Japanese Are Critical Problem in Hawaii

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 245, 6 January 1928, Page 7

Japanese Are Critical Problem in Hawaii

Hold Advantage in Uneq ua l Econ o m ic Sea le

TEACHERS POORLY TRAINED

In Hawaii, the so-called “-Melting Pot of the Pacific,” it is often said there are no foreign nor racial problems; that all nationalities dwell together in peace, harmony and friendship, as indeed, they do. Hawaii, however, in common with all territorial possessions stocked with a variety of races in which the Oriental far outnumbers the Occidental, presents problems that give pause for thought, says a writer in the San Francisco “Chronicle.”

Most of the trouble or * pilikia,” as they say in Hawaii, conies about as a result of the labour requirements of the sugar-cane plantations. Chinese coolies were imported until their immigration had to be stopped. That was long ago, and few of the older generation are left. The younger Chinese, born in the islands, make good citizens, and are too few to affect social, civic or governmental affairs. Portuguese Brought In

Casting about for other field labour, the Plantation Labour Bureau brought in numbers of Portuguese, mostly from the Azores. These people, though largely illiterate, proved readily assimilable, and their descendants constitute a good, wholesome American •Cock.

• Thus, when speaking about Hawaii and her racial problems, it is sufficient to disregard all but the Japanese, since the Chinese question has solved itself fiairly well, and the Filipino has not yet created a racial problem. In speaking of the Japanese in Hawaii, it must first be said that they Possess many admirable qualities. There is no more peaceable people on earth and none have a higher sense of honesty. In courtesy and politeness they approximate these famous characteristics of the French. In friendliness* and hospitality they are outdone only by the native but even at that they leave little to be desired. The name of a Japanese on a police blotter is seldom seen, except tor some trifling offence, such as traffic violations, and crime among them is rare. According to their own star.djrds they are not immoral, although irom the point of view of American ||sage they may be termed unmoral; hut that is strictly among themselves. Japanese Problem

The Japanese is a good employee, a good worker, an intelligent clerk or professional man when educated, and a good sportsman. It is sometimes said of him that he is not constructive and lacks initiative, tending father to imitate than to create. He ls not broadly aggressive in enterprise n °r creative in industry. ” ith all his good qualities, the Japanese is an excellent world citizen.

The trouble is that in Hawaii he is ®ut of place merely through force of numbers, and threatens to de-Ameri-ca nise a territory that h'as become integral part of the United States. Being a good worker, the Japanese peasant has been indispensable in th « cane fields, where some form of common labour is essential. The nature of the climate and of the neld work is such that Continental Cl tizens of the United States cannot "'ithstand the strain. _ If the Japanese in Hawaii would continue in such agricultural work, nothing better could be asked: yet ,he Hawaiian-born Japanese utterly refuses to go back to the soil or to himself along agricultural nnes. He wants a "white-collar job 1 he Japanese in Hawaii have become a power that is recognised a nci catered to. Office holders and PoUxicians want their vote; business men want their trade. In the face of existing sentiment on the Bstrt of leaders of affairs it has be-

come impossible to reveal the true condition in this respect for fear of losing one’s job or of being forced out of one’s business or of the community. Yet certain serious phases of the preponderance of the Japanese element have developed in the educational and political field. In the public schools SO per cent, of the enrolment of the current year is Japanese, yet a negligible amount of taxes comes from Japanese sources for education.

The same percentage holds good for the Hawaii County Boy Scout organisation, which, with a budget of 0,000 dollars three years ago, received from Japanese sources just 53 dollars. Budgets in recent years have been larger, i but Japanese contributions remain negligible. The schools, as they are conducted in Hawaii, fail to produce adequate standards among the foreign element. The foreigner, or, rather, one of foreign parentage, remains a foreigner after the manner of his parents, despite all the boasting of Americanisation in the public schools. Japanese Standards of Life With the Japanese especailly education in Hawaiian schools fails to educate. Japanese pupils readily acquire book knowledge, but their attitude to* wards life is not altered thereby. Inside the school the Japanese proclaims his Americanism, but once across the threshold lie is as much pure Japanese as ever. His associates are all Japanese, who speak and think Japanese. The same condition holds true with his parents and everything in his home, where the standard of living, ancestral custom, manners and religion form an Oriental background. The Department of Public Instruction welcomes the Hawaiian Japanese into the arms of the teaching profession when often unfitted for the work. Among Japanese school teachers are some delightful persons, understandmgly educated and efficient. But these are the exception. There are so many who are inefficient that they already constitute a menace to good education. American Sentiment

This class of teacher, while they may know the book lessons well enough, have no originality, no understanding of the American pupil, no touch with American sentiment, and lack American feeling and conception of American customs. Often they do not speak correct English, much less convey intelligent meanings of English or interpretations of .American thought. The one objective of the School Department seems to be to secure a high rating in its number of graduates. The graduation diploma is a wonderful talisman. reverenced and worshipped above all other considerations. Mentality, experience, judgment, diplomacy, tact, common sense—in fact, all personal qualifications of a teacher, are disregarded, while everything is staked on a slip of paper saying that one lias completed his course of studies.

A weak link in the system is the teaching of oral English in the senior high schools. Pupils not qualified to pass the grammar grades are taken in there. They leave high school and go to normal school unequipped with fluent English. They leave the normal school little better, and take their pigeon English into the schoolroom as teachers of American pupils.

It is not the race nor the class of students that is at fault. The main fault lies with the normal school. Conditions are such that there is no excuse nor reason for a normal school. The only solution is to demand a university education that will measure up to the standards of the mainland, with a special teachers’ course for those who intend to follow that profession. Since it is so easy for any kind of pupil to make way through the normal school, it is no wonder that the public schools of Hawaii are a menace to the principles of Americanism. Heretofore it has been customary to secure .school teachers from the United States. The number of real American teachers, however, has been decreasing vear by year until this recent new school vear, when the Normal School graduated 30 per cent. more pupils than there were vacancies in the department. As a result, a rule was passed that no more teachers would be accepted from the United States, and positions would be filled exclusively by local graduates whenever a vacancy occurred.

1.000 Japanese- Americans Added With 80 per cent, of the pupils Japanese what will conditions be when SO ner’ cent, of the teachers are of the Jams race? The output of the Terri- !

torial Normal School has already begun to de-Americanise Hawaii. Aside from the educational situation, statistips of registration show that there is also a political problem to contend with. In 1926 there was a total of 7,000 voters in the county of Hawaii; in 1927 there have been added not less than 1,000 Japanese-American citizens. With 80 per cent, of the school children Japanese, it is not difficult to estimate the proportion of voters in the near future. Even at present the rate of increase is such that within a biennium the Japanese will be in a majority and will have power to swing the* ballot. Does America want one of its political subdivisions and integral units to be ruled by Japanese? Do our Senators and Representatives want a Japanese Delegate to Congress? Should statehood be conferred on Hawaii if it is controlled by a Japanese vote? Such a situation is rapidly coming about, and its implications should be carefully considered.