The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-02-05
BY MAX STERN
Written for NEA Service

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 5.-The
third ASiatic invasion in the Pa
cific coasts history, bringing flood
of little brown men to these shores
to take jobs as workers in many
lines, explains the recent anti-Fili-
pino race riots that have been
marked by mob violence, bombing
and even death.
The outbreaks have been followed
by Filipino protests both in Ma
Mia and Washington, and are al
most certain to be echoed in con-
gress when the WEIGH bill to ex-
clude FiilpinoS like other Asiatics,
comes up. At present F'ilipinos born
under the American flag in Hawaii
and the Philippines are permitted
to enter the United States with
out restriction.
The Filipino riots have occurred
in increasing intensity since the first
outbreak in Yakima, Wash, recently.
California disturbances have oc-
CURED in a half dozen cities. The
most serious was in jacksonville by q
mob inf1amed by reports that a
Filipino club employed white girl
entertainers.
Chinese First
Three times have Asiatic laborers
peacefully penetrated America
through Pacific ports and three
times Asiatic blood has flowed.
The first wave of oriental cheap
labor threatened to inundate Cali
fornia in the early days of her state
hood. In the latter 70's thousands
of Chinese imported to work the
gold fields and railroads drifted into
the cities to take the white workers
jobs. Dennis Kearney, "sandlot ora
tor" inf1amed the mobs with his
cry: "The Chinese must CO." And
hundreds of Chinese were killed and
injured. In 1882 congress passed the
Chinese exclusion law.
The next Invaders" we're Japa-
nese farm workers. So numerous
they became that whole villages in
California valleys were peopled by
them. AS they prospered and bought
land these villages became subject
to periodic raids by native white
laborers. There followed the 1924
Japanese exclusion law, the result of
agitation by former Senator James
D. Phelan, and organized labor.
Uncle Sam Is Ward
The third invasion from across
the Pacific is that of Uncle Sans
own Malay wards, mass Of young
males. avid to work cheaply, learn
American ways and dress in the
latest fashion The outward irri-
tant in their presence is social. Less
than 4 per cent of the arrivals are
females, yet under California law
Filipinos may not marry white
American girls.
But the basic cause of the rtoting
is economic.
Since they are Uncle Sans wards
and IRE not classed with Japanese
and Chinese as aliens, nothing haltS
their coming in any number. Since
1920 they have been arriving in in
creasing numbers. so that today
heir numter is ccnservatively es-s-
mated ct 10000 in California, $4,000
in continental United States and
10000 more in Hawaii.
How fast they come may be seen
by census figures revealing that the
Filipino population in the United
States has increased ten-fold since
1920.
Compete With Whites
Only few come by way of the
United States army, and these are
the fortunate ones who may become
American citizens on honorable dis
charges.
Once here they go first to the val
ley. There they are welcome, for q
shortage of Mexican rural workers Is
noticeable. They pick cotton, harvest
lettuce, work in melons and winter
vegetables.
Being both frugal and celibate 1t
is, however, only a short time before
a group has bought an automobile.
formed a club and become 100 per
cent American" The lettuce fields
call them no longer and they come
to town. The jobs they take in town
are different, for there they COM
pete with white Americans, thou
sands of whom already are jobless.
They become cooks, walters, house
servants, steamship cabin boys, eie-
vator operators.
Strong as the reaction against vio-
lence of law-abiding citizens has
been, feeling runs equally strong in
California against increasing num-
bers of unassimilable immigrants