The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-10-27
1UN-TEACH'.
JAP TOTS in.
own SCHOOL
Brown. Youngsters Flock in
Late Afternoon to Nippo-
neSe Teachers Class

INV ~ '"fff0
neSe Teachers Class
How the brown. sianteyed chill.
dren OF Japanese farmers. who con
troll the cream OF the farming tracts
in Duwamish valley. are erowding
county schools there was shown
graphically 20 a Star man who visit.
I'd the schools yesterday.
In many OF the schools the brown
faces outnumbered the whites. And
scattered here and there for 20 miles
up and down the valley were the
schools maintained by the laps
themselves schools TO which the
Jap youngsters SO daily In the late
schools. there to uniearn the things
which the American schools teach
them.
Tho overcrowded condition Of
King oounty's schools Is becoming
serious.
PRIMARY TEACHER
Is sTUNlfED
Il don't know what I'm going 10
do. With 80 many Japanese children
coming In. my room Is filled TO over
flowing. and I simply cannot give
proper instruction to all OF them" a
primary teacher In one OF the rural
schools south of Seattle told The
star man and Thomas y. Huise. as
sissAnt superintendent Of county
schools. who accompanied him.
The condition revealed In her
complaint was found to be universal
In the Institutions visited.
On either side of the highway. all
along the route. IL was noticeable
that the best locations. tho best
ranches. the best gardens were those
owned or controlled by Japs. Tho
Jap Is good gardener. His stand
ard Of living Is 20 low and his
capacity for long hours and hard
work NJ great that the white farm
ers cannot successfully compete with
him.
Furthermore. the Jap Is satisfied
with only the finest slope. the most
fertile bottom. Hence. In all the
best gardening districts tho Japs
flock In.
JAP CHILDREN
OCTNCMBER WHITES
This Is the condition In Duwamish
valley And as the laps move In
their children soon increase until In
some districts they actually outnum-
h<r the white children In the lower
grades OF school.
For instance. In the O'Brien school
there are In the primary room 10
white children and 81 Japs. or more
than two to one. In the intermediate
room there are enrolled IL laps and
~ whites. and In the upper room
- white children and five Japs-
In the Thomas school. q few miles
beyond Kent. practically the same
conAttions were found There were
" laps ana - white children IN the
primary room. which included the
first and second grades: In the next
room there were Is Japs and 10
whites. while a count Of the NEXT
showed nine Japs out OF q total en-
toifment Of 20 pupils
II IL noticeable that the proportion
- Japs diminishes as the upper
grades arc approached. This Is due.
according TO the testimony Of teach.
err who have inquired into the rca-
oon. to the custom OF the Japs Of
oeading their children back to Japan
sixth or seventh grades. There they
remain until they are about II years
- age. when they return to the
United States.
WHY THEY'RE
SENT TO JAPAN
The children are sent 10 Japan. the
parent tell the teachers. 90 that
they may learn the customs. tradl-
lions. language and religion OF their
ewn people.
But the chief difficulty with which
The county school board has TO con
tend 10 not the rapidly increasing
number Of Jap students. II il the
private schools maintained by the
Japs. which the children attend AFT.
er they are dismissed from the pub
lie schools In the afternoon. that
undo much Of what the American
teachers are able TO accomplish.
One 81 these private schools Is 10
Gated on the Tacoma highway at its
intersection with Taylor road.
The one room accommodates about
30 children. The walls are decora ted
with posters and writing in the
Japanese language. The text books
are the same as those used In the
schools In Japan. The teacher Il a
Japanese young woman. The only
English she apparently can speak Is
II don't know"
HUDDLED INTO
BTOvELESS ROOM
The primary class was reciting
when this school was visited. Hud.
died In the cold room. for there IL
no stove. the little tots came for.
ward one at a time. Standing with
their backs to the teacher. and with
the book held straight up SO she
could follow. In singsong tone
they read their lesson.
A. the visitors left. the older chill.
6ren. Just dismissed from the pub-
lie school. were coming down the
road TO spend the rest Of the day
until o'clock in the native school.
The county school board tried to
close these Japanese schools last
year, but found that there is no law
! on the state statutes controlling
them. Proper legislation 20 effect
their adjustment will be pushed this
fall
These are the conditions as the re.
porter and the school official found
them In Duwamish valley. And they
are duplicated in many other sections
Of King county. according TO superin-
tendent Hulse.
Princeton and II w