The National tribune., 1907-01-24

c. E. Brooks. 3s44 Brooks Bldg, Marshall, Mich.
THE JAPANESE IN CALIFORNIA.
Plain, Truthful Statement of the Trou-
bIes in the San Francisco Schools and
Streets.
Editor National Tribune: In the
school matter Eastern sentiment may
have been led to believe that San Fran
cisco has excluded the Japs entirely
from the public schools. We have done
nothing of the kind. Even while not
required to give him or any other alien
an education at the cost of the city and
State, and while receiving no State
school money on Mongolian children
tfor they are excluded by statute from
the census basis of calculating the State
apportionment of school moneys to
Countfes) yet this city has generously
provided Chinese and Japanese children
with the same system of education as it
is granting other children. A finely
equipped school, with the best of teach
ers and convenient to the Mongolian
quarter, has been provided, and even
delicately termed the Oriental School.
1t had long been left that, owing to the
peculiar form of Mongolian language.
expression, calculation, etc, he was
likely TO be discouraged by the aptness
of Caucasian schooimates and prone to
retard the fullest progress of the class,
and that he could be better taught in
school devoted exclusively to his race,
in which uniform and more suitable
method of instruction could be employ
ed by corps of teachers especially
prepared and experienced in the ways
of instructing a mind so strangely diff
ferent from ours in its view of the
world. Consequently the State Legisla-
ture enacted statute providing that
the school age of all children should be
from six to 81; that cities and districts
may establish separate schools for In
dian or Mongolian children, and in case
of establishing such schools such pupils
must attend said schools. Observe, the
statute is permissive in the matter OF
creating the school, but mandatory in
the matter of attendance; so our pres
ent city School Board was helpless in
the matter, and could permit Japanese
children to attend schools other than
the Oriental only by disregarding or
disobeying the law of the State-a poor
example to set the youth that is being
taught the nature of the law he is
urged to uphold and respect.
TIE Oriental School
Thus the Oriental school was estab-
lished in 1887, finely equipped, effective
ly disciplined and taught by the best
Of teachers. For 19 years the Mongo-
lian children have gathered there in
happy association, undisturbed, unen-
Wed and unencumbered by other in
fluences. The Japs, however, began to
appear, a handful in 1880, 1000 in 1890,
10000 in 1900. and now coming in at
the rate of / 1000 per month Goo un-
loading from one steamship last week..
The first that came were pretty, little,
boyish fellows that slipt into our homes
as domestics and became as kittens
around the house. They We're clean,
neat and eager to learn. They were
granted most of the day by their en-
DloyerS to attend school. They We're
well distributed over the city, and were
allowed to enter the school most con-
venient to them. despite the mandatory
statute Of the State They were tidy,
docile, industrious and won an unjust
share of attention in large classes
which they retarded exceedingly,
prompting considerable complaint All
went well, however, until rougher set
of adult Japs began TO invade the coun-
try and crowd into the schools. These
were mostly uncouth poems Of coarse
type, with the servility of generations
stamped upon them. They settled in
the congested districts of the city, over
renting the small habitations south of
Market street from white tenants. They
swarmed into schools already made
quate for the throngs of Caucasian chill
dren, and many of the latter were dis
placed by them. This, together with
the time and attention the japanese re-
qured, led to many complaints from
white parents and later to strong criti-
ciZm from the press, and doctors
alarmed the public by arousing fears of
trachoma, the terrible eye infection in
troduced into the country by Mongo-
lians. The better class and Weather
class Of japanese sought and are seek
ing private schooling and tutorship
leaving the riff-raff of their countrymen
mainly TO mingle among our children
1t was not racial prejudice or labor
unions that prompted the segregation
but strong. unanimous public clamor
that the Board of Education was COM
pelled TO heed in October. 1905.
II is generally felt thruout the coast
that the school question is only a willy
Mongolian pretense, an initial step in
q series of diplomatic movements pre-
meditated by Japan, to entangle our
Nation into strained relations upon
which TO justify some redress, either to
check exclusion from lands she envies
or to lend force to a claim for Pacific
cessions desired, or to justify war
and expected conquest. In all of
theSe she must De 1Olled. III
her policy is TO secure better
treatment for Japs here, her purpose
has niserably failed, for she has made
enemies of Californians who were her
best friends. The Jap has been popu-
lar being here. For years he and his
ways and his goods have been fads. He
has been as pet cat about our homes.
His curios have drained our purses, and
We have aped his tea parties and tea
Eardens, >e ave robed ourselves in