Agriculture

Many Issei (first-generation Japanese immigrants) began as sharecroppers. Others sought to buy land, but the Issei had to overcome obstacles preventing them from competing with white farmers. California and other states passed alien land laws prohibiting Asian immigrants from purchasing or leasing agricultural land. There were ways around the discriminatory laws: an Issei father could put the property in the name of his American-born child, or issei could form corporations in which a majority of the shareholders were American citizens. Despite the alien land laws, Issei farmers played a significant role in West Coast agriculture. In the years just prior to World War II, Japanese American families grew 35 percent of the produce in California. By the 1920s, Japanese Americans supplied 75 percent of the produce and half the milk to the Puget Sound region.

Industry and employment (481)
Agriculture (769)

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Seabrook Farms

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769 items

img Japanese American family in an orchard (ddr-densho-255-164)

A Japanese American man on a ladder in an orchard, with a woman at his side. Another man sits on the ground, and another man sits on a horse-drawn cart with three children on his lap.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-255-164/

img Man driving a team of horses (ddr-densho-255-103)

Unidentified Japanese American man driving a team of horses. On reverse: "Post Card."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-255-103/

img Men and children in orchard (ddr-densho-255-163)

Japanese American man sitting in the grass in an orchard with three children on his lap, and other men beside them.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-255-163/

img Japanese Americans outside a barn (ddr-densho-255-149)

Japanese American men, women, and children standing outside a barn with a team of horses pulling a cart.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-255-149/

img John Deere parade float (ddr-densho-255-119)

John Deere parade float. Signs on the float read: "Ogden Br. Quality first. C.W. & M Co. Largest retail implement dealers in the world. John Deere. Don't you remember the C.W. & M Co. gave us credit & helped us to start over 50 years ago. Yes I remember Deere. Our daddies used them, so will …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-255-119/

img Women picking apples (ddr-densho-255-165)

Two white women picking apples in an orchard.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-255-165/

img Man driving a team of horses (ddr-densho-255-93)

Man driving a team of horses through a dirt field.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-255-93/

img Men and child with chickens (ddr-densho-255-71)

Written on reverse: "Melvin is on the tractor going to work with our hired man. Utaka[?] is feeding the ducks & chickens."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-255-71/

img Japanese American man about to gut a pig (ddr-densho-255-135)

Japanese American man standing in the snow about to gut a pig.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-255-135/

img Couple with horse in a field (ddr-densho-255-80)

Japanese American man and woman with a horse in a field. On reverse: "Post Card."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-255-80/

img Japanese American man and girl with cow (ddr-densho-255-169)

A Japanese American man and young girl standing in the snow with a cow.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-255-169/

img Workers in a field (ddr-densho-255-53)

Written on reverse: "April 1940, Babasan, Shinodasan, Imurasan, Shibasan, Hamayakisan[?], Nakamotosan, Grandpa, Papa, Grandma, Mrs. Yoneda, Haruko, Chiyo, Mrs. Sakiyama."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-255-53/