Japanese Migration Timeline

      1869 – One of the first Japanese groups settled in Cold Hill, El Dorado County. They were the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony and they brought mulberry trees, silk cocoons, tea plants, bamboo roots, and other agricultural products with them.

      1890 – There were 2,038 Japanese people living in the United States and more than half of them were living in California. This was because many Japanese were going to Hawaii for jobs and then moving to California. Labor immigrants were chosen carefully and many of the workers were from Hiroshima, Kumamoto, Yamaguchi, and Fukushima because they were thought to be better workers. By this time the Japanese had moved from domestic jobs to agricultural labor.

      1900 – By this time Northern California still had the largest Japanese population because of the opportunities for labor in agriculture. Some Japanese worked on land that had been abandoned by the Chinese. Today this land grows asparagus, onions, potatoes and other products.

      1900-1910 – More Japanese immigrants began buying land and making farms and vineyards in central California.

      1910 – The Japanese population began to move farther south. Many began moving south in 1906 due to the earthquake and by the 1920s Los Angeles had the largest Japanese population in the state.

      1924 – Immigration for Japanese persons was completely stopped due to the Immigration Act passed that year. This act stayed in place until 1952, yet the Japanese population continued to grow, mostly due to new births.

      1942-1945 – Japanese Americans on the west coast were forced into internment camps, two of which were located in California. After their release many decided, with the influence of the War Relocation Authority, to move to the Midwest and East Coast.

      1950 – The Japanese population in California had decreased, but there was still a substantial number with Los Angeles having the largest group.

      1950-1960 – In these years the Japanese population in California almost doubled. This is thought to be due mostly to the birth of the third generation of Japanese. Also, people who had relocated after the internment started slowly returning to the area.