The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-20
Or rnn AErEos GONE FRoM III
Minister Romero Finds a ssmIIarity Between
Japanese and Mexican Indians.

II EANuNNNNI NNOhEIO II AElNMhiUNltN AHgNNN1NAA
Japanese and Mexican Indians,
One OF tho most interesting things In senor
NJ. Romero's recent book on Mexico IL n dis
cussion Of tho question whether the original
inhabitants Of that country are in any way re-
lated 10 tho people OF japan. Mr.. Romero calls
attention to the fact that there 10 n great deal
Of similarity between the Mexican Indians and
the Malay Aslatio races, especially tho Japa-
nese branch. which gives foundation to the
idea that the aborlgines OF Mexico came orig
inally from Asia. or vice versa Their Intensely
black hair and eyes, their brown OF yellow
color. their small stature and the slight
obllduity in their eyes are features common TO
the Mexican Indians and the Japanese. Mr..
Romero. who is we'll known as the Mexican
Minister to this country. gives the following
Impressions OF the Japanese on his first arrival
at the national capital:
when 1 first came TO Washington. at the
end of 1859. not having been out Of Mexico be-
fore. I retained very vivid recollections OF the
Mexican Indians. with whom 1 had been some
what closely associated; and shortly afterward
the first Japanese Embassy came 10 this coun-
try. and was received in a very solemn manner
by Mr.. Buchanan. then President Of the United
States. The embassy consisted OF about forty
persons altogether. comprising Ministers. Soc
r~etaries. interpreters. servants. de-, who were
dressed In their national gala costumes, not
having yet adopted the European one. The
Diplomatic Corps having been invited to the
reception. I attended as a member OF the same.
and was greatly struck by the remarkable SIM
ilarity which / found between the Japanese
members Of the embassy and the Mexican In
dians whom I had just left. II seemed to me
that had l collected at random forty Mexican
Indians and dressed them in the sam gorgeous
costumes that the Japanese wore. nobody could
have detected the difference.
Some Of the Indian languages" he added.
seem to me strongly to resemble the Oriental
ones. though OF course I cannot speak with au-
thority. as / do not know any OF those Ian
guages and have heard only the Chinese.
Japanese and Corean spoken but 1 am sure
that IL any educated and intelligent Chinese
should go to Mexico and spend some time
among the Indians ne would find traces In the
language which would contribute greatly to
clear up this problem. Mr.. Tateno, a former
Japanese Minister who visited Mexico. found
during his short stay in that country several
words that are used In Japan and that have
the same meaning in both countries. I
am aware that Senior Pimentel. a very
learned philologist. who made a special study
OF the languages OF the Mexican Indians. finds
nc similarity at all between them and the Chi
nese or Oriental languages: and that the
otomi language. which is monosyllabic, he
finds to have no similarity to the Chinese. But
Notwithstanding that great authority. I be-
lieve that the aboriglnes OF both continents
that Is. Asiatic and American-were originally
Of the same race. and that there must be some
relationship between their languages
The reports made to the Polynesian Society
OF Australia by F. W. Christian are also i'm
portant. MIR. Christian returned to Sydney
last year after an extended tour Of the ISL
ands of the South Seas. the Caroline group