The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-12-30
AMERICAN ASSIMILATION.

the problem on the Hawallan Islands
and the problem at Porto Rico. The
Hawaiian Islands are Americanized al
ready, they have been carefully train
ed for their present position. 1t is
only in a few minor details that any
change is required. But in Porto
Rico the case is entirely different. The
problem is how to bring up to
proper standard population which
has been cursed by. generations of
Spanish misrule.
Bad government breeds bad people.
Under a corrupt government such as
that of Spain the official class to COM
mence with is corrupt, bribery is ram
pant. Then the commercial class
having been in the habit of briOing
the officials, is to a certain extent
tainted itself. One cannot touch
pitch without being detiled. Again
besides corruption there is intense ig-
norance. narrowness of mind and su
perstition to combat. These are ;he
wost of giants to overcome, but there
is little Jack the Giant Killer in The
United States, which can overcome
these monstrous ogres with compara-
tive ease, and that is the little Yankee
school ma'am.
AThe problem before the United
States in Porto Rico is really no hard
er than what she has been settling ev-
cry day for the last fifty years. 1t is
certainly no harder than the problem
in California was, less hard probably
than the problem i'm Louisiana. Yet in
each case an alien population, speak
ing an alien tongue, has become ASST
inflated with the great body of the ma
tion and become one with it in Ian
guage and in feeling. And this change
has not come about by the destruction
of the older inhabitants, but by the
education of their descendants. This
is plainly shown by the surnamcs
which survive. The Pachecos and the
Sepulvidos of California still retain
their Spanish patronymics, but when
you are introduced to the bearers you
find the usual american gentleman or
the American lady, speaking as pure
English as John Smith or Tom Jones.
In another way the power of the
United States to aSsmilate alien races
and mould them into Americans is
shown. Large colonies of Germans
have settled in various parts. The
first generation remains essentially
German, in some cases never acquiring
more than smattering of English.
The second generation attends the
common schools, learns English, mix
es with the mass and becomes one
with it. The same is true of all ma
tionalities. Notably this has been the
case with the colonies of Russians.
They arrived in their long caftans,
their baggy trousers, their red topped
boots and their shirt tails not tucked
in, as is the custom of the Russian
peasant. But the next generation
took to dressing as the people around
common schools, and now are good
Americans.
We have had an instance of this
among the Portuguese here. Though
there were some educated Portuguese
who came, the mass of them were ig-
norant and few of the first generation
have learned but smattering of Eng
lish. But see the change in the sec
Ond generation. The young girls no
longer wear the gaudy handkerchief
round the head, and huddle themselves
in old shawls. They dress as Ameri-
can girls, they talk English, they read
and their view of life is broadened So
1t is with the boys, they too have be-
come Americanized. The facial race
traits may remain, but the mental part
has been assimilated and they too be-
come of the mass and, where worthy,
rise to its highest honors.
The key to the situation in Porto
Rico lies in the school. With the pres
ent generation of Porto Ricans very
little can be done, they will remain ig-
norant and superstitious to the end.
But much can be done with the next
generation if American education is
established among them. The process
of Americanizing may be somewhat
slower than it would be ii the same
amount of population were scattered
in various parts of the states, instead
of being altogether in small island,
but it will come all the same. And
of this any observer and thinker may
be assured that the Americanizing of
Porto Rico will come not from the
American learning Spanish, but from