
L.A. Times: Strawberry Farming Grows Less Fruitful for Japanese Americans
This book is mentioned in the article: "A Taste for Strawberries: The Independent Journey of Nisei Farmer Manabi Hirasaki"As dawn breaks, Bill Ito is often out the door to inspect his strawberries. That's what his father did. That's what his grandfather did too, after emigrating from Japan in 1918 to establish a family farming enterprise that would eventually become one of the biggest strawberry growers in Southern California. But whether the Ito family will farm strawberry fields forever is anyone's guess. Although farmers of Japanese descent virtually developed the state's $1.3-billion strawberry industry, they themselves are becoming scarce...In a timeless cycle of ethnic assimilation and advancement, Latinos have replaced Japanese Americans as the industry's dominant players...more...