Florin, California

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Florin, California
settlement_type = CDP


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mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location in Sacramento County and the state of California


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = California
subdivision_name2 = Sacramento
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
established_date =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 14.6
area_total_sq_mi = 5.6
area_land_km2 = 14.6
area_land_sq_mi = 5.6
area_water_km2 = 0
area_water_sq_mi = 0
elevation_ft = 33
elevation_m = 10
population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 27653
population_metro =
population_density_km2 = 1894
population_density_sq_mi = 4938
timezone = PST
utc_offset = -8
latd = 38 |latm = 29 |lats = 25 |latNS = N
longd = 121 |longm = 24 |longs = 39 |longEW = W
timezone_DST = PDT
utc_offset_DST = -7
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 95828
area_code = 916
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 06-24498
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0277515
footnotes =
website =

Florin is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 27,653 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Florin is located at coor dms|38|29|25|N|121|24|39|W|city (38.490157, -121.410862)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.6 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 27,653 people, 9,165 households, and 6,571 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,896.1 people per square mile (1,889.7/km²). There were 9,606 housing units at an average density of 1,700.8/sq mi (656.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 41.59% White, 18.75% African American, 1.25% Native American, 19.55% Asian, 0.87% Pacific Islander, 10.97% from other races, and 7.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.83% of the population.

There were 9,165 households out of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.51.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 32.2% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $33,793, and the median income for a family was $35,924. Males had a median income of $31,505 versus $27,874 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $14,606. About 16.8% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.1% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

In the state legislature Florin is located in the 6th Senate District, represented by Democrat Darrell Steinberg, , and in the 9th and 10th Assembly Districts, represented by Democrat Dave Jones and Republican Alan Nakanishi respectively. Federally, Florin is located in California's 5th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +14 [cite web | title = Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest? | publisher = Campaign Legal Center Blog | url=http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html | accessdate = 2008-02-10] and is represented by Democrat Doris Matsui.

History

1900 to 1945

During the early 20th century Florin's economy focused on agricultural production. Strawberries were the most common produce grown. Japanese immigrants were the dominant group in Florin and they were the predominant farmers in Florin, making the area noted for being a Japanese immigrant community. This immigrant group's rendering of land in Florin had some popular renown. "In his report to Governor William Stephens, Colonel John P. Irish, president of the California Delta Association, described Japanese triumph: 'They [the Californians] had seen the Japanese convert the barren land like that at Florin and Livingston into productive and profitable fields, orchards and vineyards, and intelligence of their industry.'" [Ronald Takaki, Strangers from a Different Shore: A history of Asian Americans, Back Bay Books 1998, 591: 191 - 192."]

The presence of Japanese immigrants in Florin was not always meet with such good will expressed by Colonel Irish. "As soon as a Jap can produce a lease," the Sacramento Bee warned, "he is entitled to a wife. He sends a copy of his lease back home and gets a picture bride and they increase like rats. Florin [a valley farming town] is producing 85 American-born Japs a year." [Ronald Takaki, Strangers from a Different Shore: A history of Asian Americans, Back Bay Books 1998, 591: 204] This article was in critical response to the 1908 Gentleman's Agreement between the US and Japan.

Local and Federal treatment of Japanese immigrants and local born Japanese Americans in Florin took a drastic downturn upon the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the subsequent war between the US and Japan. With a little fear and a lot of racial hostility, the Federal Government sent Japanese and Japanese Americans to internment camps according to FDR's Executive Order 9066. One Florin Japanese American resident named Tsukamoto recalled "everyone was given short notice for removal. Signs had been nailed to the telephone poles saying that we had to report to various spots." [Ronald Takaki, Strangers from a Different Shore: A history of Asian Americans, Back Bay Books 1998, 591: 379.] Florin's Japanese and Japanese American residents were forced to "register as families. We had to report to the Elk Grove Masonic Building where we were given our family numbers, No. 2076." [Ronald Takaki, Strangers from a Different Shore: A history of Asian Americans, Back Bay Books 1998, 591: 379.] The Elk Grove Masonic Building referred to by Tsukamoto was located in neighboring Elk Grove near a railroad station where the Florin residents were shipped in rail cars to distribution hubs. At these distribution hubs Florin's residents of Japanese descent were then sent to internment camps far from the coast.

The internment forever changed the character of Florin. Japanese and Japanese American residents had to sell their property within only a few days and often at prices far below their fair market value. When the Japanese and Japanese American's were released from the internment camps some were able to return to Florin and start over. Most had to move on to other areas. Florin ceased to be a Japanese American community as it once was before the internment.

chools

* Florin High School
* Sheldon High School

References

External links

Link to History Respository of Japanese American Florin

Sacramento State Special Collections [http://findaid.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt1199q254]