The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-11-15


least 'cuss 'em OUT Curious as
may seem. the present-day Japanes
doesn't relish this sort of treatment
even though he be a coolie.
This problem of the races sketchil.
outlined here is one that Hawaii i
engaged in solving. In all the trans
mutations and changes, the old-tim,
native Hawaiian is losing his identity
and disappearing.
HONOLULU, May 16.-Why San
Francisco raised such an uproar owe
the presence in her public schools Of
half score of Japanese children il
more of mystery than ever after Wis
iting the public schools of Honolulu
and the chief cities of the other is
lands. Here red, yellow, brown, and
white children are taught side by side
in one room. A little Chinese boy oecu-
pies the same seat with a bullet-headed
lad who answers to the name McTavish.
On another bench one finds a Korean
and Scandinavian studying from the
same book; again, the Japanese and
the Portuguese, share their luncheons
and playthings. On one school here
(the Kaiulani), where six hundred chill
dren are being taught, there is only
one white child enrolled as a pupil
little, fair-haired, blue-eyed Amer
lean girl. In another school 1 came
upon young teacher of Hawaiian and
Chinese parentage who told me that
the forty children in her charge COM
prised eight races and nationalities. In
all the schools the same conditions
hold true.
Of all the agencies now engaged in
Americanizing the islands of the Ha-
waiian group, the school impresses the
casual analyst as the most potent factor
for good. The schools leave a deeper
on the mind of a visiting
stranger than any of the other island
one has seen. The schools
teach patriotism. Patriotic exercises
are part of each days routine. A
uniform exercise to teach the children
love of country and love of flag has
been devised by Miss Emma Lyons, a
public-school teacher of Honolulu, and
is used in all the schools throughout
the island. At several of the schools |
visited the children were assembled in
front of the school, the classes forming |
1 circle about the fagpole. When the
principal gave the order "Attention!'
he boys removed their hats and all
laced the flag as it was hoisted to the
op of the pole. Then at signal the
children repeated in concert the fol-
owing salutation, with right hand up
.aised and pointed toward the flag:
"We give our heads and our hearts
o God and our country! One country!
)ne language! One fag!"
The sight is one to make the average
americans blood run a little faster
nd stiffen his backbone. 1t is difficult
o keep in check elation and pride,
yhen one sees four or five hundred lit
lie Orientals, dressed for the most part
n their native garb, repeating this
alutatiou to the flag in clear, childish
reble, and with every indication of
the significance and
leaning of the words they utter.
STATISTICS OF THE ISLAND
SCHOOLS.
There is a uniform system of in
truction in all of the public schools
/ the island. The latest reports avail
BILE show that at the end of Decem-
er, 1906, there were Isl public schools
l the Territory, attended by 1851
lildren, and sixty-two private schools,
18th a total enrolment of o239. These
$50 children comprised eleven dis ,
net nationalities in addition to 1879
upils grouped under the head of
,ther foreigners"
At Wailuku, on the island of Maui,
lie members of the Congressional
irty were welcomed by a little Chi
sse girl, All Ing, who is but eleven !
ears old. she wrote her own speech,
Id this is what she said:
1.-The teachers and pupils of the Wal '
ku school welcome you to our little a
land. We are glad that you take
lough interest in US to come so many
ousands of miles to see us. We hope I
at you will enjoy your visit with US, t
Id that you will carry home pleasant +
collections of Hawaii and the Ha- s
aiians. Our parents are of many ma h
,nalities, but we are all good Amer v
ans. We are here in school not only n
udying reading, writing and arithme- g
:, but also learning lessons of pa Il
iotism and good citizenship, so that IL
hen we grow we may become useful a
.izens of our great and glorious coun- a
Y, whose flag floats over our school u
cry day." W
Banked on the steps back of her as Il
e spoke was as diverse a group Of c.
tionalities as could be gathered any, "
here in the world. little Chinese II
Il in embroidered silk trousers stood
side a little red-headed. freckled- IL
ced girl whose name should have n
en- Judy Brannigan, even if it was d.
t. Pugnacious little square-headed h
panese urchins elbowed Trailer Por- q,
Ricans. so that they might have h,
ore room and a better opportunity =,
gaze at the visitors. =
0f all the public-school pupils, 25 per n
nt are Hawaiian, % per cent. Jap
ese, 10 per cent. Portuguese. Is per