History of Asian cannery workers in the Pacific Northwest

Abstract

From the mid 1860s to the eve of World War II, Asian workers, predominantly Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos, constituted a significant part of the labor force in the Pacific Northwest cannery industry. In contrast to the prevalent notion of Asian workers' exploitation, their struggles in the industry have long been marginalized. Asian workers endured cruel working conditions and attempted to find ways to achieve their individual ambitions. Despite the hardships they faced in the course of their participation in West Coast capitalism, the Asian workers in the Pacific Northwest began adapting to the new environment, and their social status grew at the same time. Development of the labor contract system and its conflict with unionization were Asian workers' ways to sustain their places in the labor market. Outside of the cannery industry, the demographical dynamism of Asian immigrants also complexly influenced those in the industry. As Asian immigrants developed their own communities, they significantly shaped their distinctive identities in the U.S. and created ethnic solidarity, which led to ethnic labor competition in the cannery industry. Hence, history of Asian cannery workers in the Pacific Northwest demonstrated ways of Asian workers' responses toward the demands of capitalism on the West Coast.