[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 175 (Friday, October 9, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING THE KANAGAWA CITRUS COMPANY

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                              HON. TJ COX

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 9, 2020

  Mr. COX of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
Kanagawa family of Sanger, California, who for three generations have 
operated the Kanagawa Citrus Company. The Kanagawa Citrus Company, 
commonly known as the Sanger Nursery, has been an institution in their 
community for over one hundred years.
  T.Y. Kanagawa immigrated from Japan to California in the early 1900s 
in pursuit of the American Dream. He incorporated the Kanagawa Citrus 
Company with the State of California in 1907.
  The Kanagawa family's small business has thrived over the years 
despite many challenges including the internment of T.Y. Kanagawa, his 
spouse Jitsuyo, and their son Robert Kanagawa during World War II. It 
was in the camp that Robert met his spouse, Yuki, who also joined the 
family business.
  During the family's internment, their neighbors--the William Boes 
family--watched over and protected their property. Upon the family's 
release from the camp, the Kanagawas continued their work to serve 
their community and grow the company. T.Y. and his two sons, Robert and 
Jerry, focused their efforts towards meeting the needs of California's 
growing agricultural industry and the company grew steadily, with Jerry 
managing the day-to-day operations and Robert maintaining the books and 
finances.
  Robert's son, Dallas, was the third generation of the Kanagawa family 
to manage the company, took over in the 1980s. Known for friendly, 
personalized service, Dallas Kanagawa and his staff continued providing 
fruit trees, hardware, and much needed agriculture supplies to farmers 
in Fresno County and throughout the Central Valley.
  Today, the Kanagawa Citrus Company serves as many as 350 farmers, 
many of which have relied on the Kanagawa Citrus Company over all three 
generations. Now, after proudly serving Valley farmers for over 30 
years, Dallas Kanagawa looks forward to a happy retirement with his 
lovely wife, Paula.
  The Central Valley will remember the Kanagawa family and their 
service to the 21st Congressional District with pride.

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