Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-09-21
.AkANA VOICES
GRIEVANCES OF
NON.WHIIE RACES
In Straight From the Shoulder
Talk at Pan Pacific Lunch,
Pleads for Square DeaP'

DO you want the brown races 70
be good citizens?" said Rev Akaiko
Akana, speaking at the Pan-Pacific
luncheon this noon; then help me
and help every intelligent man who
is not white to answer these questions
which l have heard from men OF half
Ia dozen nationalities in this very city.
Why is Mr. Smith interested in me
on Sunday. and why does he grow
absent-minded when he passes me on
the street on any other day?
When white RersoEi is alone he
recognizes me. When I speak to him
in company he bushes. .a. 4.
HAS a white man a right to say to
me: Don't waste time en- stenography.
i Cultivate your muscles and go ont on
a plantation. 2~>
III people show that they do not
want my society should not I lift my
self above. any need of association
with themF' "
These are some of. the questions
i which I have heard casually on the
streets. They are indicative OF feel,
ling which Is deeper than words. You
cannot win over the yellow races by
education. You cannot make them
4 citizens by appealing TO their intel
leets alone Every great thought has
a great emotional basis, and unless
that basis exists, then yon will not
have the thought. II yon do not have
the great feeling of friendship as a
beginning, you will never establish be
tween the colored man and the white
the desire for mutual exchange OF
thoughts, ambitions, and affections
which must be the basis of good cit;
zenship. ~ 4; sstfs ~ Il
'sShow me q Gag waving In the air
and tell me that must love thar flag
! and will laugh at you. But show me
over the heights Of the city a noble
parthenon to whose erection the peo-
pile OF my race have given their minds
and the efforts of their souls and
bodies: let 1s establish q hefitage OF
stirring memories which you may hold
in common with us, and then we will
become good citizens, not because We
have convinced ourselves that 1t is
the reasonable thing to do, but be-
cause 1t is the noble, the essential
thing" 1sz
Civilization steps westward" said
DR.. d. Scudder, in his short talk, land
where civilization turns its face we
must turn ours. Throughout the Unit
ed States there Is a feeling that above
all the races of the world the yellow
are incapable OF taking up the work
and the duties OF american citizen
ship. There is "a dim and blind
feeling that though other races may
be educated up to this standard, an
essential bar keeps out the yellow
man. .. - 80 ~
"But facts prove that there Is. no
foundation for this. When we face
the great evidence OF facts boldly
and unafraid we find that it is like
the ehild's boogaboo in the dark-it
does not exist. Why, your average
person in the states looks upon the
yellow man as sort of queer mechan-
ism that may think but cannot feel.
"But l say that which all of Us
know, that the yellow man has our
loves, our desires, our appreciation OF
the beautiful and the good, our wiz
iingness to sacrifice for the intangi-i
BILE glories OF our country's service
all that we have and hold. Then why
can he not become a good citizen5
1t is folly and blindness to say that
he cannot. Civilization goes west like
the sun, and instead of turning our
backs upon this new old world which
is coming up to front our eyes. let
MS look, these peoples in the face.
Let us admit that they are human be-
ings with hearts full Of blood as warm
as ours; with brains as active; with
souls as eager. Let us open our arms
to them, that when the time comes, as
in the course of events 1t must come,
when we need their help, they will
open their arms to as in turn.
Here we have what might be a
danger present before us. In very
few years the native born Hawaiian
Japanese and Chinese will compose a
majority of the citizens OF these is
lands. But we who have lived with
them know that this is nothing to fear.
Our only duty is to give to their
hands all the implements of good
Let us see that in the
schools they become proficient in poll
tica1 science and civil law, and lei
US be sure that they know enough
OF American history to enter into our
memories of greatness. in the past,
and inspiration for the future
Speaking Immediately alter DR.. D.
Scudder, as a representative of the
Chinese youth. Kim Tong
Ho spoke to point out a few of the
things which the local Chinese were
doing. He did not deal in emotional
but spoke straight from
the shoulder, dealing IN facts. He told
Of how the Chinese company in the
Hawaiian National Guard had been
to its full number in 48
hours. He told how a Chinese boy
was making the trip with the National
Guard rifle team which leaves for ,
Florida tomorrow. He spoke of {
Kings with quiet earnestness which b
vas more convincing than metaphors.
Give us a chance to work here ]
where we we're born" he said in part .
We are ready and willing to love thts s
lew country as our fathers loved old {
china. Do not donbt that we are ca (
I