His family's migration to Salinas, California

His family's migration to Salinas, California Father created a partnership to grow and ship vegetables Father's business partner operated their farming business during WWII Father was convinced the constitution would protect him Japanese were not welcomed back to Salinas Felt no hostility in Los Gatos, California after the war Able to settle easily in Los Gatos with foresight and luck Requested assignment in Europe to avoid combat in the Korean War Taking over his father's business after father's accident Mochitsuki tradition Feelings about redress Mr. Hirasaki brought World Fair Japanese pavilion to Gilroy

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My grandfather came over from Japan in the 1890s. He was the third son of a peasant farmer in Kaita, Hiroshima, Japan. Things were pretty difficult there. So when the opportunity and a demand for farm laborers came up back in the 1890s, he being the third son decided to come to Hawaii. However things were not that easy there either, and as a result they continued on to, I don’t know where they got Salinas but, landed in San Francisco and ended up in Salinas, California to do sharecropping.

Date: March 22, 2018
Location: California, US
Interviewer: John Esaki
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

migration