Konnichiwa Florida Moon: The Story of George Morikami, Pineapple Pioneer

by Virginia Aronson

Overview

This is the story of one of the earliest Japanese Americans to settle in Florida. How did a poor Japanese immigrant transform himself into one of south Florida's most generous millionaires? He bowed to the earth, gave thanks to the Florida moon, and grew pineapples! Here for the first time in book form is the inspirational story of George Morikami, a true Florida pioneer. In the early 1900s, young Sukeji "George" Morikami lived happily with his family in a quiet Japanese fishing hamlet. But when his true love's parents refused to let him marry her, he was crushed. He left to find his fortune in America, never to see the Japanese moon again. Penniless and unable to speak English, George arrived at Yamato, an upstart farming colony in what is now Boca Raton. George's dreams of earning enough money to return home, buy his own land, and claim his beloved would never be realized. Destiny had other dreams—American dreams—in store for George Morikami. Today, his legacy lives on at the beautiful and unique Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561642632
Publisher:	Pineapple Press, Inc.
Publication date:	09/01/2002
Series:	Pineapple Press Biography Series
Edition description:	1ST
Pages:	61
Product dimensions:	6.32(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.39(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5-9-Two brief inspirational biographies of Asian-American immigrants who became successful Florida horticulturists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The author admits she has taken "poetic liberties" to convey the feelings and emotions of these two men who left behind little record of their private lives. Her writing sometimes becomes flowery as she describes their struggles to overcome prejudice, physical hardship, and financial obstacles to achieve success in America. Lue Gim Gong arrived from China in 1872, worked in a New England shoe factory, and later became an expert cultivator of hardy new varieties of oranges and grapefruits in central Florida. Sukeji "George" Morikami joined Yamato, the first Japanese farming colony on the East Coast of the U.S., in 1906, hoping to earn enough money to return home a wealthy man. Instead he remained in Florida where he became a successful pineapple farmer and millionaire landowner whose property is now the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach. Poor-quality, black-and-white photos illustrate both books. Libraries building large collections of Asian-American studies or Florida local history may be interested in these titles; all others can pass on them.-Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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