1864-1885
George Shima's Time in Japan
Shima was born on January 6, 1864, as Kinji Ushijima in Kurume City, Fukuoka, Japan. He developed an interest in Chinese literature, specifically poetry. He attempted to enroll at Hitotsubashi University in 1885. Despite his knowledge of both the Japanese and Chinese languages he failed the entrance exam due to a lack of English comprehension.
(Photo and Caption from Delta City College biography )
1889-1892
Shima Immigrates to California
Shifting his goals, Shima was given $1,000 by his father and immigrated to the United States. The recent passing of the Chinese exclusion act increased demand for cheap labor. Shima worked as a "schoolboy" to learn English. He decided to pursue farming, for three years he would work in the potato fields in Colma, studying the methods of the other farmers during the day. At night he would learn about American business conditions and customs
(Political cartoon ridiculing European immigrants for their treatment of Asians, "Throwing Down the Ladder by Which They Rose", by Thomas Nast, 7/23/1870)
1892-1896
Shima Falls on Hard Times
After gathering enough knowledge, he would partner with an American and lease 60 acres of land to produce potatoes and beans. Breaking from his partnership, Shima would be ravaged by the economic depression of 1893 , losing practically every cent he put into his agricultural venture. For another three years Shima continued to plant potatoes and sink deeper into debt. His horses and farm equipment were seized, and he contemplated going back to work in the fields.
(Drawing of stockbrokers panicking by Frank Leslie, 5/9/1893)
1896-1898
Shima Begins Paying Off Debts
An American friend, seeing the potential in Shima decided to buy him new horses, farm equipment, and seed potatoes. He made his first year of profits in 1897 and then again in 1898. Shima was a very honorable man, never having formal written contracts he instead would make verbal agreements following them to a tee. "Â If I say that I will sell a man potatoes at $1, and they go to $2, I keep my word. And if any one breaks his word with me I have nothing more to do with him." He was determined to pay off all of the debt he acquired during his lean years and begin expanding.
(Photo and caption from Sounding Journal website on Shima)
1899-1900
Shima Loses his Mother, Meets his Wife, and Begins Experimenting
Many farmers had discounted the waterlogged islands that spotted the Delta as they required the construction of levees to make the soil useable- leading to flooded lands costing $3-5 an acre while prime farming lands reached upward of $150 an acre. Shima began reclaiming the islands of the Delta, draining the excess water and allowing plants to decay for more fertile soil, thus gaining control of roughly 3,000 acres of land either directly or through joint holdings.
This long term investment would not pay out immediately and he would lose money for the next two years. His mother, Tai, would unfortunately pass away in 1899 and Shima would return to Japan in March 1900. During this trip, he would meet his wife Shimeko Shimomura and they returned together to live in San Francisco.
(Photo of Shima, his wife, and daughter taken from San Francisco Call March 10 1912)
1901-1906
Shima's pitfalls in building an empire
In 1901 Shima's land would be ravaged by a flood when a levee broke. Ever determined, Shima pushed through small harvests from 1902-1905. By perfecting the sub-irrigation in so-called "spud ditches" the potatoes flourished in the moist peat soil. By 1906 Shima's acreage was plentiful with potatoes, and due to scarcity of potatoes from other regions Shima's venture was once again profitable. Sadly another flood and country-wide economic depression would hit Shima hard, totaling to a $160,000 (~$5 million) loss. 1905 would also see the American Federation of Laborers adopt a policy of excluding Japanese laborers. In 1906 California would begin segregating Japanese children in schools.
(Photo and caption from Delta City College biography)
1907
Anti-Asian Sentiments
This year saw the passing of a law that forbid Japanese immigrants living in Hawaii to move to the mainland U.S. Many Japanese workers began switching from railway/mining jobs to agriculture. The school segregation policy was only rescinded after the intervention of president Theodore Roosevelt.Â
Shima and his family moved to Berkeley and despite his impeccable character and agricultural success Shima was not accepted into the community with newspapers quickly releasing headlines like "Yellow Peril in College Town". A strategic donation of $500 to the local YMCA would sway the community. He would be elected President of the Japanese Association of America and served in that position until his death.
(Photo from 1914 documentary about life on Shima farm with shots of his Berkeley house)
1908-1910
Shima Innovates his Practice
Shima said, "1908 ushered in the best year I ever had." His investments would pay off with 3,200 acres of land with each acre producing 115 sacks of potatoes. 1910 was the year people began to say Shima cornered the potato market. He denied this claim saying the market is too diverse to be cornered by one man. Shima began investing into more industrial farm equipment buying two tractor engines in 1910.
(Example of refurbished tractor at the Haggin museum shown)
1911-1913
Shima's Cements his Empire
Shima continued to expand his farming lands. By 1912 he controlled over 10,000 acres of land, the next year he increased that to 28,000 acres. Anti-Japanese sentiments continued to rise with governor Hiram Johnson introducing 27 Anti-Japanese bills. In 1913 California passed the Alien-land law which prohibited Asian immigrants from owning land. Shima foresaw this becoming a major stockholder in California Delta Farms which was formed by Lee Philips, an American friend in 1912 allowing Shima to still own the land through the company.
(Photo and Caption from Delta City College biography)
1914-1918
Shima continues to Industrialize
Despite being labeled a yellow invasion for outmaneuvering his competition through greater knowledge, foresight, and risk taking. He continued to industrialize his workforce upgrading his tractors and commissioning the building of barges to transport his potatoes to be sold on market. Shima prided himself on the fair treatment of workers. He understood that working the fields, especially those he reclaimed required immense work to prepare and maintain. He hoped that industrializing would lessen these burdens. Through improving working conditions he directly improved the product grown. "If this understanding and sympathy existed in more lines of industry…there would be less labor trouble."
(Workers loading Barge from 1914 documentary)
1919-1921
Re-lighting the Anti-Asian Movement
1919 saw a resurgence of anti-Asian sentiments. Many Japanese immigrants were able to circumvent the 1913 law by leasing land from an American Citizen. Another popular strategy was putting the title in their child's name as being born on U.S. soil grants citizenship. U.S. Senator James D. Phelan spearheaded the movement gathering a coalition strong enough to to press for proposing stricter enforcement of the 1913 law. In 1920 Shima would release a pamphlet called An Appeal to Justice calling for the recall of the new Alien land laws. Shima wrote, "We know that the constitution of the United States guarantees to all 'persons' under the American flag the equal protection of laws...it is hard for us to believe that the present agitation against us has the sanction of Americanism."
(Cover of Shima's Pamphlet, 1920)
1921-1926
Shima Dies of an Apoplexy Attack
Shima's empire began to crumble as more anti-Asian laws were passed. Shima began losing his work force as they returned to their home countries. A fire would destroy two of his boats in 1923 costing $11,000 (~$180,000). He was forced to dismantle his potato empire, continuing to fight against these laws by sponsoring local Japanese newspapers, sending letters to elected officials, and writing articles for newspapers. Tried of the constant prejudice Shima hoped to return to Japan with his family. Sadly, he would not make this trip as days before he would suffer from an apoplexy attack and die later in the Hollywood Hospital.
(Photo of George Shima, right, with possibly Lee Phillips, 1920)
Shima's Legacy
At his funeral, David Starr Jordan, the President of Stanford University, and James Rolph, the Mayor of San Francisco, both served as pallbearers. Currently there is a memorial for Shima in the Japanese Cemetery in Colma, California. Shima would leave behind four children, three sons and one daughter, along with his wife Shimeko. Delta City College would commemorate Shima with their Shima Center, used by students to study agriculture and mechanical engineering; fitting for the man who industrialized agriculture in the Delta.
(Shima Center at Delta City College, Stockton)
