The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-10-29
History of ASiatic Invasion
OF Sister States About to
BE Repeated in Our Own
State and County.

TIME citizens of San Francisco and
OF the state of California Al.
well, awokc not many month,
ago to the fact that the activity and
aggreSsiveness OF the little. yellow
skinned sons of Nippon threatened the
whole social and industrial fabric of So
cicty Slowly and steadily the incom-
ing tide Of japanese had pushed back
the white race in every occupation they
chose to enter Where once the white
man titled the soil and tended the vine
in contcnted husbandry, an alarmed
people found the japanese had driven
them ont with Il well-defined plan of
camgaign against which the white man
had but little chance The small busi,
ness man found himself also forced to
give way before the yellow race
The famous outbreak in San Fran
cisco over the school segregation ques-
ton was but the elimination of a long
series of events. The vital point at is
sue was not the separation OF the
American schoolchild from the Japan
csc." but "thc right of an American
citizen to earn his bread and bring up
his family according to an American
standard of living" which right was be-
ing lost to the California producer and
wagc-carncr through the cheap compcti-
tion of the japanese. The school ques-
ton was the last straw that drove the
people from sullen muttcrings of dis
content into open revolt against Japan
csc aggression and which bade them bid
defiance even to the federal government.
The Vancouver riots We're also the
expressions of an cXaspcrated people.
Our Canadian ncighbors tore a page
from the same book of experience per
used with such bitter results by the
Caiiornians. 1t was the same heart
breaking struggle of the white laborer
and business man competing against
the races of the Orient to no purpose.
These demonstrations, beyond awak.
cning the peoplc-or a part of them
to their danger. brought no immediate
elri. The strong arm of the govern
ment interviewed to quell further law
lc,,nc.s and very properly so and the
,,,;tI b., n .
firmly cntrenchcd as before. Why ?
Because the time when the people might
have crushed this competition had gone
hv. The HYDRA headed monster of Asi
attic competition had been allowed to
rear if, head ON our shores with the ac
tive cooperation of one class of citizens,
mild curiosity of another aud the alb
salute Indifference of still another. 1t
was a cloud no bigger than mans
hand ut first and the few "agitatorS
and "troublr breeders who viewed with
alarm the first invasion of the Japan
csc industrial army and tried to warn
the people of the danger confronting
them. were hailed as enemies OF the
peace of the country who were trying to
plunge the nation into war with Il
friendly power"
They were such cute little fellows
those little brown cousins of ours! And
what commended them to the hearts OF
the EMPLOYERS of labor was the fact
that they would work steadily and fol
dirt cheap wages. They filled long
felt want in the labor market and 1
laborer who would work day after day
for mere pittance with never a lay
off for an occasional "spree," was 1
heaven sent boon to the profit sekin9
emplover of labor. There was NJ
thought that some day the japanese
would own outright or control by least
the very piece of ground which he thel
owned and send him to join the rank'
of the landless and the unemployed.
Only the laborer who vas displaced
bv the Oriental complained-then. Tn
business and professional men did there
| os he generally does everywhere, side'
with the employer of Asiatic labor
falling to ralize that ii the white la
borer was crowded out of the labor fiel'
or his earning power was reduced to tn
Lowell of the Asiatic his own busines
or profession was doomed. And tn
great middle class, the consuming pub
lie. the people who had it in their powe
to stop this Asiatic aggression, stood b.
in Indifference because they could no
see how in the world this labor question
conld ever affect them. But if the whit
neoplc were indifferent to the questio
The .Iaps vert not. From day Lahore
to land lessee was but q step, ineredi
HE as il may seem Tract after trac
of land controlled by Japanese an
worked by Japanese labor began send
mo It's produets to the white consumer
The white laborcr joined his fellow Ia
borers in the cities to compete in a
already overerowdel labor market. The
hogan the invasion of the business dc
main of the cities by the resistless Jap
Eating houses. barber shops, laundrie
various lines of small business passe
into their hands. Whole flats in Sa