Harada House

The Harada House in Riverside, California, is a historic home built in 1884 as a one-story Saltbox-style cottage. The Harada family, who were of Japanese descent, bought the property in 1915, with formal ownership placed in the names of the couple's three U.S.-born children. This legal arrangement was necessary because the California Alien Land Law of 1913 barred foreigners ineligible for citizenship from owning real estate. In 1916, the family added a second story with bedrooms, a bathroom, and an open porch. Today the house is designated a National Historic Landmark and is looked after by the Museum of Riverside.

The history of the house is inseparable from the court case California v. Harada, in which the State of California tried to seize the property. The case drew international attention because it tested the constitutionality of the alien land laws. In 1918, the court ruled in favor of the children, since as American citizens they had the right to own property regardless of their ethnic background. During World War II, the parents were sent to internment camps, where they died, but the family kept the house, which was occupied for a time by a friend. After the war, the family took in other Japanese households who had lost their homes.

Today the building serves as a cultural and educational site. Because the house was largely preserved in its original condition throughout its history, many features such as wallpaper and built-in fixtures are still in place. The Museum of Riverside is currently working to stabilize and restore the building so it can open as an interpretive center. A neighboring house, the Robinson House, has been acquired to provide the space needed for visitor information. The Harada House thus stands as a testament to the legal struggles and resilience of the Japanese American community in California.