In the heart of the ‘Breadbasket of California,’ a small but vibrant community of Japanese Americans thrived in Bakersfield, a farming center nestled in the Tulare Basin of San Joaquin County, until June 1942. Despite the challenges, their farms, blessed with fertile soil and an arid climate near the Kern River, bloomed with various vegetables, nuts, and fruits, a testament to their resilience and determination.

In 1940, 175 people lived in Bakersfield, and 61 lived in the countryside with seasonal laborers. Bakersfield Japantown had three hotels and seven stores, including a tofu-ya fish, and vegetable markets. Its society centered around the Japanese Buddhist temple and Japanese Methodist Church.

From the Manzanar National Historic Site Collection, on October 17, 2008, in Sacramento, Taeko Joanne Iritani recalled her childhood in Bakersfield with Kirk Peterson…

Source: Bakersfield Japantown – In the Breadbasket of California – AsAmNews