Japanese Americans at White Point

Japanese Americans at White Point. The Generation Not Forgotten. , Between the 1890s and World War II, several thousand Japanese settled in San Pedro. Their community centered on fishing, shellfish and canning enterprises. It had its own doctors, dentists, shops, social and athletic clubs and a newspaper. , White Point was one of many small Japanese farming areas that emerged around San Pedro. Farmers recruited seasonal labor from the nearby town, and sold their crops including peas, beans, squash, tomatoes and cucumbers. , During the 1920s, Tomiji Tagami developed a recreational attraction at the base of White Point. Catering largely to the Japanese American community, Tagami's business grew to include a hotel, cabins and several pools fed by local hot springs. , Reaction to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 doomed San Pedro's ethnic Japanese population. Community leaders quickly submitted a declaration of loyalty to the United States. Nevertheless, virtually the entire ethnic Japanese community - regardless of U.S. citizenship - was forced to leave. Most lost their homes, businesses and belongings, and ended up in relocation centers. After the war, only a small number of San Pedro's former Japanese American families were able to resettle in the harbor area.