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My Grandpa Seima was born in November 1899, proper on the flip of the century. This month, I have fun that he was born 124 years in the past, and he got here to California in 1916 at age 17, 107 years in the past! Individuals are all the time shocked at that as most consider Asian immigrants being comparatively “new” on this nation.
Grandpa was a pioneer and had already been within the U.S. for 26 years, nearly all of his life, when WWII broke out in 1942. Earlier than that, he was a humble farmer, elevating 2 sons, and twin daughters in Westminster, CA. Earlier than the struggle, he would simply say they farmed, and my dad would add to the farm work about his days at Huntington Seaside Excessive Faculty, having fun with sports activities, golf equipment, and the chums he made.
So when Nick Popadiuk of Westminster, CA despatched me an e mail with footage of this text from the Westminster Gazette, April 25, 1940, asking if I had seen it earlier than, I used to be fairly surprised. This group newspaper had an entire article about Grandpa: “Seima Munemitsu, Profitable Truck Gardener, is Properly Considered Right here.”
Nick is a volunteer on the Westminster Museum and got here throughout the article as he was cataloging papers from 1930-40. He mentioned it was distinctive as a result of that is the one article he noticed solely a couple of resident and it took up a full column, high to backside – fairly uncommon in all of the editions he reviewed.
My aunt Aki mentioned she by no means heard in regards to the article once I learn it to her. She was shocked that nobody ever talked about it to her despite the fact that she was a younger woman on the time.
I realized a number of particulars that I didn’t find out about – what crops have been grown in 1940 like bearded wheat and chili peppers, or that the 2 vehicles he owned have been a “ramshackle Ford jalopy” and a brand new touring automotive. I additionally didn’t know that he leased 65 acres to develop strawberries from the Hellman household. This was the beginning of the crop that we’d be identified for into the Fifties, 60s, and 70s, in my lifetime on Munemitsu Farms.
What shocked me probably the most about this text was not the content material, however that it was run in any respect! Twenty 4 years into Grandpa Seima’s American life, he was interviewed by a newspaper for his work as a farmer. Most notably, he was often known as “properly considered” and beneficiant along with his crops, giving households’ tomatoes for nothing and letting the group glean off the remaining harvest earlier than it was disked beneath for the following crop to be planted.
The gifting away of greens doesn’t shock me in any respect. We additionally did that once I was rising up. On the finish of tomato or strawberry season, when it wasn’t worthwhile to choose the remaining crop, the neighborhood was invited to glean the remaining crop because it was greater than sufficient for a number of meals, but it surely simply wasn’t sufficient for truckloads to go to the produce market in L.A. It’s simply what our Japanese American group of farmers did again then, however on this article it made my grandpa distinctive.
I believe principally what strikes me about this text is that it was printed simply 2 years and a month earlier than Could 1942 when Grandpa Seima was arrested by the FBI, accused of being a spy for Japan, disloyal to America. Clearly, the FBI didn’t learn the article or discuss to the neighbors in regards to the farmer who plowed his area with a grey “dobbin” horse or gave away greens to households in want. They might have came upon that Grandpa didn’t have a lot time for spy exercise in opposition to America, he focussed on farming 7 days per week, 12 months after 12 months. And definitely, he wasn’t somebody suspicious or in opposition to this nation. He was “properly considered right here.”
“Kindness is…collaboration and constructing trusted friendships.” (pg. 63) To me, this text speaks principally about collaboration, constructing friendships amongst a group of individuals you belief. I do know his neighbors remembered Grandpa’s generosity within the midst of a struggle. Grandpa Seima carried out his generosity regardless of being arrested and held in a P.O.W. camp for 2 and a half years. After WWII, in the identical group that he was taken from, he returned and generously provided Japanese American households with no place to go, to begin over at our Westminster farm. I’ve little doubt that the neighbors have been invited again to glean after future harvests of greens and strawberries.
Grandpa Seima, you might be my inspiration to be beneficiant and sort. And as you humbly mentioned, “Ah, it’s nodding (nothing).”
Many due to Nick Popadiuk, Historian extraordinaire, for locating this treasured article! It was nice visiting you on the Westminster Museum!
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