Historical Marker Recognizes Early Japanese Settlers

At a recent ceremony held at Fairview Cemetery in League City, a new Texas State Historical Marker was officially unveiled to commemorate a long-overlooked chapter of Texas history-the legacy of Japanese immigrants who helped shape League City, Webster, and the Houston-Galveston region more than a century ago. The marker recognizes the contributions of Seito Saibara-a Japanese lawyer and businessman-who in 1903 led a small band of 30 Japanese rice farmers who immigrated to Texas and helped launch the region's rice industry. For approximately twenty years, large sections of land just north of League City contained a magnificent sea of rice fields that showcased huge stacks of golden straw at harvest time.

However, by the late 1920's many of the rice farmers had fallen victim to hard times. Despite their struggles, these early Japanese settlers, and their descendants, including members of the Saibara, Imai, and Ando families, stayed in Webster and League City and went on to distinguish themselves by growing figs and Satsuma oranges, remaining vital members of the local economy. Today, 47 members of that early community are buried in a small section of Fairview Cemetery, where gravestones are inscribed in both English and Japanese-a testament to their bicultural heritage.

"There are so many of them that came and persevered and made a good living for themselves," said Melody Hauch, vice chair of the Galveston County Historical Commission who worked with the Texas Historical Society to obtain the historical marker. "It was hard work, but they stayed, and they made something of those rice farms-and later, their fruit orchards."

Paul Saibara, the great-grandson of Seito Sabara, was at the recent ceremony to unveil the marker. Saibara pointed out that many of his relatives, including Saito, never looked back after coming to America. "At one point, my great-grandfather had a chance to return to his native Japan and live out his life, but he said no, I am a Texan, and that is why he chose to be buried here."

Watch the video below to learn more.