The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-05-29
THE JAPANESE SITUATION

Here in the Hood River valley,
where there is "a japanese population
greater than many county Of the state
of Oregon other than in Muinomah,
while some parts of the country have
troubled themselves 10 small bit, the
Hood River people have been heard to
raise no great hue and cry, neither in
favor of nor against the action Of the
California legislature in passing law
prohibiting japanese ownership Of land
in California. The city Of Hood River
has japanese merchants and the valley
has japanese orchardists. There are
hundreds Of japanese lsborers. All Of
them are thrifty, desirable residents
under existing circumstances. Should
the japanese population be bodily re
moved from the valley tomorrow, the
community would feel the loss keenly.
And we have no doubt that the busi
ness men of the city and the ranchers
of sthe valley would be glad to see the
relationship that now exists between
the two races continue. If the Japan
ese population that is in the United
States at present were not TO be in
creased 'by a continued immigration
there would be no need for the Califor-
MIA land laws, unless the increase by
birth of the 0rientals threatened to
overwhelm the Land Of Poppies. And
this is an improbability, or if proba-
bility so remote as to be scarcely com
prebensible.
But the California Legislators have
begun to grapple with the problem that
will probably be up for solution for
many years to come. 1t may be unfor-
tunate that racial prejudice that has
been aroused there in those sections
where japanese form such a great por-
tion of the population has caused
hasty action on the part of the law
makers. and yet, law that tends to
prevent the immigration of Japanese
to this country is undoubtedly wise
one.
Some have advanced the theory that
the Japanese are the original Aryans
and that the European peoples and the
Americans, their offspring, have de-
Icended from Africans. Even so, that
loes not settle the problem. The Jap
Inese and peoples of theIwestern world
ire distinctively different in racial type ?
10 different that an amalgamation of |
he yellow people and the whites is not I
'or moment to be thought of. And
rs certainly as two peoples so distinct
y different are permitted to dwell to- q
,ether in one country, the racial preju- n
Ices are sooner or later to be aroused
md trouble will ensue. The Japanese +,
nave learned much from their inter
course with modern American and a
study of the habits of its people. The
Americans can and should learn much
not only from the Japanese at home,
but from those thrifty immigrants who
attend SO we'll to whatever business
they enter or who till so we'll the soil
of the truck garden or the orchard in
their care. Yet Japanese is always |
a japanese. There will be no inter
marrying and no amalgamation.
When one opposes the japanese inn
migration to this country il should not
be taken by the Japanese as an atfront
or an insult. We must conisder the in
habitants of the little Nipponese is
land ras one of the foremost people of
the world and not hold them in con-
tempt because Of their characteristics
which are so different from our own.
And we would pay them compliment
at the same time we would prohibit
their living among us as immigrants
and permanent residents of our coun-
try.