March 25, 2004
BUT TODAY IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF JAPANESE IMMIGRATION TO HAWAII (Gareth Jones, 1935)
Since the arrival of the first ship-load of “government contract labour in February 1885, until the 26th Immigrant boat “Miike Maru” in the early part of 1894, some 29,032 Japanese poured into Hawaii. During the next three years from 1896 private immigration companies looked after the immigrants, and brought here 40,208 Japanese. In July 1898, Hawaii was annexed to the United Slates. The contract labour was forbidden, and over-night, Japanese labourers in Hawaii became free labourers. Children, born in the islands, were granted the right of American citizenship.For a time being, the Japanese government restricted the immigration to Hawaii, but the bar was lifted in the latter part of 1901, and a limited number of Japanese was allowed to leave Japan. Within the short period of five or six years more than 40,000 Japanese came. The majority of these Japanese made Hawaii their stepping-stone and deluged the Pacific coast states. In 1907 the ‘Gentleman’s Agreement” was drawn up, and the immigrants from Japan were stopped. With the passage of the Immigration Act in 1924, Japanese were excluded from the United States. Not a single Japanese Immigrant can now come into Hawaii.
Looking back at the past half a century, the Japanese have gone through many striking changes. They have built up slowly, the foundation of today, but industrially they have not accomplished anything very striking. Only in population, have the Japanese beaten other nationalities. Out of some 15.000 Japanese only a third are first generation Japanese. Death has removed many of them; others have gone back to Japan. But the second and third generation Japanese are increasing steadily. Over 10,000 are now exercising their right as voters, and many engaged in hopeful occupations. These facts are most encouraging, and they strengthen our hope of the future.
However today, the Japanese both of the first and second generation are being put to a test. They are, in the words of the streets, “being put on the spot.” They are seriously been questioned:
a. Have the Japanese during the past fifty years made an honest effort toward assimilation?
b. Are the Japanese born in Hawaii truly loyal American citizens, or can they become absolutely loyal to America?
c. Are the Japanese bringing up their children into good and loyal American citizens?
The future of the Japanese in Hawaii, and the relations between the two countries depend on the solution of these two problems. Japanese have been excluded from Canada. Australia, America and Brazil. The chief reason is that “Japanese do not assimilate,” for example, let us quote some of the outstanding arguments.That this article is wrong is self-evident. There was no reason to think that the Japanese would not be able to assimilate into a majority white, majority Christian, English speaking culture. Mexicans, on the other hand . . . Posted by David Cohen at March 25, 2004 4:28 PM1. Mr. McClatchy. Editor of ” Sacramento Bee,” holds that the Japanese as a race cannot assimilate. He gives three reasons:
a. “Japanese racial characteristics, heredity and religion prevent social assimilation,
b. “Japanese government claims all Japanese, no matter where born, as its citizens, thus preventing political assimilation.
c. “Individually and in mass with opportunity offered and even when born under the American flag, they have shown pronounced antagonism to assimilation.”
2. After his extensive tour of Hawaii in July, 1923 the late Congressman Charles F. Curry of California stated:
“I do not think there is any possibility of Americanising the Hawaiian Japanese who were born in Japan. While a majority of them may not wish to return to Japan, they are nevertheless loyal to the Mikado ant their government, and Japan is first in their thoughts at all times. This is only natural in as much as they speak an alien language and live among the alien people.
“In so far as the native-born Japanese are concerned; that portion of them who are sent back to Japan for their education and return to the United States just before the time when they would be required for army service are also alien in thought and sympathy. Same result must be expected of those who are educated even in Hawaii under the alien influences. Public Schools in Hawaii should exert their utmost endeavour to correct these evils. Y.M.C.A. and Sunday Schools are called upon to pay particular attention to them.
“I am convinced more than ever that aliens ineligible to citizenship should be excluded in the future, and that an immediate stop should be placed upon the bringing of ‘picture brides’. All Oriental influences must be stamped out.
3. In this argument against the injunction proceeding instituted by the language schools against the Act 36, ex-Governor W. F. Frear said:
“The most important problem of this territory is the character of the children who are to become our future citizens. Whether Hawaii will have a commission form of government, or whether she will be granted statehood will be largely determined by the character of our future citizens. Will these citizens of Oriental descent act as the United States citizens or as the subject of Japan, or as citizens half-American and half-Japanese is a most Important problem?”
Today the questions of commission form of government and the statehood are being widely discussed. Naturally the qualifications and loyalty of our second-generation are seriously questioned. We can easily surmise that President Roosevelt came here primarily to make a personal check on the problems of our second generation.
“To the eyes of those who came here to give us an once-over, do the Japanese in Hawaii seem to be making honest efforts assimilate, and are they actually assimilating? Or as Mr Frear feared, does it look as though the Japanese are trying their outmost to become subjects of Japan or citizens half-American? Are we able to pass these tests?
“When a person is living in a room of a large family, he must follow the rules of that home. Otherwise he can never get along harmoniously with the others living in the home. We are living today in a corner of American territory under the protection of America and are enjoying many privileges. We have an obligation to perform. That is we must try to assimilate and bring our children up into good and loyal American citizens. In a sense our boys and girls are adopted children of America, and we must see to it that they become simon-pure American citizens. If we perform this task sincerely we would be rendering a great service to both America and Japan.”
On the eve of his departure from Seattle, Viscount Kikujiro Ishii said:
“The Americanisation campaign which is now going on in the United States is a nation-wide movement. As long as you are residents of America you must make your status clear. If you desire to assimilate, you must make up your mind to live here permanently. If you can not assimilate, you ought to return to Japan.”
Today Japanese in Hawaii are displaying Japanese spirit in full colour. This may be the reaction of the rise of nationalism in Japan. Many of the Japanese schools have become Japanised. Imperial rescript is boldly read and taught in some of the schools. Some teachers have openly declared that they are teaching Japanese spirit through the medium of the Japanese language. This audacity may he the result of their mistaken idea of victory in the legal battle. If the Japanese go on in the present conditions, they will fail miserably in the test. Politically and socially America may oppress the Japanese. The doors of Canada, Australia and South American countries may be closed more and more tightly. We must think more of the future and remove every obstacle that hinders our real progress.
All sorts of suggestions on the ways and means of celebrating the Fiftieth anniversary of the first landing of Japanese immigrants in Hawaii have commenced to appear in the various newspapers. It is a splendid thing to observe this memorable day. As a fitting celebration can the Japanese throughout the territory get together and work for the radical change our community? As Ishii has said: “Let’s remove every trace of alien influence and attitude” and expatriate all our children from their allegiance to Japan. Then we will be declaring to the world that the “Japanese can truly assimilate” and that “our children can become loyal citizens.” This will be more suitable work than having a noisy festival.
Now you're just being mean.
Posted by: Chris at March 25, 2004 5:06 PMThey sure are OJ, very productive great Americans, uh what about the Native Hawaiians. Are they as productive and if not why since you are in the anthropological mode tell us about it.
Posted by: h-man at March 25, 2004 6:48 PMExcuse me Mr. Cohen, I didn't see your name. Your posts are always excellent.
Posted by: h-man at March 25, 2004 6:54 PMI'll defer to Harry on the plight of native Hawaiians, but it does seem unnecessarily cruel to drag them into a discussion on immigration.
Posted by: at March 25, 2004 7:08 PMThanks, h-man. I never object when people mistake my posts for OJ's for reasons that will be painfully obvious. Why he doesn't object is one of those enduring mysteries.
Posted by: David Cohen at March 25, 2004 7:14 PMOkay, once again: In 1935, we were not ruled by a bunch of bolshy intellectuals (in government, in clergy, in the entertainment business, in the media, etc., certain members of the Roosevelt Administration notwithstanding). Today we are, and it is practically forbidden to say that immigrants ought to assimilate and become Americans. Might be insensitive, don't you know. Or, in English: Soft bigotry of low expectations, coupled with hatred of normal America.
The jackbooted sensitivities are worse in some places (cough, California, cough) than others (Texas). But it's bad and it's getting worse. As OJ points out with some regularity, the fight is with the left, not with the immigrants as such. But immigrants won't assimilate (or at least, not nearly as many of them will assimilate) unless we make them and we've lost the will to make them. Given that reality, it's not clear to me that lots of immigrants is better than not very many.
Posted by: Random Lawyer at March 25, 2004 7:28 PMRandom Lawyer
Ditto what you said.
However I approach this with the idea that the left is in control (of these issues, anyway) and hence having defacto open borders will be bad for the country.
As to the above poster who felt I was cruel in bringing in Native Hawaiians, I apologize. You are correct, however the pertinent issue is that different cultures will assimilate or be molded into one people at different rates.
Posted by: h-man at March 25, 2004 8:02 PMThe greatest civic mystery in US history is why the Japanese did assimilate so quickly and, yes, thoroughly.
But it was way more complex than any commentator I have ever read -- then or since -- acknowledges.
In 1935, when the Japanese in Hawaii (and in the western states) were doggedly, even desperately, Americanizing (not so hard for the bobbysoxers), they also still were registering their babies with the Imperial consul to be entered as citizens of their home villages in Japan.
Two years later, they were contributing money so the Imperial Japanese Army could buy a bomber (named "Hawaii") to kill Chinese.
There was a fatalistic streak regarding citizenship and politics. Lots of Japanese re-emigrated.
Of those who didn't -- many of whom had planned to -- there was a feeling of being trapped. I have asked old-timers many times how it came about. Their answer is always the same -- their parents told them "America is your home now."
Possibly this worked out because the emigrants came out of a society where their participation in public affairs was impossible. I still haven't figured that out (and don't think I ever will).
Each immigrant group responds differently and unpredictably. It is the shame of the whites that, in 1942, they believed less in American values than the Japanese immigrants did.
And a worse shame that the McCarran Act was not passed until 1952.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at March 25, 2004 9:06 PMa) Are you seriously pro-McCarran Act?
b) What does it have to do with Japanese immigrants?
Posted by: David Cohen at March 25, 2004 10:36 PMAny why do you find Japanese assimilation such a mystery.
Every new wave of immigration has been greeted by those already here as completely different from any preceding wave, different in some new way, permanently disloyal in the same old ways, and uniquely unable to assimilate.
This argument has always been wrong. Always. For 250 years. Always. Never right. Always wrong. 250 years.
Random -- I know you know that, when it comes to actual Bolsheviks, they were much more common in the government, the arts, the press, Hollywood, the Universities, in the 30's and 40's than they are now. The educrats now are too weak to be Bolshie. The lesson of bilingual education and its rejection in immigrant communities is that the immigrants themselves know how ridiculous these programs are and want the kids to learn English and become Americans.
Posted by: David Cohen at March 26, 2004 10:00 AMDavid
You are correct. Assimilation occurs but is the resultant Culture the same as before the immigration occurred. Is it an improvement or is worse?
You say "This argument has always been wrong". If the argument is that the Culture will change for the better or for the worse then it can't be proven wrong. Yes we are richer. Are we more moral. Yes it helps scientific advances. Are we cruder and more vulgar?
I guess two people can look at the same facts and sometimes see different things.
If Iranians resisted an influx of Americans because "hollywood hedonism" would water down and make their Persian culture worse, you would disagree?
Is America still devoted to individualism and free enterprise (as I think our founding fathers evisioned) or has it become a growing redistribution experiment?
Posted by: h-man at March 26, 2004 11:27 AMThere are two things about immigration today that needs to enter any debate.
The problem with Mexican immigration is not the individual immigrant, but the sheer size of it combined with the close proximity of Mexico.
It is far easier for immigrants today to stay in contact with the old country and culture they left behind. The phones are better and cheaper, they can get satellite TV from their old country, and the Internet keeps them in constant contact. What obstacles does that have for assimilation?
Discuss.
Posted by: Chris Durnell at March 26, 2004 11:51 AMDavid, I am, of course, not a big fan of much of what was in the McCarran Act, but it did allow Japanese immigrants to become citizens.
Until then that was forbidden.
And that's the difference with the Japanese (and other Asian immigrants) -- unlike any others, they were not allowed to become citizens no matter how much they assimilated.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at March 26, 2004 4:24 PMI did not know that about the McCarren Act. Interesting. There were, as I'm sure you know, arguments made that even American born Japanese could not be citizens.
Assimilation, aculturalization and citizenship are all different things, with the third the least important.
H-man: Of course the culture will change. Are you happy with it as it stands?
Chris: The argument that this wave of immigration is different from every other wave is always made and has always been wrong. What hold is it that we should worry an obviously corrupt and broken government will have on its citizens who have chosen to leave?
Posted by: at March 27, 2004 3:39 PMSez you. Citizenship was very important to the Japanese-Americans. Worth dying to get.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at March 29, 2004 3:40 PMWell, sez me and the government of the United States of America. That's why we make immigrants show that they're Americans before we make them citizens.
Having said that, I'm second to none in my admiration of the Nissei Battalion, one of the great untold stories of WWII.
Posted by: David Cohen at March 30, 2004 7:44 AMAlso, I was talking about the Internal Security Act of 1950, also known as the McCarran Act, while you were talking about the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, also known as the Walter-McCarran Act.
Posted by: at March 30, 2004 9:52 AM