Yutaro Uyeda, Monrovia’s Strawberry Kingppolinks.com/monrovia/Yutaro Uyeda.pdf · Yutaro Uyeda,...

YutaroUyeda,Monrovia’sStrawberryKingWhenhepassedawayin1949,theLosAngelesTimesdubbedYutaroUyeda“Monrovia’sStrawberryKing.”YutaroplantedacresofstrawberriesandwasanintegralpartofMonrovialifebeforeWorldWarII.HewasacommunityleaderfortheJapaneseAmericansofMonrovia.YutaroUyeda(1877-1949)originatedfromFukuokaandwenttoHawaiiin1903.Likeotherimmigrants,Yutarowasluredbythepromiseofworkopportunities.HecametothemainlandandfoundworklayingtracksforPacificElectric’sMonrovia-Glendoraline.WhenthatworkledhimtoMonrovianear1907,hestayed.In1919,Yutarosentforapicturebride,NakaShinohara(1889-1988),originallyfromKumamoto.TheUyedashadthreechildren:Isamu,ToshikoEthel(1922-1995),andMaryYoshie(1923-2018).MaryUyedaSakatanisaid,“Myfatherwasasmallman,veryloud,andveryhardworking.”FarmlifeinMonroviawashardworkfortheUyedasandotherJapanesepioneers.ManyJapanesewereintheproductionofstrawberriesandotherlabor-intensivecropstoavoidcompetitionwithCaucasianfarmers.JapaneseAmericansknewtoavoidcultivationofcitrus,grapes,andnuts;andconcentratedinsteadonfastergrowingannualvegetables,fruits,andflowers.A1910surveyshowedthatabout80%ofstrawberrygrowersinLosAngeleswereofJapanesedescent.SuchstrawberryfarmswereconcentratedinGardena,Anaheim,ElMonte,Oxnard,andelsewhere.Strawberrycropstookhoursofback-breakinghandworkandstooplabor.Thesuccessofstrawberryfarmsintheearly20thcenturywaslinkedtothedevelopmentoftherefrigeratedrailcars,andtruckfarming-whichbroughtfreshvegetablesandfruitsweeklytothegrowingurbancommunities.JapaneseAmericansformedsupportivestrawberrygrowers’associationsliketheSanGabrielValleyBerryGrowersCo-op.YutarowasabletouseCitylandbetweenMayflowerandMagnolia–justnorthofHuntington.ButYutarowouldoftentakeadvantageofotheremptyunusedlotswhereverhefoundthem.Ifownerscomplained,hewouldgiftthemflatsofstrawberries.HeevengavestrawberriestopoliceofficersandothersinMonrovia.DespitehisbrokenEnglish,hegotalongfineandeverybodyknewhim.Hedidownthehomeat331WestHuntingtonDrive.Asthe1913AlienLandActpreventedresidentaliensfrombuyingland,itwasprobablypurchasedinhisson,Isamu’sname.Isamudiedafterbeingkickedbyahorsewhenhewasnineyearsold.YutarofirstusedJapaneselaborersfromLosAngelestohelppickthestrawberries.ButthatgaveNakatheresponsibilitytocookandfeedthem.TheseasonalworkerswouldsleepoverinYutaro’sMonroviagarage.Soonafter,YutarostartedhiringMexicanneighborswhowouldgohomeforlunchandintheevenings.NakaandherdaughtersworkedthefruitstandonHuntingtonDrive.HuntingtonDrivewasRoute66andabusythoroughfare.Marysaid,“Inthoseday,mysisterandIwereneverallowedtosit

downonasofaduringtheday.Momwasalsoahardworker.Shewasalwaysbusywithourfruitstandat331W.HuntingtonDrive.”YutarotooktheefforttobeapartofMonroviawithhisfloatsfortheMonroviaDayParades.Hehadhisdaughterssitonthefloatandpassoutstrawberries.YutarowasalsooneofthecommunityparentsthathelpedbuildandsustaintheJapaneselanguageschoolonMayflower,southofDuarteRoad.Likeinothertowns,thegakuenwasaplacefortheJapaneseAmericanstotakeprideintheirethnicheritage.Andonceayear,theJapaneseAmericanswouldget-togetherfortheNewYearmochizuki(ricepoundingevent).Yutaro’sdaughters,ToshikoandMaryattendedSantaFeElementary,Clifton,andMAD(Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte)HighSchool-andwentstraighttoworkeachdayafterschool.ButYutarodidhaveaspecialfriend:OrmanGood.OrmanGoodwasaneighboronLemonAvenue,andanagentforStandardOilCompany.Yutarohadagaspumponthispropertyandthetwomenbecamedrinkingbuddies.AftertheattackonPearlHarbor,YutarowaspickedupbytheMonroviaPolice,atthebehestoftheFBI,andsenttoahighsecurityfacilityinSantaFe.FBIhadpre-identifiedandtargetedJapanesecommunityleadersaroundCalifornia.Marysaid,“TheMonroviapoliceseemedkindofembarrassedbecausetheyknewmydad.Iwas18yearsoldandforcedtoleavemyschoolingatPasadenaJuniorCollege.”ExecutiveOrder9066unjustlyforcedMonrovia’sJapanesetoevacuatetothedetentioncenteratthePomonaFairgrounds.Fromthere,theyweretransportedtoHeartMountainconcentrationcampinWyoming.Marysaid,“ThemosthumiliatingpartformewasbeingforcedtowearnumberedtagswhilestandinginlineatthePomonaFairgrounds.”TheUyeda’swereveryluckybecauseOrmanGoodlookedaftertheirMonroviaproperty.“WegavetheGoodsoursugarrationsandMrs.GoodbroughtuscookieswhilewewereatPomonaDetentionCenter.Mr.Goodwouldsendusmoneyfromleasingoutourhome.Hehadbeengivenpowerofattorney.Mr.Goodpickedusup–alongwiththeAsanos–fromtheMonroviatrainstationwhenwereturnedfromcamp.Wehadahardtimeevictingourtenantssowelivedinthegarageforawhile,”saidMary.Mary’sdaughter,Keiko,added,“Foryears,myfatherwouldbringaboxoffruitsandvegetablestotheGoods.They,inturn,wouldbakeusdatenutandorangebreads,arealtreatforuschildren.”TheUyedasreturnedtoMonroviaafterWorldWarII.Toshikoandhernewhusband,YoshitoSakatani,livedinthefronthouseonHuntingtonDrive.Maryandhernewhusband,MasatoSakatani,livedinaconvertedgarageoffofthemainhouse.MaryandToshikohadmarriedbrothersfromElMonte.Yutarodiedin1949.MaryandherfamilymovedtoWalnutAvenueinMonrovia,andToshikoandherfamilymovedtoBaldwinPark.Afterthe1952Walter-McCarranAct,Nakagainedhernaturalizedcitizenshipin1955.TherearestillSakatanislivinginMonrovia.FormerCaliforniaSecretaryofFoodandAgricultureandstrawberryfarmerinOrangeCounty,A.G.Kawamura,said,“Fornearlyacentury,CaliforniastrawberryfarminghasprovidedaladdertosuccessforJapaneseAmericanandotherAsianfamilies.Ithasallowedgenerationstoriseupfromthefieldstoimprovetheirlives,assimilateintoAmericansocietyandassumeleadershiprolesinbusiness,academiaandgovernment.”YutaroUyedawascertainlyonestrawberryfarmerthatusedhishardlabortobuildhisfamilyandhiscommunity.

Uyeda’sProduceStand,331W.HuntingtonDrive.PhotocourtesyofKeikoSakatani.

1938MonroviaParade.PhotocourtesyofKeikoSakatani.

Monrovia’sJapaneselanguageschoolonMayflowerinearly1930s.Notetheouthousetotheleftofphoto.PhotocourtesyofKeikoSakatani.