6. The House erected by a White Rancher who recently moved to Florin 7. A less Well-to-do White Neighbor's House and "Patch" 8. Where Japanese grow Grapes 9. Harvesting the Strawberry Crop-a Picker of the "Student Class" 170 170 171 171 171 172 172 173 173 10. Developed from Pasture Land by the Japanese Owner 11. Made by the Japanese Owner . 12. As it was when leased by the Japanese 13. The Same Land growing Strawberries Three Months Later 15. The Home of the Largest Japanese Family in the Community 16. As developed from "Raw" Land 17. One of the Best of the Ranch Houses built by Japanese berries 190 THE JAPANESE PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES CHAPTER I THE IMMIGRATION OF JAPANESE TO THE According to Japanese in the United States. the Census, the Japanese population of the continental United States April 15, 1910, was 72,157. There is good reason to believe, however, that the enumeration was by no means complete and that the true number was several thousand larger than the number recorded. Since 1910, the Japanese population has changed little. In all probability the number of American born has somewhat more than offset the number who have left the country or died. The development, composition, and ter 1 As is evident from the data presented in this chapter, the writer has been unable to obtain any evidence in support of the statement made (Hearings of House Committee on Immigration, February 13, 1914, p. 48) by the Commissioner General of Immigration that the number of Japanese in the United States had doubled in the last six or seven years. The population estimates given in the Japanese-American Yearbook, which in different localities have been found to be fairly accurate, but to exaggerate somewhat, have been as follows: ritorial distribution of this population should be described first of all, for much of importance relating to the Japanese problem is contained in the details thus brought out. Early Immigration. -The early history of Japanese immigration to the United States is neither clear nor important.1 From 1638 to 1868, when the present Imperial Government was organized, emigration from Japan was prohibited. It was not definitely legalized until 1885. But while emigration was still forbidden, a few Japanese sailors and students reached our shores. Moreover, in the Sacramento Union and other California papers for 1869 we read of a colony of a few score of Japanese settled as prospective silk growers at Gold Hill, California, where they were received with great favor. The promoter of this colony expected more to follow, but evidently this expectation was not realized because of the failure of the project. In the report of the United States Treasury Department for 1893, it was stated that between 1861 and 1870, 218 Japanese had immigrated to this country. The Census of 1870, however, reported only 55 Japanese as residing in the United States. The corresponding number reported in 1880 was 148, Checking over the reports of the Japanese associations, entries and departures, the Immigration Commission arrived at an estimate of from 95,000 to 100,000 for 1909. The Japanese-American's estimate was 98,715. 1 Some of the details relating to the early immigration of Japanese have been presented by Y. Ichihashi in Japanese Immigration: Its Status in California. in 1890, 2,039. These 2,039 Japanese reported as residing in the United States in 1890 is evidence of the larger number of immigrants to this country following upon the legalization of emigration by Japan in 1885, and the enactment of the Chinese exclusion law in 1882, which, before 1890, had begun to effect a decrease in the number of Mongolian laborers, to cause a dearth of farm hands, and to cause a rise in the wages of common laborers in California. The Immigration Commission presented the following table based upon the reports of the Commissioner General of Immigration, to show the immigration of Japanese, except from our insular possessions, beginning with the fiscal year 1892-93:1 Increase in Immigration after 1898. From this table it is seen that numbers grew slowly. Not as many as two thousand Japanese arrived in any one year until 1898. In 1900, 12,626 were ad 1 Immigration Commission, Reports, Vol. 23, p. 5. |