By the second half of the XIX century Japan was undergoing a harsh transition to a modern economy. The modernization of Japans economy led to a rise of unemployment’s, and a great number of bankruptcies. This forced many Japanese citizens to live their home land in search of economic opportunities, and to ensure safety to their love ones from the civil riots caused by the economic downfall. These needs for immigration led many Japanese to the Hawaiian island were the sugar industry was flourishing, were they would not come as settlers but as labors hired by plantation owners. Most of these workers were single men and they used to return to their homeland as sun as they made enough money. When The United States took over Hawaii many of these contracts canceled, leaving many Japanese settlers free to travel to the main land U.S., especially to California.
When a Japanese citizen or a family decided to leave to America they had to make preparations. Most of the time the Male would leave to America and raise the money for the rest of the tickets and for the new life once they got to their new home. The over sea journey took week and even months, and when they got to the U.S. they had to stop at Angel Island. Angel Island is the place where all Asians immigrants stayed for evaluation, before they were allowed in the country. After a process that could have taken month they would be asked some questions; if they answer them right they would be allowed in the country, and if they didn’t they would have been deported back to their country.
At first Japanese immigrants were welcomed as substitutes for the Chinese at low skilled jobs. Mostly they started working at plantations were they were pay by how much they collected and since they worked harder and longer than the white they earned more money; then they acquired land since they were willing to pay more for it than other people. This quick transition brought many racial problems. Both in Hawaii and in the main land legislations were passed to prevent them for getting better played jobs and to stop them for purchasing more land especially in California. The racial attitude toward the Japanese Americans increased in the United States after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In the mainland many Japanese Americans were detained as illegal aliens, and because they could not continue working many of their businesses had to be liquidated. Dot to the devastating economic ad racial effects many Japanese had to start over at works in housekeeping, plantations, and other low paying jobs. This racial problems began to change with the more educated and Americanized second generation Japanese Americans, that by the 1980 had equaled the incomes of an average American family. This changes of the second generation brought more racial acceptance to the Japanese community in America.
By making this editorial I have become more self aware of the serious topic that is immigration. I had always seen immigration as other people’s problems since in my life time I have not been affected by it, but now I can comprehend how serious and painful immigration can be. Usually our ignorance keep us from remembering that somewhere in our ancestry there were immigrants, that just like the Japanese left all they knew and had to search for a new beginning. Thanks to those who dared risk their live or were forced to come here I can enjoy the advantages of this land of opportunities, which is America.
Japanese American eating at one of the internment camps were many of them were sent s after the attack on Pearl harbor, Hawaii.
In this picture one can clearly see thee racial hate toward the Japanese immigrants.
Asian immigrants being medically checked in Angel Island
Angel Island.
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