Japan and the California Problem

t on exclusion and those who oppose it, the former arguing that the Japanese are increasing at an amazing rate through immigration, smuggling, and birth, t

ense that, if the Japanese in California were decreasing in number as the American Indians are, it would be totally useless to waste energy in an attempt to quicken the final extinction. If,

apanese in

mber, 1919, as 87,279. This number turned out to be 13,355 higher than the number reported by the Foreign Office of Japan,[11] which was based on the Consular registrations (including American-born offspring of the Japanese) and the count made by the Japanese Association of America. Most fortunately, the preliminary publication of a part of the United States Census for 1920 removed the uncertainty arising from the discrepancy by stating the exact number of the Japanes

dency. The rate of increase of the Japanese population in California in the pa

cates the number and rat

alifornia According to

umber.

e. Perc

ial In

6 ....

47 1,061

,151 9,

356 31,2

196 28,8

in amounts to a little over 70,000, the number having increased at an average rate of 14,025 per decade, or 1603 per an

general, because it gives an idea of the relative importance of the Japanese increase. This is

ncrease of California and

umber.

ase.

enn

ase.

pa

enn

e. Perc

ese t

Popu

alif

..... .....

8 348,704 40.

3 271,655 22.

892,496 60.0%

1,049,312 44.

nt. in 1920, that of California is headed, on the whole, towards an increase. We also notice that the percentage of the Japanese population to the total population of California also shows a tendency to slow growth, increasing only three

l United States? In the following table, we compare the rate of increase in California and the United States, and e

n in the United St

. Japa

tin

tates. D

rea

ane

tin

States.

enn

ase.

enn

cr

ane

ia. Perc

ane

forn

e Jap

lati

ed S

.... .....

891 1,277.7%

2,287 1,093.0

47,831 196.6

47,050 65.2

nor of California that during ten years, between 1910 and 1920, "the Japanese population in California increased 25,592, but in all of the other States of the United States

nese do. The Chinese have shown, ever since the launching of the agitation against them in the early '80's, a wise tendency to disperse into other States, thus avoiding conflict with the Californians. The Japanese, on the other hand, appear to cling tenaciously to California, and the more they are maltreated and slander

nto consideration the very fact which it points out elsewhere, which we have just quoted; namely, that the number of Japanese has decreased in all of the other States combined while it has increased in California. It also fails to take into account the fact that the number of Chinese, contrary to the Japanese tendency, has shown a marked tendency to grow in eastern an

ngestion of Japanese in that one State, as pointed out by the authorities of California, and as confirmed by the extin

n 1920 at the annual rate of 1403. We shall now see how each of the three factors-lawful entr

grat

ce its beginning up to the end of 1920, estimated at 180,000,[15] California claims to have received about two thirds,[16] or approximately 125,000. Since California's present Japanese population is 70,196, of which about 25,000[17] are

to the United States has decidedly increased in recent years, especially since the war, the annual number reaching the ten thousand mark. This would certainly be alarming w

ls. Returned

Ret

nst

iva

,100 6

,159 6

,143 7,

,404 8,

,868 11

n the field of business, the number of branch offices of Japanese firms employing Japanese clerks and managers rapidly increased in the large cities of the United States. Students who formerly went to Europe for study now flock to America and enter the large universities of this country. Many of the newly rich whom the unique opportunity of the World War has created, have taken it into their heads to see the post-war changes in America and E

y are temporary visitors is shown by the following

orers. Non-Labor

Labo

nst

0 2,956 6

9 2,838 6

43 2,604

en's Agr

e so-called "Gentlemen's Agreement." It is often alleged that Japan has no

fortunately, however, the hoped-for results have not been attained. Without imputing to the Japanese Government any direct knowledge on the subject, the statistics clearl

ls. The accusation, however, falls to the ground when we consider two other facts already pointed out; namely, the corres

en residing here, or to assume active control of an already possessed interest in a farming enterprise in this country." Accordingly, the classes of laborers entitled to receive passports have come to be designated "former residents," "parents, wives, or children of residents," and "settled agriculturists

be classed laborers and who non-laborers. The lack of concrete understanding between Japan and the United States in this respect is a grave defect i

ctory hands, contractors' men, stablemen, freight handlers, stevedores, miners, and the like, and to persons whose work is less physical, but still manual, and who may be highly skilled as carpenters, stone masons, tile setters, painters, blacksmiths, mechanics, tailors, printers, and

t at all in the lack of mutual understanding between the American and the Japanese Governments in respect to this question. The modus operandi arrived at between these two Governments has worked satisfactorily. But because of the lack of a specified definiti

fic definition of "immigrants" and "non-immigrants"-in other words, laborers and non-laborers-on the basis of

expecting to return home after a brief stay, and who have strong financial assurance. The latter passports, namely, the immigrant's, are given to those who are entitled to enter America, according to the already specified provisions of the "Gentlemen's Agreement," viz. "former residents," "parents, wives, or children of residents," and "settled agriculturists." The passports, however, are not granted even to these classes unless they file a petition to the Government with a certificate from a J

ted to Continental Unit

port of Commissioner-G

sc

e

di

ession of pro

orts under "Gentl

rm

s. Paren

Chil

dents.

rists. No

ports.

op

orts.

373 1 4

268 ..

224 ..

5 178 ..

4 119 ..

5 585 1 5

1,199 2 3

1,115 ..

507 .. 88

422 .. 48

3 4,990 4 5

r passports. The latter category included immigrants bound for Canada, Mexico, and South America who were sidetracked on the way, those who lost their passports, as well as deserting seamen and smugglers. For these cases of illicit endeavors to enter America, the Japanese Government can hardly be held responsible. It would be absurd to put forth

ective in that it does not clearly distinguish immigrants from non-immigrants, and this leads to confounding visitors with immigrants, and hence to the unfounded claim that it is being ignored, evaded. Judging from the sentiment prevailing in California, and in other Western States, against the Japanese, it is desirable that the agreement be so amended as to forbid the advent of all Japanese, except well-defined non-immigrants and former residents temporarily vi

ggl

ation for the investigation of Japanese conditions, a rumor was circulated and published in the principal papers of the country to the effect that the Committee had discovered amazing facts as to the systematic smuggling of Japanese into this country through Guaymas. Later, it was made clear that the rumor owed its source to the machinations of certain anti-Japa

le to enter secretly by way of the Pacific Coast. The only danger zone is the Mexican border. But here again there are good reasons for believing that smuggling from Mexico cannot be practiced on a large scale. In the first place, the number of Japanese in Mexico amounts only to 1169,[20] and no passports have been granted by the

th

birth rate among the Japanese in California would not have been a serious matter if the nationalism of America were as broad as that of Ancient Rome, or if the Japanese were a race which will readily and speedily lose its identity in the great American melting pot. But the fact remains that the United States of America is not merely a mixture of different races and

lifornia. The following table, prepared from the reports of the California State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, s

r of

Total

nia. Japan

nia. Japan

tage o

.... 1

.... 2

.... 4

.... 6

,138 71

,828 99

,330 1,

,852 2,

,012 2,

,075 3,

,638 3,

,230 4,

,922 4,

,527 4,

459,552

nese was very low until 1906 or 1907, but since then it has been rapidly growing. The relative percentage of Japanese births in the total births of California,

n the year 1919, the number of births in California was 1.79 per thousand population. In Japan, where the birth rate is high, it was 2.53 during the past

rge portion of these Japanese are in the prime of life, and moreover they are selected groups of vigorous and healthy in

hirds of the Japanese being in this period of life. Only 4.5 per cent. of the Japanese are over 45 years of age, as compared with 44.7 per cen

conducted by the Japanese Association of San Francisco, which obtain

anese in Middle and Nor

emale. Total

A

ou

078 3,786

,035 1,66

,037 8,535

5,683 805

33 14,789

arly 59 per cent. are between the ages of seventeen to forty, only

female among the Japanese in California was one to six ten years ago, but at present, it is one to two.[23] Since it is estimated that there are 16,195 Japanese wives in California,[24] it is obvious that there are double that number, or 32,390 married Japanese, in California, which means that 46 per cent. of the total population are married. This is apparently

ut taking into consideration the difference in age distribution and marital conditions is not only useless, but it is absolutely misleading. California has only 20 per cent. of people between the ages of eighteen to forty-four,[26] while the Japanese group has 59 per cent.; California has about 25 per cent. or le

ants in this country, a birth rate of fifty per thousand is not rare.[27] In the careful researches made in Rhode Island concerning the fertility of the immigrant population,[28] it was found that their birth rate was invariably high, 72 per cent. of the married women each having upwards of three children, with an average of 4.5 children for each one of them. This fact holds equally

Expect in

ably high, the larger part of them, especially the women, being at the zenith of productivity, and that their standard of living suddenly improves when they settle in California. The question naturally arises as to what wil

hile only 26 per cent. are minors. Now, we are all mortals, and grow old as time passes; even the Japanese do not have magical power to retain perennial juvenility, as some agitators seem to think. They grow old, the Japanese in California, as years come and go, passing gradually into the age when childbearing is no longer possible. Therefore, if fresh immigration is checked, which

f Japanese i

mber. Pe

D

10

440 1

472

524

613

628

663

739

910

1150

1360

usand population increased tw

ged, and the old, the present high percentage of married people also will disappear, descending to the normal rate ruling in the ordinary communities, which is but half as high as that now prevailing a

their parents. Accordingly, it is unthinkable, other things being equal, that they should go on multiplying themselves as their parents did. It is an established principle proved conclusively by the thoroughgoing Congressional researches in Rhode Island,[29] that the birth rate among forei

ure generations is not likely to be as high as that of their parents, it will decrease markedly by the time the present generation passes away. It is, therefore, only a question of time. The present is a transitional period, a turning-point, in the