George Shima Becomes First Japanese American Millionaire
By Steve Lent, Museum Historian
George Shima was a Japanese American businessman in California who became nicknamed “The Potato King” because he produced about 85% of the state’s potato crop. He was born Ushijima Kinji in Japan in 1864. He changed his name to George Shima when he came to the United States to live in California. He did various jobs and eventually provided Japanese farm workers to white farmers. By the 1890s he began leasing inexpensive swamp land. He reclaimed the land and began growing potatoes. Using new management techniques and the latest agriculture technology he began to corner the market on potatoes. His brand of potatoes was known as “Shima Fancy” and his operation was valued at $18 million by 1913.
He began to branch out and 1919 purchased some land near Powell Butte in Central Oregon. He acquired 13,900 acres of land between Powell Butte and Prineville. He was drawn to the area because of the high-quality potatoes produced in the region. Most of the land he purchased was covered with sagebrush and juniper. About 2000 acres was cleared and prepared for potato crops.
His arrival in Central Oregon created a fear that Japanese and Chinese labor would be brought into the area. Many local farmers made overtures to a movement to insure the employment of white labor for the enterprise. Shima had acquired in partnership with others about 17,000 acres in Central Oregon. His continued plans to raise potatoes in Central Oregon met with a significant prejudice against potential Japanese labor. There was a general prejudice against the Japanese and Chinese at this time in the United States.
Mr. Shima became very concerned about the growing sentiment against “Yellow” labor. He claimed to never plan a Japanese colony in Central Oregon but his disgust with local opposition to Japanese American presence led him to begin selling his land holdings in Central Oregon. Most of his holdings in Central Oregon were liquidated by 1922.
He continued to be a very prosperous man. While on a business trip to Los Angeles on March 27, 1926 he suffered a stroke and died. He had achieved the American dream as an immigrant to his adopted land and became a successful and wealthy man but was subject to racism in the country he called home.