Japanese in California agriculture

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_

PB dn tol Sa Yass

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTT

Burean of Agricultural Neononice

am hs ow oe ad aD ee cm

THE JAPANESE IN CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE

by

Lloyd H. Fisher, Social Science Analyst,

end Ralph L. Nielsen, Junior Agricultural

Eoonomist, Bureay of Agricultural Esonomics

eo (c) (c) SS wm

Testimony submitted to the Seleot Committee

investigating National Defense Migration

Berkeley, California

March 16, 1942

THE JAPANESE IN CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE

by

Lloyd H. Fisher, Social Science Analyst,

and Ralph Le Nielsen, Junior Agricultural

Econ@mist, Bureau of Agriculturel Esonomies

Testimony Submitted to the Select Committee Investigating National

Defense liigration, House of Representatives, March 16, 1942

There were, in 1940, almost 127,000 Japanese in the United States,

of which almost three quarters lived in California. Ths Japanese popula.

tion in California is distributed much the same as the total population

except that there are more than proportionate numbers of Japanese in the

truck farming areas of the Delta, on the Coast, and around the largs cities.

An evacuation of Japanese from the western section of California can -

not fail to have important consequences for the agricultural econony of

California.

The total number of Jepanese farm operators in the State has been

variously estimated. The U. S" Census of Agriculture records 5,135 Japanssa

farm operators in 1940. The U. S. Census of Population, taken for the sane

date, enunerated 5,407 Japanese farm operetors. The number of Japanese

farm operators is, in fact, somewhat larger than either census, although

no measure exists of the underenumeration. The Alion Land Lew is specific

in prohibiting either ownership or tenancy of agricultural land to Japanese

aliens. The law has not been widely enforced and evasions appeared common

even though legal liability is shared by both white landlord end Japanese

tenant. `here iliegel tenure exists there are obvious motives for the con"

cealment of the fact and alien Japanese tenants apparently frequently report

themselves as forsomen or hired laborers.

The Japanese farmer in California, as elsewhere along the Pasific

Coast, is predominantly a truck farmer. Japenese oroduction is heavily

concentrated in vegetables and berries. Aecording to the Census there were

more than 225,000 acres in farms operated by Japanese, of which some 175,000

acres were harvested. These figures undoubtedly share also in the general

underestimate of the Japanese influence on California agriculturs. The

5,135 Japanese oserated farms represented capital in farm land and buildings

of better than {65,000,000 and farm implements and mechinery valued at ale

most (6,000,000. By no meens all of this capital is ommed by Japanese.

Much of it belongs to white landlords. But it does represent a body of

productive capital that has beon used in agricultural production by Japanese,

and its continued productive use will be disturbed by Japanese evacuation.

There have been verious estimates of the commercial importense of

Japanese production. No precise measures exist but the three estimetes that

are at hand are in reasonably close agreement and lend substantiation to |

one another. These estimates would place the value of the anual produc=

tion of truck crops by Japanese in California at between pound30,000,000 and

"85,000,000 grown on between 175,000 and 200,000 acres of land. Since the

value of a1] California truck crops grown both forsthe fresh market and

processing is approxirately euro100,000,000 the proportion of the value grown

by Japanese would be between 30 and 35 percent.

this is a far from negligible proportion not only for California

but for the Nation as e whole. Vihile Japanese produced 30 or 35 pereent

of the truck crops of California, Californis produced more than 25 percent

ef the Nation's total. There should be no presumption that present plans

Sor evacuation of Japanese from sections of California will result in the

loss uf all or even a major part of the Japanese production in 1942. These

simply indicate the emount of production which will be influenced to some

degree by the evacuations ; .

Reductisn in the supplies of some crops in which Japanese have spe=

cialiszed will be felt more at the middle class dinner table than in the

Food for Freedom program. Strawberries, almost all of which are grown by

Japanese, will be missed by many consumerse Losses in the production of

tomatoes, carrots, freen peas, snep beans, and oniong will more seriously

impede America's war effort. Of these latter crops the Japanose contribu-

tion is most important in tomatecs where an estimated 35 to 40 percent of

the carining tomatees grown im the State are grown by Japanese. Although

less important in emount of acreage, Japanese producticn of market peas,

snap beans, carrots, and onions is sizable end ropresents a large propor

- tion of the State production. -.

"

e

euro

. The United States Department of Agriculture: has published production

goals for California in furtherance of the Food for Freedom program cover=

ing tomatoes, green peas, and snep beans (both fresh end cerned), cabbage

(frosh and kraut), and onions. Half of the 1942 quota for canning tomatoes

was grown in 1941 by enemy aliens and Japanese Americans. The proportion

"of the fresh temate goal grown by these farmers was oue=third, fresh snap

beans 95 percent, snap beans for canning 61 percent, sebbage 34 percent, al

fresh green geas 40 percent, and green peas fcr cenring 8 percent. Vith

the productive facilities ef California agriculture already strained to

mest the production goals, the additional burden om these facilities which

may resuit from removal of Japanese and enemy aliens will undoubtedly be

heavyo : | `deere bs

Although Japanese have not been important producers of poultry prod-

ucts in California, their loss will confront the poultry industry with e

special preblem. The esoteric cecupation know. as chickesexing has been

largely Japanese in California. `ithout the services of a chick=sexer it

is between two and three months before the sex of acchick is appsrent. The

skill off the chick-sexer lies in his ability te determine the sex of young i

caisks se that the. poultryman may segrerate puliets from cockerels, disposing, _

eae 5 ase

of the latter if his primary enterprise is the production of egrs. A

waste of two. months feed, facilities, and labor on ceckerels constitutes

serious inefficiency for any commercial ege producer.

Of 1358 certificates granted in California by the International Baby

Chick Association to chick=sexers, 96 are held by Japanese, all of them

native-born since the certificates are oven only to American citizens.

The occupation of cLick-sexing is not so esoteric that it cannot be learned

but it depends upon proficiencies acquired by long practice.

An elusive but extremely important relationship is that of Japanese

produce merchants to the marketing of fresh vegetables. Japanese marketing

organizations are spread widely throughout the metropolitan areas of the

State and they virtually control the distribution of fresh veretables in

the Los Angeles merret. The web of relationships is not well wumderstood

but it is kmown that produce merchants frequently are at the center of a

network which reaches from the Japanese farm operator to the ultimate ree

tail distributing unit. The orcbablie disorganization of this distributing

mechanism will be one of the nore serious consequences of Japanese evacua~

tion.

The obvious necessity for evacuating Japanese from certain areas of

California should not obscure the fact that it will be difficult to replace

them in California agriculture. Skill and aptitude in truck farming is

far more highly developed among the Japanese population than will be true

of any new group which may operate the properties from whish evacuation

takes place and some loss of efficiency is insviteble. Even if the con=-

plicated property relationships are settled with speed and dispetch arid new

tenants are found for Japanese operated farms without delay the incoming

operators and managers cannot in the immediate future ba expected to maine

tain the level of production characteristic of Japanese operators on truck

farms.

There is a notion, rather widespread in California, that Japanese

in agriculture function primarily as managers and entrepreneurs and that

they contribute little to the physical aspects of production. The occupa~

tional characteristics of the Japanese population as revealed by the 1940

Census of Population do not support this view. Of approximately 40,000

Japanese employed workers over the age of 14 morethan 19,000, virtually

50 percent, were employed in agriculture. Of these 19,000 only 5,800 were

farm operators. That is to say thet some 70 percent of all Japanese in

the labor force and in agriculture did not function as entrepreneurs or

managers. Of the remaining 13,000 odd persons employed in agriculture

some 4,900 were wunpeid family laborers and between 7,500 and 8,000 were

hired wage workers and foremen. The potential loss, then, is not confined

to a loss in management or enterprise but includes the potential less of

a sizable farm labor force.

A less of 11,000 or 12,000 laborers would not have been a serious

loss to California producers during the 1930's, o seriod of heavy migration

eevee nee

of distressed ferm families to California, In 1942, however, there are "

widespread indications of an inadequate supply of labor. Although it is

not yet foregone that there will be a widespread shortage of wnsirilled 4

harvest labor there is a very real possibility that supplies of labor for x

specialized crops such as sugar beets and vecetables will be short. I+

is in these crops that Japenese labor is reskoned to have special skills.

The loss of a supply of experienced hired labor in agriculture will

bear as heavily upon white producers as upon Jepenose., In the past there

has been no pronounced tendency for Japanese operators to hire Japanese

labor, Japanese operators have used white, Filipino, end Mexican labor

as well as Japanese while much of the Japanese farm labor force hae been

in white employ.

Slightly more than 50 percent of the Japenese population is employed

in industries other than agriculture. The bulk of' this labor ferece is

employed in rholesale and retail trade, xersonal services such as launder=

ing, cleaning and dyeing, and in domestic service. There are about 4,400

Japanese employed as domestics,representing more then 10 persent of ali

, Japanese employede A portion of the Japanese employed in nenegricultural

industries serve the Japanese population exclusively, or in large part.

Virtually all of the vrofessional persons and many of the persons employed

in retail trade fall into this caterory and their functions will depend

on the future location of the evacuated Japanese population. The loss of

those workers engaged in personal service will not be seriously felt since :

laundries, cleaning and dyeing establishments, and other representatives

of the category exist in profusion. The facilities remeining will probably

not be seriously strained. The withdrawal of 4,400 oersons employed in

domestic service will undoubtedly contribute te the "servant problem" but

since this is a perennial problem with the group which finds it a problem

at all this need not be a matter of sorious concerne

The economic consequences of restrictions upon Japanese cannot be

measured by the volume of physical evacuation elonee Since any disposition

of the Japanese problem must, in the nature of the case, be subject to

modification there are disruptions cf normal business arrangements that

reach beyond those physically affected by evacuation. Any Japanese is

now a bad commercial risk irrespective of where his business may be located

and there is, as has been indicated, a growing withdrawal of normal busie

ness facilities which will present obstacles to the continued gainful em-

ployment of all Japanese whether within or rithout restricted zones. -

Appsudix, Taocke |

Page i of 2 pages

Japanese population of Galifornia by citizexship

and by county, 1949

: z Wative 3 Foreign-born

County 3 Totel =, (citizens) ; (aliens)

t

State total $ 93,717 60.3148 33 , 569

Alameda 3 5167 3 ed8e 1,785

Alpine 2 ees = in

Amador and @ 2 =

t

Butte 2 216 145 73

3

Calaveras 2 6 oe ow

Colusa $ 155 103 52

Contra Costa t 829 518 $il

Del Norte $ - = ine

El Dorado 8 3 1 2

Fresno 2 4,527 .939 Ly DUS

2

Gi Snn $ eon exe

3

Humboldt $ aoe ae =

t

Imperial 8 1,583 ' 994 0x00A789

Inyo $ 1 1

: 43

Korn t 756 397 389

Kings : 508 $23 185

3 .

Lake 3 1 = 1

Los Angeles $ 56 "866 23 9 75 13,393

8

Madera t 170 118 52

Varin 3 150 68 82

Nariposa 3 os ~ xo

Mendocine 2 53 21 32

Yerced 3 715 481 234

Modos t 4 - and

Mono 8 . = we

Vonterey and 2 g 287 i e 0x00A750 717

g

Napa $ ae 26 34

Nevada 3 a on a

Continued

Japanese population of California by er?

et cea

Appendix, Table 1 ~ Contd.

and by county, 1940

Page 2 of @ page

3 : Wative 3 Poreign-born

aunty. a eee (aliens)

$

Orange 3 1,855 1,178 677

$

Placer g 1,637 1 147 490

Plumas e 1 = 1

$

Riverside t 552 869 183

$

Sacramento pound 6,764 4 "4.59 Zealo

San Benito 3 526 $31 145

San Bernardino g 546 Bae 135

Sen Diego t 2,076 1,283 793

Sen Francisco pound 6,280 : and O04 2,276

San Joaquin g 4 5484 25759 1,725

San Luis Obispo 2 925 639 286

San Mateo z 1,218 805 418

Senta Barbara e 2,187 1,419 768

Santa Clara t 4,049 2 829 1,220

Senta Cruz and 1,801 931 370

Shasta t 2 1 1

Sierra - 3 " wn oe

Siskiyou g 7 and S

Solanc i 906 518 588

Sonoma t 758 549 209

Stanislaus 5 869 231 138

Sutter t 423 274 149

3

Tehama 8 38 e7 1}

Trinity g ~ - ~

Tulare 2 1,812 15101 Til

Tuolumne t " 0x2122 ve

2

Ventura 3 672 421 251

a :

Yolo t 1,087 699 388

Yuba 2 429 283 146

:

Bureau of the Census.

Census of Pepulation 1940,

"

sth ii i le i al RR

Te

Page 1 of 2 pages

Appendix, Table 2

Japanese population ef California by residence, 1940 1/

Total 2 Urban : Peroont t+ Rural 7 Percent"

2

County t Japanese : Japenese : urban ; Japanese ; rural

; and :

Total California 3 93,717 52 262 55 8 41 3465 44.2

8

Alameda $ 5,167 3 2958 716 oF 1 2209 23 4

Alpine g a ~- = ise j

Amador 2 2 ~ " 2 100.0

.

Butte 3 216 36 16.7 180 83.3

- 2

Caleveras : 6 = = 6 100.0

Colusa 3 155 = = 155 100.0

Contra Costs t 829 127 1563 702 0 84.7

z

Del Norte 2 me om wo we we

;

El Dorado 8 3 39 100.0 " o

Fresno t 4,527 1,008 2208 3,519 7767

and

Glenn $ = MS-3196 MS-3196.MODS MS-3196.batch MS-3580-1127 MS-3580-1127.MODS MS-3580-1127.batch MS-3580-1385 MS-3580-1385-large MS-3580-1385-large.MODS MS-3580-1385.MODS MS-3580-1385.batch MS-3580-1386 MS-3580-1386.MODS MS-3580-1386.batch MS-3580-1387 MS-3580-1387.MODS MS-3580-1387.batch MS-685 MS-685.MODS MS-685.batch MSP-685 MSP-685.MODS PC-CO-Tanforan add-tei.sh create-bags.sh create-manuscript-bags.sh create-manuscript-batch.sh fits.log ladd ve - =

%

Humboldt g (c) " "0 =

3 : :

Imperial 3 1,583 $31 241 1,202 7529

Inyo t 2 - " 1 10020

z

Kern 3 756 $52 46 6 404euro 53 0%

Kings 8 508 113 22 on 395 7728

s Lake 3 1 os " i 109.0

Los Angeles : 36,866 30,112 81.7 6 " 754 18.38

g

Madera 2 170 15 8.8 155 91.2

Marin g 150 77 51.8 7$ 4367

Mariposa t " ~ ~ im "

Mendocino 8 53 14 26.4 89 736

Ferced $ 715 o ww 715 100.0

Modoc 3 and = ~ and 100.0

Nono 3 ~ = eo a "

Monterey : 2,247 838 3708 1,409 6207

$ .

Napa 3 54 1 1.9 53 98 1

: Neveda 3 = ow wen - oe

Continued

au 83 os

Page 2 of 2 pages

Appendix, Table 2 ~ Continued

Jepanese population of California by residence, 1940 1/

motae' "UWshan + Peeneat. . Kural 5" Percent

$

Couey. 7 Japanese : Japanese : urban -: Japanese cent rural

t

Orange e 1,855 89 4.8 1,766 95.2

3 :

Placer 3 1,637 66 4.0 1,571 96.0

Plumas g ] ne MS-3196 MS-3196.MODS MS-3196.batch MS-3580-1127 MS-3580-1127.MODS MS-3580-1127.batch MS-3580-1385 MS-3580-1385-large MS-3580-1385-large.MODS MS-3580-1385.MODS MS-3580-1385.batch MS-3580-1386 MS-3580-1386.MODS MS-3580-1386.batch MS-3580-1387 MS-3580-1387.MODS MS-3580-1387.batch MS-685 MS-685.MODS MS-685.batch MSP-685 MSP-685.MODS PC-CO-Tanforan add-tei.sh create-bags.sh create-manuscript-bags.sh create-manuscript-batch.sh fits.log ladd L 100 oO

g ;

Riverside g 0x00A752 221 40.0 331 60.0

Sacramento x and 2 764 2 9884 2 8 3 3880 57 4

San Benito. i . $26 3s 0.6 523 99.4

San Bernardino S45 203 58.7 143 41.3

San Diego $ 2 O76 1,187 54.8 939 452

San Fransisco t 6,280 5,280 100.0 cS oe

Sen Joaquin : 4,484 1,441 S2 ol 5 9043 67.9

San Luis Obispo ; 925 55 5.9 370 94 wo}

San Vateo 8 1,218 730 59.9 488 40.1

Santa Barbara ; 2,187 807 56 29 1,380 63 ol

Santa Clara 2 4,049 815 206k 3,234 7909

Santa Cruz 8 1,501 412 3107 889 68.3

Shasta 8 2 ~ " 2 100.0

Sierra 3 cd 0% on cod ay

Siekiyou 8 7 a - 7 100.0

Solano 8 906 30 5.3 876 96 67

Sonoma ' 768 42 5.5 716 94.5

Stanisiaus 8 $69 87 25.06 282 76.4

Sutter 2 423 35 8.8 $88 91.7

`

Tehana 2 38 7 18.4 31 81.6

Trinity a ~ o - " j ~

Tulare - : 1,812 242 13.4 a 86 6

Tuol wane 3 " vs " - ie

Ventura g 672 285 42.4 387 -, 6766

3 sie Be .

Yolo : 1,087 69 623 1,018 9367

Yuba 8 429 277 64.6 152 wtnahbbed

3

YV Based on Us So Census of Population, 1940.