Japan and the California Problem

Civil

ther civilized instruments, which bind the nations of the world into a composite whole, and modern industrialism, which civilization brought about and which in turn assisted in unifying the world, Japan for one would have remained a peaceful hermit nation, undisliked or unsuspected by any other. She, o

their short history, remain deplorably defective. This suggests the point already brought out in our introduction, that the principle of the solution of the California problem lies not in an at

itudes Towa

e slogan, "All Japs must go!" There is the majority of people which is too preoccupied with its own affairs to investigate the facts and is ready to accept anything said or asserted by the exclusionists. Then there ar

international courtesy. They have no scruples about lying or resorting to any means which they think would serve their purpose. The masses, generally speaking, accept what is given to them by the agitators, unthinkingly echo their voices, and so play directly into their hands. Only fair, rational exclusionist

being the case. It is precisely in California that the most earnest, devoted friends of the island people are found-found in great numbers.[9] These sympathizers are wholly unable to share the

al Nature o

anese friend may make another individual a consistent advocate of a friendly attitude toward all Japanese. Inevitably limited in the scope of experience, we can only generalize from a few particulars. This is why there are such contradictory attitudes to be found among Californians toward the same problem. In generalizing from particular experience we are more apt to arrive at a conclusion which suits our desires and emotions. We reach our conclusions in ways which we think promote our

gitation

at early prevailed against the Chinese, and this for no other reason than that the Japanese are similar to the Chinese in many respects and were placed under the same conditions which caused hostility to the Chinese. We have already dis

Poli

truth. Wholly apart from the consideration of right and wrong, we cite a case of political activity which illustr

been resuscitated and energized by one of California's United States Senators who was soon to be a candidate for re?lection. This Senator, Mr. Phelan, appeared in California early in 1919, and at once made a visit to the Immigration Station at San Francisco and Los Angeles; whereupon he issued a statement character

ch it may be manipulated. The Japanese in California having practically no vote are safe toys for play. The possibility of magnifying the "mena

ober 22, 1920, under the heading, "It Would Probably Have B

se question into politics we would probably have set

ld have been possible to have obtained the co?peration, at least the acquiescence, of the intellectual Japanese leaders in the S

of irritation between Japan and the United States, and has given Japan a lever to use against us in all matters affecting th

ow Pe

re of a Japanese Empire, that, like medieval Mongolia, would send a storming army of invasion. One might gather from the reports of the Hearst papers in California that the Pacific Coast of North America was invaded by a Japanese army on an average of

e that the Japanese will soon control the entire agricultural industry of California and that they will ere long overwhelm the white population in that State. Th

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our environment offers us; hence, most of our wishes have to be suppressed, thwarted. Now, propaganda appeals to this weakest part of man; it promises us an opportunity to satisfy our arrested wishes. "You are badly off, my friends," a propagandist would say to honest laborers

Diffe

ce, the Japanese are a wholly different race, with different customs, manners, sentiment, language, traditions, and-not of least importance-of different physical appearance. Were these differences merely in kind, they would not be very repugnant, but when such differences involve qualitative difference they are particularly repulsive. It is, of course, impossibl

and manners. But when his followers increase in number and establish themselves in our midst, and carry on the struggle for existence until they are in the way of fairly matching ourselves, we begin to be alarmed and unconsciously learn to hate them. This is an exaggerated illustration, but

e Natio

m the standpoint of the Anglo-Saxon, undemocratic. The smooth operation of democracy has been hindered by some inherent defect in the national system, by lack of experience in representative government, and by the influence exerted through an unconstitutional power repr

hem to lose their racial or national consciousness. This is clearly seen in her policy of dual nationality (which we shall have occasion to discuss later), which aims to retain the descendants of the Japanese who are born in America, and hence are citizens thereof, as subjects also of the Mikado. It is likewise observable in the spirit of Japanese education, which is fundament

Natio

influx" of immigrants who do not readily become amalgamated or assimilated. The inflow of such a population, they claim, threatens and endangers the unity of the nation, and therefo

on in Ca

nt degrees. In the case of the Japanese, however, several additional factors operate to necessitate their huddling together-they are ethnologically different; English is an entirely different language from theirs; their customs are wholly different from those of Americans; their segregation offers advantages and facilities to some Amer

Incited by Jap

n of a Japanese "influx" expresses itself in a hostile attitude toward the Japanese already domiciled there. Conversely, the conflict arising from the presence of Japanese in California naturally prompts opposition against Japanese immigration. Now, it so happened that recently, and especially since the war, the number of Japanese coming to the United States through the Calif

h the white race. Thus, in agriculture, their steady expansion through industry and thrift has caused alarm among small white farmers. Added to this is the high bir

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de the subject of political and private exploitation, and thereby rendered unnecessarily complicated and acute, it is,

pulation and birth rate, their agricultural condition, their living and culture, and their economi