Again the Yellow Peril (Foreign Affairs, 1923)

From the book Japanese Exclusion.

The author points out that there are far more blacks and Native Americans than there are Japanese in the U.S., but the prejudice against the Japanese could have international consequences.

The anti-Japanese prejudice is found in a wide range of areas. He notes that Japanese, unlike European immigrants, are barred from becoming naturalized. It's easy to see why a country would be upset if its people were treated quite differently than those from another country, particularly one of a different race.

The assumption is made by white politicians that the colored races “cannot comprehend democratic institutions or assimilate themselves in other ways to American lives.” In other words, they are inferior.

What complicates things is that children of Issei (first generation immigrants) are automatically American citizens by being born here, yet their parents can never become U.S. citizens.

This page talks about the agricultural situation in California.

Land laws, and laws about schools and what kind of students can be allowed in them were passed to single out the Japanese.

This page has a detail about an event that I haven't seen elsewhere. A Japanese visitor was attacked by thugs who hurled tomato cans at him, and that's the detail I haven't seen before. I've read where he was attacked, but that's all that's been said before.

The author also mentions the anti-Japanese groups and their spreading of rumors and their nasty signs.

An important Japanese person wants to have an international committee study the immigration problem, but the anti-Japanese cliques in California want nothing to do with that.

Various Christian churches and trying to do what they can (and win converts at the same time, of course.)

The West Coast doesn't even want to cooperate with attempts to Americanize the immigrants; they just want them out, permanently.

Some relevant legal decisions.

The Japanese have been moving from the rural areas into the cities. He adds that the anti-alien land laws have damaged assimilation processes.

The San Francisco school problem is discussed.

The picture brides (using a different name) are discussed.

The author discusses the problems with the Gentleman's Agreement, and Japanese coming across the Canadian and Mexican borders.

More on the Gentleman's Agreement.

The part I've marked is, I think, sort of rather strongly stated.

The author basically concludes that we need no more Japanese allowed in, but the ones that are already here need to be treated better.



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