Takaki- Chapter 10 Pacific Crossings

In chapter 10, Takaki discusses the time during the 1800s when many Japanese and some Chinese people migrated to the United States and the affect it played on the country. To many people overseas, the United States was this amazing new development and they could not wait to see it. They were filled with many hopes and dreams of this newly developed land. The Japanese heard stories that workers made more money and believed that “money grew on trees.” They then developed the idea that they would come to America to work and save up a lot of money and eventually return home. The migrants to America started as all men but eventually included women as well. This fascination with the New World also lead to a system referred to as “picture brides.” Throughout this process, the Japanese had more benefits than the Chinese. Japanese women were earning wages within the work force while Chinese women were restricted to farm and home. The Japanese saw men and women to be more equal allowing women to be educated and able to work. While the Japanese migrated to the U.S. in hopes of a better life, they remained the minority in the New World and received jobs of hard labor. Within these jobs they worked for low wages under the watch white men. Eventually, despite the stereotype that the Japanese were “passive victims of exploitation” the Japanese aggressively protested against the unfair labor conditions and developed “blood unions.” They were demanding “higher wages, an eight- hour day, an insurance fund for retired employees and paid maternity leaves.” However, this did not work because the U.S. simply hired Koreans, Hawaiians, Chinese, Portuguese and Filipinos as scabs. Eventually, the striking stopped when they realized they were hurting their Hawaiian economy. Workers were then separated by their nationality into camps with poor living conditions. Planters got immigrant laborers to speak English so they could give commands to their work force. As the children of immigrant workers grew up, the planters wanted them to have little to no opportunities. They feared the new generation would not be plantation laborers but instead intelligent citizens and this was because the schools were not preparing them to be laborers. While the Japanese were treated poorly in Hawaii, in California they were a racial minority. Many Japanese had plans to come to the New World and establish a living and make money and then return to Japan with earnings. However, many Japanese did not follow through with this plan and ended up staying in Hawaii.
Throughout the migration process, why didn’t the Japanese return to Japan in the end after they had gotten what they wanted out of the New World?
I thought this reading was interesting and I learned a lot. I was not aware the working conditions in Hawaii during this time. Also, I found it horrible when a Japanese person wanted to buy land in Los Angeles and he was not allowed because of his race.