Japan and the California Problem Part 16

Mrs. Adda Wilson Hunter, _Princ.i.p.al_, Moneta School, Miss Mary A. Colestock, _Princ.i.p.al_, Hewitt St. School, Miss Mary A. Henderson, _Princ.i.p.al_, Amelia St. School, Miss Lizzie A. McKenzie, _Princ.i.p.al_, Hobart Blvd. School.

A communication has been received from Dr. T. Iyenaga stating that he is collecting data on the intellectual and moral status of American-born j.a.panese children. He is anxious to know the average record of American-born j.a.panese children in the schools and how it compares with the record of American children.

Will you kindly send me statement concerning the results in your schools?

Very truly yours, _a.s.sistant Superintendent_.

_Replies_

(1)

_Office of the Princ.i.p.al of Hewitt St. School, District No. 151_

Report of American-born j.a.panese Children.

January 17, 1921.

MY DEAR MR. SHAFER:

The American-born j.a.panese children, who are enrolled in this school, compare most favorably with the American children both intellectually and morally. They are like all groups of children. We find some very bright children and some very dull ones. As a whole, they are more persevering and more dependable than the cla.s.s of white children found in this school.

Miss Oliver, who has been working with the j.a.panese for the past four years, said, "When with them I feel that I am in the company of well-bred Americans."

Truly yours, MARY A. COLESTOCK, _Prin._

(2)

_Amelia St. School, City_

January 19, 1921.

MR. HARRY M. SHAFER, _a.s.sistant Superintendent_, Los Angeles City Public Schools, Los Angeles, California.

DEAR MR. SHAFER:

My general observation has been that given anything of an equal chance, children are children, human nature is human nature, and brains are brains--whatever the mother tongue may be. Compared with our other foreign children, or with other children born in America of foreign parentage not j.a.panese, keeping in mind the differences in social position that exist in all cla.s.ses, whatever the nationality may be, I cannot see much difference along any line between our j.a.panese children and our Mexicans, our French and our Italians; nor do I think any of them differ radically from what we are apt to term "American" children. Few families are many generations away from some foreign ancestors....

Our j.a.panese children are called brighter and more studious, sometimes, than the others. I think this is due to the fact that they have, in many cases, ambitious, educated parents who follow school work up very closely in the home. Where home restrictions are lifted, such conditions do not always prevail, any more than in cases of other neglected children. _They must_ be studious. Discipline of American-born j.a.panese children is not so close in the home as it seems to be with children born in j.a.pan and reared along j.a.panese lines, yet such children show much more initiative in all of their work at school. They catch the American spirit.

As summary, I would say that physically, mentally, morally, given the same chance, there does not seem to me to be a great difference among children of the different nationalities, but this difference is most readily noticed. The other nationalities do a.s.similate quickly, and lose, to a great extent, their parents' national traits in short time; but it is exceedingly hard to get the same results with our j.a.panese children. They cling to one another, to their own ways, and to their own language, even after many years of work in public schools, where most social barriers are broken down. My personal feeling in the matter is that this condition is the result of lack of American education in the j.a.panese homes and lack of American touch with the j.a.panese mothers.

Our Home teachers are doing much to help along this line, but it is slow work, and work that takes much time, and requires great tact on part of the workers.

Most important to me is the work our public schools are doing with the j.a.panese girls, the mothers of tomorrow.

Yours respectfully, MARY A. HENDERSON.

(3)

_Report of Intellectual and Moral Status of American-born j.a.panese Children_

MONETA SCHOOL, LOS ANGELES SCHOOL DIST.

As a rule American-born j.a.panese children know no English when entering school. Their progress at first, therefore, is more slow than that of English speaking children. j.a.panese children require one year to complete one half year's work through the first, second, and third grades. After the third grade they complete the work in the time a.s.signed.

They are especially good in handwork. Their chief difficulty is with English. In application they rank high.

As to their moral status they are neither better nor worse than other children.

MRS. ADDA WILSON HUNTER, _Princ.i.p.al Moneta School_.

January 14, 1921.

_Report of Intellectual and Moral Status of American-Born j.a.panese Children_

========================================================================= Grade Amer.- Time to Standard Average Rank Appli- 1. In What Do Born Complete Age of Age of in cation. They Excel?

j.a.panese Work of Grade. Am.-Born Cla.s.s. 2. What is Enrolled. 1/2 j.a.p'se. Greatest Year. Drawback?

----- --------- -------- -------- -------- ------ ------- --------------- Kgn. 13 1 yr. 4-1/2-6 5 Good 1. Handwork.

2. Do not speak English.

B-1 21 1 yr. 6-7 Good 1. Drawing, writing, handwork.

2. Do not speak English.

A-1 4 1 yr. 6-7 9 Good 1. Handwork.

2. Do not speak English.

B-2 2 1 yr. 7-8 9 Good 1. Handwork.

2. Do not speak English.

A-2 3 1 yr. 7-8 10 Good 1. Handwork.

2. Do not speak English.

B-3 2 5 mos. 8-9 10 Excel. Poor 1. Spelling, arithmetic.

2. English.

A-3 3 1 yr. 8-9 10 Fair Good 1. Spelling, arithmetic.

2. English.

B-4 1 5 mos. 9-10 9 Excel. Excel. 1. Arithmetic.

2. English.

A-4 1 5 mos. 9-10 11 Excel. Excel. 1. Arithmetic, spelling.

2. English.

B-5 2 5 mos. 10-11 11 Excel. Excel. 1. Arithmetic, spelling.

2. English.

B-6 2 5 mos. 11-12 10 Good Excel. 1. History, geography.

2. Arithmetic.

A-6 1 5 mos. 11-12 12-1/2 Excel. Excel. 1. Arithmetic, history.

2. Geography.

(4)

HOBART BLVD. SCHOOL, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, January 13, 1921.