The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-05-04
PICTURE BRIDES
WILL HAVE TOPASS
new L|TERACY TEST
Announcement Of Ruling Causing
Much Agitation In Japanese
Circles Of Hawaii
'
MANY BELIEVE WOMEN WILL
BE BARRED BY THIS LAW
-----
Plantations win Be Seriously A.
fected II Regulations Are
Strictly Enforced Here

d. !.
Japanese picture brides must here
after pass the literacy test required by
the new Immigration law which went
into effect last Tuesday, May I, or they
win not be allowed to land.
This ruling is causing much agita.
fion among the Japanese Of Hawaii
and is expected TO have very mate
rial effect upon the number Of picture
brides admitted TO the United States.
The new law requires that immigfants
before being allowed to land in the
United States, must prove their ability
to read and write in some language.
II Is not necessary, however, that they
be able to read write or speak English.
II they can read and write their own
Language, the requirements OF the law
are satisfied.
What proportion Of the picture
brides win be able to pass the examin-
alton is problematical Some Japanese
said yesterday that comparatively few
Of them could pass the test. Others.
declared that most Of them who come
here are sufficiently educated 10 pass
muster.
II IS expected that the plantations
Of Hawaii will be very considerably
affected by the new law. Most Jap
anese men on the plantations when
they want wife, send to Japan and
get a picture bride. Under the laws OF
Japan picture bride is legally married
to the man before she leaves the en1-
pire, but the United States does not
recognize such marriages, and II has
been the custom in the past to require
a ceremony according TO American law
to be performed before the bride was
permitted TO leave the immigration sta'
tion.
Must Pass Test tk,t
A Japanese resident Of the United
States can bring in his wife, and she Is
not required to pass examination. But
q picture bride arriving here, not be-,
Ing looked upon as already married,
has q different status aud must submit
70 the literacy test. The same thing
is true Of Japanese residents Of the
Islands who return to their own coun-
try and remain there more than six
months. IRA W sl ~
The new law is expected to work
very material hardship upon japanese
male laborers in Hawaii. They must
either choose picture brides who can
read and write, or else they must them
HplNtc ~ w ouliuil AOf NANtDl IN WHICH
latter case they can bring them in
without the women having 10 take the
examination at the immigration station.
The average number Of picture brides
landing in Hawaii is more than thou
sand a year. The records Of the local
Immigration station show that during
the past Six wears total Of 7O9i nc,
ture brides arrived here. BY far the
/ rttr,l -. ...r...,
/ to plantation laborers
Fear Dissatisfaction
| Fears were expressed yesterday in
certain Japanese quarters that the new
law would cause much dissatisfaction
among the plantation laborers of the
/ Territory and might cause many Of the
men to leave Hawaii. Fred Maxine,
editor Of the Hawaii Hochi, said, how.
ever, that he did not believe any great
proportion Of the picture brides arriv-
ing here would be found unable to pass
the literaey test.
1t is reported that the Japanese gov
] eminent has requested its ambassador
at Washington TO demonstrate with the
state department against the enforce
ment of the literacy test clause as re-
CARDS Japanese, holding that it is yio-
lation of the spirit Of the gentiemen's
agreement. No verifeation Of the re-
port could be obtained yesterday, how
| ever.
There is another angle Of the new
immigration law that very closely
affects Hawaii. That IL the provision
that requires that aliens who leave Ha-
waii for the mainland must pass the
literaey test there. If they fail to do
50, they will be sent back to Hawaii.
Conversely, aliens coming to Hawaii
! from the mainland must submit to
the literaey test here, and IL they fail
to pass il, win be returned to the main.
land port whence they came.
Another provision Of the new law is
I that which concerns women who have
been convicted Of immoral conduct.
They are barred from landing In the
! United States, and even their marriage
TO man resident in the country or en-,
titled 10 land viii not give them the
right to enter the country. Had this
law been in effect when Iwilei was
closed, il would have been impossible
for the authorities here 20 ship the
women of that district 10 San Francis
co, as was done in the case of large
number of them.