Japanese Americans in San Mateo[edit]
The Japanese first arrived in San Mateo County and were part of a group guided by Ambassador Tomomi Iwakura back in 1872.[10] There were a number of all-male Japanese students who came to San Mateo to learn English and many other helpful skills to bring back to Japan.[11] These students were also some of the first Japanese to join American students in the Belmont School for Boys. These students had to work for their housing and food before classes and in the evenings.[11] Many of the first Japanese immigrants were able to find jobs as gardeners and landscapers In San Mateo. Most of them had a good educational background from their homelands, but their lack of knowledge of the English language made it difficult for them to find other jobs in the beginning.[12]