Japanese American 

Farm History

Back in 1940, California was only 1.8% Japanese. Yet, this small percentage of Japanese farmers raised 40% of California’s produce: 90% of California’s snap beans, celery, peppers, and strawberries; 50-90% its artichokes, cauliflower, cucumbers, spinach, and tomatoes; and 35-50% of the asparagus, cabbage, cantaloupes, carrots, lettuce, onions, and watermelon (Iwata).

So how did Japanese Americans become such prevalent farmers, and where have they gone now?

In the 1880’s, many of the first Japanese immigrants traveled to Hawaii and the West Coast. The Issei, or first generation immigrants, were often left with the hardest jobs that nobody else wanted to do. Many of them turned to the back-breaking role of earning wages as farm laborers and agriculture workers. Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm represents three historic firsts for Japanese immigration.

“1) Site of the first Japanese colony in America; 2) Birthplace of the first birthright Japanese American citizen; and 3) Resting place of the first Japanese immigrant and woman buried on American soil.”

In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt brokered the Gentlemen’s Agreement with Japan, limiting the immigration of laborers from Japan. With a dramatic decrease in the influx of Japanese laborers, the ones already in California began working farms as tenants but also establishing their own independent farms, hiring farm laborers themselves. The majority were tenants, and only 25% were owners (Iwata). It was far from easy to work their way into the industry. A census from the time shows that Japanese wage workers working under white employers earned 14% less than their white counterparts (Higgs). In addition, Japanese tenant farmers paid significantly higher rent prices than white tenants (Higgs).

Despite the racial discrimination in the market, by 1909 half of the Japanese labor force in the United States, roughly 39,500 out of 79,000, worked in agriculture (Matsumoto). Through scientific techniques and intense cultivation, they transformed undesirable land - described even as the worst land - and made them fertile (Iwata).

Because of their impressive success, they attracted both respect and resentment from their white neighbors. Farming families became the target of intense racism and discriminatory policies such as from the Alien Land Act of 1913. This law banned “aliens ineligible for citizenship” from owning or leasing land, forcing them to move every three years and abandon the fruits of their labor. The Immigration Act of 1924 barred all Asian immigration into the U.S. Because of this, Issei placed the title to land in their American-born Nisei children’s names. During WWI, their farms grew and prospered. By 1920, 5,152 Japanese farmers held 361,276 acres in California and produced crops valued at $67 million (Matsumoto). This led to the formation of Anti-Japanese Associations and increased animosity towards JA farmers.

This hostility was felt by families like the Fukudas, who established a dairy farm in Washington.

“In 1929 some racist neighbors cut their fertilizer and it killed the corn. The cows had no food so Matasuke was forced to give up the dairy farm, pack up all the kids, cars and migrate to California.”

On December 7th, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Three months later, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. This unconstitutional policy forced over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry out of their homes into concentration camps without due process. Two thirds of those sent to the camps were American citizens. 

The Mayebo family daringly tried to escape imprisonment by running away.  

“My grandparents, uncles, and aunts, including two infants, moved from place to place in February and March, 1942. They hid in canyons during April and May and were soon exhausted, dehydrated and underweight. The constant fear of getting shot by patrolling soldiers or armed vigilantes was emotionally and physically overwhelming.”

The family eventually surrendered to authorities and were incarcerated in Poston, Arizona with thousands of other Japanese Americans.

The Issei’s land, their farms, the livelihoods they had worked so hard for – all were completely stripped from them. They could only bring what they could carry, meaning they had to abandon their equipment and leave their crops to rot in the fields. Though it’s widely believed Japanese Americans lost $400 million in property because of incarceration, scholars argue that the figure is closer to $1-3 billion, including the costs of post-war rebuilding, long-term effects on the community, and disruption of individual livelihoods (Taylor).

After the war, many JA farmers returned home to find their land vandalized, seized, or taken over. The family of Bainbridge Gardens was no exception.

“Upon their return, the brothers were devastated to find their lush gardens and nursery damaged beyond repair. The beautiful plants were stolen or had died; the display gardens were ruined, and the greenhouses had collapsed.”

Even though their families were imprisoned by their own country, many Japanese Americans fought for the United States during WWII under the segregated 442nd Regimental Combat Team. For their sacrifices and courage, they became the most decorated military unit of their size. During a post-war ceremony, veteran Kazuo Masuda was awarded the Distinguished Cross. Joe Ishii, a friend in atendance, remembered how there was local resistance to the Japanese Americans’ return.

“Joe recalled that later that night, the Masuda house was shot up by gunfire presumably from locals who did not agree with the Federal Government… Even a couple years later, the resentment still lingered against the Japanese.”

The war was over and Japanese Americans proved their loyalty, but the hate remained.

Some Japanese Americans moved to a different city or even a different state, creating a widespread diaspora. They were forced to start their lives anew with courage, dignity and determination.



It would take until 1988 when President Reagan signed into law the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 that the U.S. government would acknowledge that race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership were the reasons for the incarceration, stating that a grave injustice was done to both citizens and permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry by the evacuation, relocation, and internment of civilians during WWII.

Though many farms were lost during WWII, and though most of these farms are no longer in business, this is not a story of loss. These are stories of grit, community, and resilience. Read individual stories from farming families here.

Japanese immigrants and Japanese American farmers have had an enormous impact on the agriculture industry throughout the United States. The farming techniques that are used today, the fruit varieties we eat now - those are all because of the nikkei who innovated and persevered through discrimination and harsh conditions. 

For example, Jack Gushiken developed and patented a brand new variety of guava, the Gushiken Sweet (HPSI 26). Tom Hide of Hide Farm and Nursery served as the President of the American Farm Bureau of Los Angeles County in 1965. Yoneichi Matsuda of Matsuda Farms earned the Conservationist Farmer of the Year award in 1957 for his sustainable land management practices. Toyokichi Tomooka of Tomooka Brothers Farm was the reason broccoli exists in Claifornia – he was the first farmer to grow it in the state. 

The Issei and Nisei farmers not only shaped American agriculture but also laid the foundations for the Japanese American communities we know today. In the early 1900s, the Kitasaki brothers opened up their farm in Buena Park to serve as a haven for many Japanese immigrants seeking to gain a foothold in America. Ken George Doi hosted class field trips or Girl/Boy Scout troops at his farm, allowing the kids to pick strawberries and teaching them first hand about farming. Tanaka Farms continues this tradition of uplifting our community by holding JA events throughout the year such as Mochitsukis, Natsumatsuri, and of course, Walk the Farm.

By remembering our history, we immortalize our ancestors’ journeys and preserve the stories that often go untold. Archives like this one honor their legacies by celebrating their accomplishments while also holding the perpetrators of racism accountable. We cannot forget the institutional hate they endured because we cannot let it happen again – to any marginalized communities.

Our goal is to preserve the history of our community but also open the door for intergenerational conversations. We want this to be an ever-growing repository, and we encourage youth to ask their grandparents and great grandparents to share their memories and photos.

If your family has farming history, we’d love to include you in our digital archive here at WalktheFarm.org and on our memorial wall at Tanaka Farms. Please submit your own family’s story here!