The Japanese in the Monterey Bay Region (1997 book)

The Japanese in the Monterey Bay Region: A Brief History. This book by Sandy Lydon was published in 1997 by Capitola Book Company. Important points:

• This is, by necessity, a regional history. Looking at the Japanese (or any other immigrant group) only in Santa Cruz County would present an inaccurate picture.
• Immigration from Japan began in the 1880s, 30+ years after the first Chinese immigrants.
• Japanese immigration began when Japan ended its ban on emigration in 1887. Demand for Asian immigrant labor in our region grew because of the 1882 cutoff of Chinese immigration by the US. Japanese immigrants initially moved into the same roles previously filled by Chinese immigrants as the supply of Chinese laborers stopped.
• Japanese immigration to the U.S. was halted in 1924, and Japanese immigrants were ineligible for citizenship until 1952.
• Population of Japanese-ancestry residents in the Monterey Bay region peaked in 1930 at 4.6% of the total. The Chinese immigrant population had peaked at about 6% of the regional total in 1890, but the total population was much larger by 1930, so the number of Japanese was possibly larger. In the 1900 census, the numbers of Japanese and Chinese immigrants living in the Monterey Bay area was about equal.
• Chapter 1 compares/contrasts the Chinese and Japanese immigrants:
  • Chinese culture emphasized an adult male's loyalty to the entire extended family, whereas a Japanese man's primary loyalty was to his own immediate family, and/or to a family-like enterprise or organization.
  • Japanese immigrants strove to adopt American language, clothing, behavior and customs; Chinese were more insular, preferring to remain separate and distinct from Americans.
  • Japanese immigrant entrepreneurs were willing to partner with non-Japanese in business ventures.
  • The Japanese government offered more support for emigrants than China did, and took more responsibility for their good behavior. One example of the latter was a successful effort by the Japanese government to crack down on dishonest Japanese labor contractors in the US.
  • Despite attempts to assimilate, Japanese immigrants fell victim to the same xenophobic restrictions on citizenship and immigration that limited the Chinese-American population.