Okuma Farm, tilled and planted with strawberries. Mission, B.C.
The Mission Japanese farming community was a vibrant part of the development of the Mission area from the late 1890’s, until their internment in early 1942. The farmers cleared and developed much of the land in what is the current district of Mission. They achieved their dreams, and made richer lives for themselves and their families, with the help of organizations such as the Mission Japanese Farmer’s Association (or the Mission Japanese Nohkai), who worked hard to establish themselves in the predominantly white community. In addition, Japanese farmers cooperated with other non-Japanese farmers in the Pacific Co-op, set up in …date…for the selling of their berries and produce.
Despite their hard work and success, the Japanese communities persevered in the face of much racial discrimination. This was especially clear at the end of their stay in Mission during the Second World War, when they were interned and sent to camps in the interior of B.C. and the sugar beet farms of the prairies.