James Ichiuji

The Alien Land Law of 1913

The Chinese first came to the US as cheap laborers to build the railways and tend to fields. Their large population as a source of cheap labor created tension between the Chinese and Caucasian workers who were losing their jobs. This anti-Asian sentiment eventually carried over to the Japanese in the mid-1800s. The California Alien Land Law of 1913, signed by Governor Hiram Johnson on May 19^th 1913, prohibited Asian immigrants from owning property, which greatly affected immigrant farmers. It was written by attorney Francis J. Heney and California state attorney general Ulysses S. Webb, men known for their anti-immigration stances. California, by passing this law, inspired ten other Western states to pass similar laws between 1913 and 1923. The law seemed to target the Chinese, Indian, Korean, but mostly Japanese farmers by allowing them to only lease land for 3-year increments. Its primary purpose was “to prohibit Orientals who cannot become American citizens from controlling [Californian farmers’] rich agricultural lands… Orientals, and more particularly Japanese, [have] commenced to secure control of agricultural lands in California” which would not be tolerated in the eyes of Californian officials. In the eyes of Californians the purpose of this law was to not only prevent further immigration, but to drive the Asian American inhabitants out. On the other hand, the US federal government opposed this law because of the ever-important relations with Japan. After victories in the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars, Japan was seen as a first-class world power.

In response to the law, the Consul General of Japan, Kametaro Iijima commented that the anti-Japanese feelings greatly increased. He said further, “this country has always been regarded by the Japanese people as the best friend of Japan among the nations. Now they find that California makes laws which discriminate against Japan…” He concludes by pointing to the Chinese, whose “unlimited” markets, sparked in the past by the Japanese, are capable of accommodating both Japanese and American businesses.

Though the law was harsh, Japanese Immigrants found ways around this law by putting the title of the land under the names of their US born children. They also formed trusts and title-holding agriculture corporations with non-Asian, noncitizens. The success of Japanese farmers despite a law whose goal was to specifically shut them down, led to the more strict Alien Land Law of 1920, which covered loopholes previously used by Asian American farmers.