Takaki Chapter 10

What shocks me most about this article is not that American citizens or those who are eligible for citizenship, meaning only those who were “white”, did this but that the government in countries such as China, Japan and Korea allowed their citizens to be used in such a manner. Why would the government of these countries allow their citizens to be treated like slaves and continue to send individuals at the demands of the employers? Why were more governments not like that of the Korean government who eventually prohibited further immigration to Hawaii because of the way that their citizens were being treated? Its article such as this one that make it so easy to point fingers on just one group of people when in all actuality the fault is everywhere. Why would the employers stop treating their workers that why when they are getting extremely high levels of productivity at low cost and other countries are allowing their citizens to do it? Why would they stop if everyone was supporting their actions?

In the article it talked about how even though all workers were treated very poorly some where discriminated on more than others. On page 255 it talks about how even women were required to do much the same work as men they were paid significantly less. On average women made 55 cents a day while men made 75 cents a day. That was back in the early 1900’s so why is it much the same way today. This only goes to prove that we have made significant strides for equal opportunities in the work place but we still have a long way to go.

Along those same lines the article goes on to talk about the most significant “blood unionism” and the Japanese Strike of 1909. They were in a rage and protesting against the fact that Portuguese laborers were paid more than they were for the same work. They were on strike for four months before they were required to return to work. Even though they returned to work and continued to make different wages than their counterparts from around the world the plantation owners discontinued using the differential wage system because of all of the pressure they felt from the strike.

After the Hawaii Laborers Union was created, a multiracial organization, Plantation owners and leaders tried to turn the different racial groups on each other using black mail and propaganda. Eventually the plantation owners claimed a complete victory but three months later increased wages by 50%.

The issues that the Japanese and others faced in America in the early 1900’s can be blamed on many different things. There are so many outside factors that its impossible to point the finger at any one particular cause.