HAWAIIAN JAPANESE

Evening Star, Issue 22465, 9 October 1936, Page 1

HAWAIIAN JAPANESE

(UIT im OF OLD LAUD Hawaii’s young Americans of Japanese ancestry find themselves challenged by a variety of problems resulting from their attempts to adapt themselves to American living standards alter emerging from Oriental backgrounds. Differences between Oriental and Occidental cultures, affecting marriage, family, language, and vocations, were' subjects of round-table discussions at the 1930 annual convention of new Americans.

Every summer the now Americans, young male Japanese of post-high school, some of post-college age, employed, some hoping to be employed, meet in Honolulu to discuss their problems with education, social, and civic leaders.

This year the subject of the discussion at the four-day convention was ‘ Life in Changing Hawaii.’ Addressing one of the opening sessions ol the conference. Dr Romanzo Adams, of the University of Hawaii, saiil that the problems of the now Americans resulted from the necessity of maintaining double standards. “Yon have,” ho said, “inescapably a double responsibility. \on must be good enough Japanese to get along comfortably willi your parenls and older relatives and friends, ami you must also bo good enough Americans to got along with the rest of the community.”

But while there is much in their Oriental heritage which the now Americans feel obliged to discard completely, there is also much of their background which they have found of permanent value. Practically all Japanese children in the islands attend language schools for an hour or more after completion of their vegnar day’s studies in the pubho schools. Tins system the now Americans defended ns the only present practical means of teaching the .young Japanese their ancestral language, at the same time giving them some Oriental culture.—‘ Christian Science Monitor.’