Japanese began arriving in California about 1890 as the Chinese were leaving. They came to fill the need for cheap labor. The Japanese who settled in Butte County contributed to its development through work on the railroads, the mines, and in agriculture. This book gives the history of many local Japanese families who made Butte County their home in the 1800s and the stresses of being moved to relocation camps during WWII.
Japanese Experience in Butte County, California by Archie McDonald
Archie and Lois McDonald shared a deep and abiding interest in local history and historical publication, and have made many contributions with their work, research, writings, and exhaustive volunteerism for several genealogy and historical organizations.
Archie McDonald was a social worker and social scientist by education, practice and teaching. Archie developed expertise in public social policy and the history of social programs. This included the study of English and American poor laws and social security systems. Archie was a beloved professor of Social Work at California State University, Chico, and for many years was a state-certified Ombudsman for the Elderly.
Lois Halliday McDonald was a native of Illinois and graduated from Illinois State University. She spent the next 30 years teaching and doing social work, moving to Northern California with her first husband, Donald Veith, in 1953. Her interest in history began when she decided to research the family history of her second husband, Archie McDonald, in the 1970s.
Archie and Lois held memberships in historical societies in three different states and numerous counties. While Archie was the editor of The Diggin's, the Butte County Historical Society quarterly publication, he became interested in the contributions of several ethnic groups. The result was the research and writing of The Japanese Experience in Butte County, California.