The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-16
THE HAWAII OF TODAY
Serene E Bishop D. D., in the New York Independent


tered the national system of the United
States as a Territory. As such it has
continued to fulfil it's part in an orderly
and efficient manner. This fact implies
that it did not at that time need to
be Americanized, having already taken
on the qualities of Americanism. 1t
had previously become American In ITS
republican form of government and IN
ifs social as well as political institu-
tions and the dominant form of sent1-
ment pervading them. 1t was already
well prepared as a community to take
It's place as one of the constituent
portions of the great Union. What Ha-
wall now needs, therefore, is not to
be Americanized That has already
been accomplished. She now needs to
be strengthened. confirmed, permanent
" established and solidly rooted in
that character against all interfering
and conflicting tendencies.
teristically American is at once APP
parent to the traveller arriving at Ho
noluIu from whatever direction he
crosses the ocean. If from California,
the visitor still finds himself in an
American atmosphere and not in an
alien one. The town is American in
aspect, the customs and institutions are
American. The leading and prominent
elements IN the community are marked
~ American, Notwithstanding a numer
zeal preponderanee of brown Asiatics
and Hawaiians, besides Portuguese. The
current speech is English of the Amer
lean accent. The newsboys cry Amer
lean papers. The street ears are swift
American trolleys. The vehicles are of
American style. American stores and
warehouses line the streets. The law,
medical and other offices bear Amer
Sean names Familiar American
churches point upward their spires. The
vegetation only is that of lands with
out frost-palms, bananas and flame
trees. And the easy-going Hawaiian
rides the billow on his surfboard, or
iitheiy capers in his questionable. hula.
If the tourist has come from the
Orient he finds an anticipation of the
home land in this American Hawaii.
He has struck America 8 great outpost
IN the Pacifci If he comes from the
Australian colonies he finds himself
not among Britishers, but among peo-
pie of the somewhat strange Amer
lean tone and fashion of life, as well
rs of Yankee accent of speech, peo-
pie who say "lay-dy' and not ely
. ay,' today and not "to-die. - Ho-
nolulu is very markedly American J
town. Somehow the process of Amer |
ieanizing has been most efficient and
successful. It's color and hue have
sunk deep into the life of the COM
munity with clear and permanent tone.
The American character of Hawaii is
obvious to notice in the type of men !,
who conduct its affairs, who are mainly |
americans. Such are nearly all the pro-
Eessional men. The lawyers are almost |
exclusively Americans. Such are all the |
judges of the various courts, except in
rural district courts, where native Ha-
waiians often preside. The medical |
men are usually American, although a |
number of japanese doctors minister
10 their own people. The great ma
jority of sehoolteachers are Americans,
although many natives and part whites
teach In lower grades of country |
schools. In like manner, aside from |
Asiatic trade, only white men, chiefly |
Americans, conduct mercantile and /
banking business, except that in the
lower grades of trade Asiatics, Por-
tuguese and part Hawaiians are much |
employed. But all these use our Eng |
hsh tongue as the organ of business.
The commercial life of Hawaii Is
mainly American, although some lead
ing British and German houses of /
long standing continue prominent. The |
sugar plantations provide the great
backbone of our business; and these
are predominantly in American hands.
Subordinate labor on the plantations, |
however, is mainly other than Amer
lean, being largely japanese, then CHI
uese, Portuguese and Hawaiian. The |
lower grades of mechanical labor
throughout Hawaii have also largely
fallen into the hands of the japanese.
In nothing has the Amerieanizing of
Hawaii become more complete than in
our educational system. That system
began to be organized by our mis-
sionaries at a very early period of
their labors. The leading schools are
almost entirely in American hands,
with a few teachers of British origin.
The sole medium of instruction is the |
English language, which the children
of all races are required to learn. A