denshovh-seiichi-01-0009

<Begin Segment 9>

JS: Now, how many farm workers did you need to operate on, operate your farm?

ES: Well, at that time, it was sort of a on and go all the time, because various crops, difference with the crops that he grows, and needs help. But until it got so large that he had to have some steady help, and when he had to have steady help, he built a little cabin for the workers, and they were all bachelors.

JS: And these were still Japanese workers that you would --

ES: Right.

JS: -- as you described earlier how he went to the boarding house to, to hire them.

ES: Yes.

JS: And did he ever, when did, did he ever not use Japanese help any longer?

ES: Well, yes, he did. He had one Mexican person work practically all year long, and the Mexican people have quite a New Year's, Christmas and New Year's celebration, so they'd usually go back that time of year.

JS: So did he reach a point where he began to rely on non-Japanese farm workers? Because I believe you said that most of them were working the farms temporarily and then they would seek other types of occupations.

ES: Yes.

JS: So there must have been a time when you were getting more non-Japanese laborers.

ES: Well, yes. We had a person of Italian ancestry that time working for us, too.

JS: How did you recruit the non-Japanese workers?

ES: Well, we just had to come to town and by word of mouth, and sometimes other growers would finish their crops or something, and we asked for their help.

JS: Did any problems arise between your father and the non-Japanese farm workers? Because I know there was some early attempts to organize farm workers at that time. But did your father experience any difficulties with his farm workers?

ES: Well, we were in north San Jose, where there were many other ethnic farmers that, who had emigrated from their hometown, and we had, they were all in the same condition that, that their financial situation is very small. So we helped each other just like a family: "you do this for me, I'll do this for you." And then my dad and my neighbor, my neighbor had one horse and my dad had one horse, and during the wintertime when it gets so muddy, one horse can't pull the wagon by, by himself. So we'd borrow the horse and put two together, and that's how we operate. In case, in the wintertime, we used to be able to cut wood along the creek, and those days you burned wood in the stove to cook and everything else. So winter months, they would chop the wood and get it to their home, and then my dad would take this saw that he made himself, and the gas engine we had in 1906, and drag that along and powered the saw with a gas engine, and cut the wood for him. So then we'd trade, you know, help each other very much, so we had no ill feeling because you're Italian ancestry or German ancestry, that I don't want to work for you. We're just, just like one family. And my dad lived close to the main road, and the other families lived further back. So the mailbox was near the road, and the rainy days, instead of driving horse and wagon, they walked to the mailbox and pick up the mail, they stopped over at our barn, and we'd have a chat with our broken English, so forth, we were just like families.

JS: So what, so when you did the planting and the harvesting and things of this nature, you did have help from other families who lived in your vicinity, then?

ES: Right.

JS: Is that correct?

ES: Right, right.

JS: Did you, were there any, say, just plain farm workers, that's all they did? Did you have any people like that?

ES: Oh, yes, migrant farm laborers.

JS: Now, did you have any problems with them?

ES: No, we didn't have no problems. Seemed like they always wanted to make a few dollars.

JS: Okay.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2005 Densho and The Japanese American Museum of San Jose. All Rights Reserved.