[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 95 (Thursday, June 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CALIFORNIA FLOWER MARKET

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 21, 2012

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the 100th Anniversary of a 
place filled with vibrant colors, tantalizing fragrances, delicate 
shapes and magic--the California Flower Market in San Francisco. The 
market is flowers galore and it's impossible to be there without 
feeling uplifted. I'm a proud and frequent customer at this special 
place that is also a great boost to our local economy.
  The California Flower Market, spanning a block between 5th and 6th 
Streets on Brannan Street, was established by Japanese-American flower 
growers a century ago. The growers needed a place to sell their 
products and founded one of the first Japanese-American corporations in 
California to do so. The pioneering Issei--the first Japanese 
immigrants to North America, South America and Australia--honed their 
growing and flower arranging skills and made significant contributions 
to the development of the community.
  Today, over 50 vendors sell their flowers to 4,000 trade buyers, 
which include retailers, whole sellers, party planners and interior 
decorators, and to the public directly. The California Flower Market is 
an oasis in the South of Market area of San Francisco. I personally 
welcome any opportunity I have to stroll through the market and pick 
out a perfectly grown Phalaenopsis, a blossom-covered Christmas cactus 
or an Ikebana arrangement.
  But history wasn't always bright at the California Flower Market. 
During the shameful era of World War II's internment of Japanese-
Americans, flower markets throughout California went from Japanese 
control to non-Japanese control in a matter of months.
  The United States sent 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry to 
internment camps along the Pacific Coast. Most of them were American-
born citizens and hard-working, law-abiding people. The majority of 
them remained silent about their experiences in the camps and later 
picked up the pieces of their broken lives and built new communities. 
The flower growers were among them. While in the camps, the flower 
growers association worked hard to remain organized and give growers 
hope for the future. In the 1950's Japanese-Americans rebuilt their 
prominence in the floricultural industry.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to 
honor the California Flower Market on its 100th Anniversary. It is a 
symbol of lasting and resilient beauty that cannot be suppressed, only 
enjoyed.

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