Hawaii's American-Japanese Problem: A Description of the Conditions, A Statement of the Problems, and Suggestions for their Solution

This is one of a number of publications by Sidney L. Gulick. It's from 1915. He starts off by saying he took was basically a fact-finding mission to Hawaii to find out about the Japanese people there, what they were doing, reactions to them, etc. He then proceeds to talk about the conditions in Hawaii for the persons of Japanese ancestry, and offers suggestions to make the relationship between them and the whites on the island better.

The population of Hawaii at the time. Persons of Japanese ancestry formed 39.5% of the total population. Whites formed 10.7%. For all practical purposes, there was no intermarriage between whites and Japanese. There had been no new male immigrants for the previous seven years, although women had immigrated.

For some reason, there was interest in the amount of venereal disease exhibited by Japanese. Gulik says that no regular prostitution existed on the plantations that the laborers worked on, although in Honolulu itself showed that, of 107 prostitutes, 82 were Japanese. (Although nothing was mentioned about the venereal disease rate in Honolulu.)

One of the arguments used against Japanese was that they were undependable. Yet Gulick points out that, while other workers are hired only on a by-day basis, the Japanese received contract hiring for extended periods of time, which would mean they were better workers and more trustworthy.

The laborers were provided a place to live, tools, fuel, water and medical treatment. They earned around $200 a year. (That's not a mistake; $200 per year.)

This is a very interesting quote. It seems the longer they lived Hawaii, the less they felt they would be able to go back to Japan and adapt back to the Japanese habits. Other sources I have read indicate that people who do leave Japan and then return are often discriminated against socially.

One of the main fears given by people on the West Coast was that the persons of Japanese ancestry living there would aid any actual Japanese invasion during WWII. This quote is from 1915 and is much earlier, of course, but I think addresses that fear fairly well.

Later, Gulick addresses differences between Asiatic and Western civilizations, and holds that the two civilizations cannot be assimilated together, but that the Asiatics can give up their civilization and adopt the American one. That tells me that he himself still has some degree of prejudice about Asians.

One of the things to keep in mind is papers and documents that list problems only. Those can be interesting, but the best papers and documents try to come up with some kind of reasonable solutions. Gulick does this for Hawaii.

I. Make Plantation Life Wholesome and Satisfactory

A. The Beautification of Homes, both Within and Without
B. The education of mothers (sewing, cooking. cleaning, etc.)
C. Utilize the young women (teach classes for mothers)
D. Provide Opportunity for the Intellectual, Social and Recreational Demands of the Young
E. Encourage Investments

II. Promote Americanization

Thus, something needs to be done to keep them involved in the American lifestyle and learning.

A. Provide classes in citizenship, its ideals, duties and privileges.
B. Provide for special celebration of Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays and the Fourth of July.
C. Use movies for educational purposes on American History.

Also, The Life and Teachings of Jesus and the standard stories of the Bible should be covered.

D. Provide playgrounds for children.

III. A Suggestion for the Territorial Government

His suggestions. He adds that all the young men (notice, he says nothing about the women), should be expected to take a citizenship test and path it, and take a formal oath of allegiance to the flag before being allowed to vote.

He also says that “Christians must put forth adequate energy to provide the plantation villages with Christian advantages.”

How to do this?

1. Get able pastors from Japan to visit for a year or two.
2. Special efforts should be made to reach children of age 12 and up.
3. Find promising young men and women to enter Christian service as a life work.

The next part of his work is geared towards the Japanese.

1. The United States is a federation of sovereign states (and two territories, Alaska and Hawaii.)

2. In each state, the government rests upon the will and action of the people. All adult males are voters. In some states the women also are given the suffrage. (Notice that “in some states” women are allowed to vote, but not in all of them.

3. Most of the people in the U.S. are immigrants and descendants of immigrants, and most of them came with their wives and families and whatever possessions they could handle.

4. Americans lay great stress on the moral value of a promise and of absolute truthfulness.

5. “If any one asks the source of the moral and spiritual life of America, there is only one possible answer-the Bible.”

Then he goes into Hawaii's problems.

1. There is doubt that Orientals can “understand, appreciate, and administer loyally and honestly a democratic form of government.”

2. There is doubt as to the “possibility of Asiatics becoming genuinely Occidental-genuinely American in their minds and hearts.”

3. Many Americans in Hawaii look with concern to the time when the Nisei group up and are allowed to vote.

His suggestions?


1. Require them to master English.
2. They should read several histories of the American people.
3. They should newspapers, but also weeklies and monthlies.

Also,



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