Cortez is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in Merced County,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. It is located on the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...

northwest of Atwater, at an elevation of 141 feet (43 m).

History

Some of California's early agricultural colonies owe their birth to the idealism of Abiko Kyutaro. Born in

Niigata Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,131,009 (1 July 2023) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...

Japan in 1865, he was raised by his grandfather in less than favorable economic conditions. At seventeen he moved to Tokyo with hopes jumping on a ship to America, but he ended up working there for a few years instead. During this time he became devout Christian and then came to America as a student in 1885, like several other initial Japanese immigrants. A decade later, Abiko became a somewhat of a successful businessman and began his personal mission to aid other fellow Japanese in settling in the United States. In 1899 his news paper entitled Nichibei Shimbun became the most prominent Japanese newspaper. The paper took on issues such as restrictions on Japanese immigration and education discrimination. Abiko’s paper not only helped publicize issues important to Japanese Americans, but it also created ties among newly formed Japanese communities. As Abiko became a prominent leader in the Japanese American community, he formed three new colonies: Yamato Colony in Livingston in 1907, Cressey in 1918, and Cortez in 1919.

Legal loopholes

When Cortez was founded in 1919, another piece (in a long history) of anti-Japanese legislation had been passed in the United States. The Alien Land Act of 1913 prevented all ‘aliens illegible for citizenship’ from owning land or leasing property for more than three years. This act was a direct attempt to prevent Japanese farmers from owning land and therefore accumulating wealth in their names. Options for social mobility became limited. The farmers of the Abiko colonies were fortunate compared to many other Japanese; they were farm owners in addition to being farm laborers. In order to circumvent this law, many Japanese out their farm’s land in the name of their Nisei American born children. Families were able to turn barren uncultivated land into thriving farms through hard work ethic and by running a family economy. It was normative for all members of a family, including children would work on the farm.Adachi, K: "The Enemy That Never Was", page 152-153. McClelland & Steward Inc., 1991.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in California Unincorporated communities in Merced County, California Populated places established in 1919