New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-07-23
CHINESE WEBS JAPANESE WOMAN
SOLVES PROBLEM OF HIS CoUNTRYMEN
WHO CANNOT IMPORT WIVES
FROM HOME

The bachelors of Chinatown. and there are more
bachelors 70 the block there than any part
OF this city. discussing with great interest
piece Of news which has just been received from
San Francisco II has 10 do with the marriage OF
one Of their class, unfortunate who had desired
a wife for years but had been unable 10 get
owing TO the scarcity of Chinese women. He solved
the distressing matrimonial problem by taking a
pretty Japanese girl 10 wife. The Chinese bachelors
Of this city smile when they the news and if
their yellow faces were not so devoid OF expression
one could probably read their dismay at never
having thought OF this solution OF the question.
According letters which the Chinese have re-
ceived from San Francisco Lee Yuen, merchant
Of jacksonville. Col. married about three
weeks ago TO Miss Shitako Kawamura, who had
been connected for some months with the Chinese
Methodist Mission. She IS said to be very pretty
girl but her family in Japan were common people.
She came TO America 10 make her living,
do so many of her sisters She found II hard work,
and gladly accepted Lee Yuen's offer to make her
his wife. She feels that she is marrying beneath
her station is said then Lee feels that he is
doing the same. It is question OF which race is
the older and the only prospect of reaching an
equalization they say is 10 concede that both
races started with Adam and let it go at that.
The chances for Chinaman 10 get wife OF his
race are small indeed as long as he remains II
this country. The immigration Of Chinese women
has been prohibited for number Of years, and only
few of the Chinese girls born In this country have
yet reached q manageable age. Most Of them have
spoken
able pay good prices for them There are
few slave girls in the big Chinese settlements on
the Pacific Coast, and Chinese may demean
himself by marrying one Of them. but 1t costs
money. and the girls former life goes against the
Chinese grain. There are about twenty five in this
city who have Monaghan wives A few have mar
ried white women, although there are legal DIM
culties in the way OF an interrace marriage
There are a great many Japanese women in the
country and any number be brought over under
Law rhayyh av o
that they Will not become paupers-
The Federal courts have decided that the Chinese
and japanese both belong TO the Monaghan race,
that they are both yellow. The Japanese do not
agree with this decision. They point with pride 20
the fact that their Emperor. Mutsuhlto. traces his
descent back twenty-five hundred years, and they
say that no such blue blood be found in China
or anywhere in the whole world, for that matter.
they say that the Chinese are mougrel people,
coming from mixture Of several Asiatic races.
This difference Of opinion. however. will not keen
2 Japanese girl from marrying a Chinese. as is
nroved by the San Francisco case which is now
exciting Chinatown
Or Cnann Of No. q Pell-st.. a graduate Of the
,oadicaI department OF the University OF Pennsyl-
snia said yesterday IN discussing the Yuen mar
rtage with Tribune reporter:
II NAV be good thing for the Chinese in
r1avfcs "a take Japanese wives, that is. II IL IS
good for man TO marry al all We are undoubtedly