Signature Work

Abstract

The California water landscape is dauntingly complex, comprising systems of water rights, methods of distribution and management, and challenges concerning availability, quality, and conveyance. Within this landscape exists a fraught history set up to exclude Asian American immigrants, among many other marginalized peoples, from property ownership and water rights by extension. This work utilizes ethnographic research methods to trace anti-Asian sentiment as it relates to land ownership, agriculture, and access to water resources. Specifically, it investigates the longstanding impact of the Alien Land Law of 1913, and the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans under Executive Order 9066. Interviews with multigenerational Japanese American farmers revealed the impact of this legal exclusion on their ability to purchase high-quality agricultural land. Regardless of the type and source of their water rights, farmers generally experienced more challenges bringing land into productivity in comparison to their white counterparts, and interviewees cited water reliability and quality difficulties. This work also utilizes interviews with public officials, relevant nonprofit organizations, and community members to support policy recommendations. Specifically, legislative, administrative, and community-based interventions could help advance equity within California’s water governance system.