Takaki chapter 10

Historically, Japanese immigrants were mostly men, but by the year 1920 there was a significant increase in women making the journey to America. However, the women were more or less forced to go over there. They were practicing arranged marriages, which was common in the Japanese culture. The women would go over to American because that is where their future husband would be. In this chapter of the book A different Mirror:A History or Multicultural America by Ronald Takaki, he talks about the Immigration of different Asian ethnicity's to the United States. He talks about how the Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Puerto Rican, and other Asian/Hispanic descents, were treated unfairly while working on plantations. These plantations drastically different from the plantations the black slaves worked on just a few year prior. These plantations paid the workers (although it was very little) they advised having families work all together, and they were not punished as severely, however the one major difference between them were the workers. The workers on the plantations in Hawaii fought for their rights as human beings. As Takaki states, "Portuguese laborers were paid $22.50 per month, while the Japanese laborers received only $18.00 for the same work." (258) The unfairness lead to many different strikes on many different occasions. Approximately seven thousand Japanese laborers put a sudden stop on their work on the island of Oahu. While they were not working (thus not getting paid) many of their compatriots on different islands were lending a hand by sending money and food over to the island. The Japanese organizations like Honolulu Retail Merchants Association contributed to the strike fun, and the Japanese Physicians Association gave free medical assistance to the strikers and the families of the strikers. (258) Takaki states that "the goal of the strike was to create a thriving and contented middle class-- the realization of the high ideal of Americanism." (258)Shortly after being forced to return work, the planters eliminated the wage system and paid the Japanese workers the same they paid the other workers. As the time went on, the Japanese were being educated, and trying to close the gap between the Eastern and Western societies. But even the one who were born in the United States, and technically a citizen, had to endure in the discrimination of being a Japanese. Japanese children were often taunted, and beat up by the white kids, they would do things like throw stones at them. There was also discrimination among the adults. By law they were allowed to own a home and land because they were born in the country. However, he was told, "You cannot live here. Your money is not good enough. The deed has a racially restrictive covenant, and only members of the Caucasian race may reside here." (274)
Was it the right thing for the workers to strike against the plantations? It is evident that it was.Although the camps were unsanitary, they increased the pay by about 50%.
I think this is a well written chapter in this book. I was always aware of the slavery era, but was never taught about the Asian plantation era. I find it hard to believe that the "Americans" still had their egotistical views and they felt they were better than everyone else. Like the girl who talked about going to college and not being able to get a job afterward because of her ethnicity was outrageous.(275) The only job that was available was a bookkeeper in a Japanese convenient store or working for a Japanese lawyer. No white person in their right mind would higher her, and that seems unacceptable to me. I found myself reading on in this chapter more so than others, i think this was solely based on the fact that i had not yet learned about this particular time period and was curious about it. I also wanted to compare it to the time of the black slavery and how it was different and how it was the same from it.