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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769 items

doc Letter sent to Kinuta Uno at Tule Lake concentration camp (ddr-densho-324-71)

Correspondence from Carl Prato regarding sale of the Uno's farm and equipment.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-324-71/

doc Tourist Certificate (ddr-densho-325-59)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-59/

img Orchard (ddr-densho-357-106)

Four unidentified people sit on the back of a car in an orchard. Original caption is illegible.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-357-106/

img Sugar Cane Harvesting (ddr-densho-363-238)

Pat Kuroda attended the 442nd Regimental Combat Team 10th Anniversary Reunion in Hawaii from July 27th to July 31st, 1953.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-363-238/

img Farm group panorama (ddr-densho-394-29)

Panoramic photograph of a group at a farm. Written on the back of the photograph is "Inouye Family Farm 1910 Tatsuo is the infant."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-394-29/

img Japanese countryside (ddr-densho-397-158)

The caption in the photo album reads "Countryside Sendai". A tilled field near Sendai on the northern portion of Honshu island. Takashi Matsui was stationed in Japan with the U.S. military during the Allied occupation of Japan after the end of World War II.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-397-158/

img Ranch landscape (ddr-densho-325-327)

Written on back of photograph "Nov. '47 Home Ranch"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-327/

img Sansei baby (ddr-densho-325-400)

Eddie Horiuchi Written on back of the photograph "Nov. '50 1 yr. old Uratsu's Orchard"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-400/

img Current view of barn on former Issei dairy farm (ddr-densho-35-37)

An Issei couple operated a large dairy farm in a town formerly known as Days, Washington. The property line extended beyond the area shown here. With the advent of World War II, they were forced to sell their property for a fraction of its worth. This is the barn previously owned by the couple. Days, Washington …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-35-37/

img Current view of farmhouse on former Issei dairy farm (ddr-densho-35-34)

An Issei couple operated a large dairy farm in a town formerly known as Days, Washington. The 1,300 acre farm also included valuable timber that grew on the property. With the advent of World War II, the couple was forced to sell their farm for a fraction of its worth. This is the original farmhouse that …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-35-34/

img Current view of barn on former Issei dairy farm (ddr-densho-35-35)

An Issei couple operated a large dairy farm in a town formerly known as Days, Washington. With the advent of World War II, the they were forced to sell their farm for a fraction of its worth. This is the barn that housed most of the cows once owned by couple. Days, Washington no longer exists. …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-35-35/

img Current view of barn on former Issei dairy farm (ddr-densho-35-48)

An Issei couple operated a large dairy farm in a town formerly known as Days, Washington. The 1,300 acre farm had a property line that extended beyond the area shown here. With the advent of World War II, the couple was forced to sell their property for a fraction of its worth. This is part of …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-35-48/

img Current view of former Issei dairy farm (ddr-densho-35-36)

An Issei couple operated a large dairy farm in a town formerly known as Days, Washington. The property line extended beyond the area shown here. With the advent of World War II, they were forced to sell their property for a fraction of its worth. This is the original barn and house previously owned by the …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-35-36/

img Current view of barn on former Issei dairy farm (ddr-densho-35-46)

An Issei couple operated a large dairy farm in a town formerly known as Days, Washington. The farm was 1,300 acres. The property line extended beyond the area shown here. With the advent of World War II, the couple was forced to sell their property for a fraction of its worth. This is the interior of …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-35-46/

doc Letter from Uhachi Tamesa to H.E. Nims (ddr-densho-333-13)

Letter about the Tamesa orchard

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-333-13/

doc Letter from Uhachi Tamesa to H.E. Nims (ddr-densho-333-11)

Letter of thanks for shipment of Japanese pears

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-333-11/

img Japanese farms near Midlakes (ddr-densho-353-54)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-54/

img Men hauling produce in a truck (ddr-densho-353-49)

Captioned: "Produce hauled to the Pike Place Market on a new Mack truck."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-49/

img A group on a truck (ddr-densho-353-51)

Family, neighbors, and a dog on a truck. Captioned: "Aiko and brother on running board, mother in driver's seat, Hideo Akachi (Mrs. S. Osawa's brother) on fender, died young."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-51/

img A family on a dairy farm (ddr-densho-353-35)

A dairy farm located in King County.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-35/

img A group of cannery workers (ddr-densho-353-56)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-56/

img Man on a farm (ddr-densho-353-59)

Captioned: "Thomas lettuce cultivator."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-59/

img Numoto family farm (ddr-densho-353-60)

Captioned: "The Numoto family working on their thriving strawberry farm. The water tower is reminiscent of the days before a city water system existed."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-60/

img The Koichi Hoida family on their dairy farm (ddr-densho-353-50)

Captioned: "Hoida father and four children."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-50/

img Soto Rd and Orchard Ave (ddr-densho-357-282)

Hanako Terakawa's caption: "View from top of tank, Soto Road + Orchard Ave."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-357-282/