At its peak in 1909, Japanese farm labor furnished the bulk of agricultural workers on the large farms in the state, and dominated the field in berries, grapes, vegetable cutting, asparagus, and sugar beets. The 30,000 Japanese workers represented over 40 percent of the total farm labor force.

Few, however, worked on the giant wheat farms, where decades of tradition and a declining market share created local cultures of racist exclusion.