The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-07-29
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

were almost two Issei who were
gainfully occupied for every Nj
sci, 80 but today there are more
Nisei workers than there are Issei.
This change in the proportions of
the respective generations in the
labor face tends to reflect itself
in an alteration of their relative
status in the community, for al
though the Issei still retain sub
stantial control over much of the
capital wealth and can WELD eco
nomic pressures upon the Nisei.
the Issei are forced to give recog-
milton to the increasing economic
independence of the Nisei In
other words. the Issei no longer
dominate the economic activities
that, with the median age of Issei
males at 81 years. they will rapid
ly become a negligible element IN
the labor force.
Any period of transition in eco
nomic controls may be critical, but
special difficulties inhere in the
Japanese American community be-
cause of its peculiar age structure.
The Characteristic of the present
working population is that it is
composed of those at ages where
Iney are either just beginning their
employability, or ending it. and
there is noticeable gap of the
middle group. The Nisei workers
at present are comparatively young
and inexperienced-a large pro-
portion of them we're still in
schools when the war broke out
and they show not only a lack OF
knowledge and finesse in business
dealings but they have yet failed
to gain firm foothold in the eco
nomy.
"9No data showing the difference
in proportion of the Issei and Nj
sci in the labor foce in Seattle
was available Estimates we're made
from data. on person of japanese
ancestry in the labor force In the
state of Wn.. in U. S. Congress.
House of Representatives. Select
Committee Investigating National
Defense Migration, Findings and
recommendations on Evacuation OF
enemy Aliens and others from
Prohibited Military Zones, HR 2124
nth Cong, End Sess., p. 100. The
estimate was made by deducting
all the cases of farm workers.
The Issei, however, are becom-
Ing unemployable due to old age,
and as the number of dependents
increase, will add to the economic
burdens of the Nisei. The chief
complication in the situation is
that the evacuation undermined
the economy of the Japanese COM
munity and many who otherwise
might have maintained q secure
position in the economy do not en-
joy such a stability today.
Another significant change is
attached to the contributions Of
female workers to the family in
the Importance which is today
come In 1910, 343 per cent of
the labor force were females. but
they constitute an estimated Al
per cent of the workers. Two rea-
sons may be offered to explain
this increase. New opportunities
which have been opened to Japa-
nese Americans since the war. such
as of secretarial positions and in
the garment manufacturing indus
try, have been especially favorable
to the females. with female workers
not infrequently contributing more
to family income than do the
males. Second female workers be-
fore the war were largely limited
to assisting in family enterprises,
working at poorly paid positions
in Japanese owned businesses. or
working as domestics. Today in
creased numbers enjoy the advan-
tages of union wages and of white
collar positions in governmental
agencies or Caucasian firms. In
addition as the Nisei children have