Takaki Ch.10

In Chapter 10 of “A Different Mirror”, Ronald Takaki tells of the great Japanese migration to the United States during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Takaki explains the differences between the Japanese migrations verses that of the Chinese migration in subsequent years. The Japanese migration occurred due to the prospect of labor and high wages offered in the Americas including Hawaii. However, their migration was different in several ways from that of the Chinese. One of the main differences was the amount of women that were able to leave Japan for the United States. Unlike the Chinese women were sent most in the form of “picture brides”. The concept of the picture bride was an arranged marriage between Japanese families. This allowed Japanese men to settle in America and start families. Japanese women were important for other reason, especially labor. Japanese women were of the frontier of women in the work force. They worked in the textile industry and along side their husbands on the sugarcane plantations. The Japanese migration came about in the United States because of the drastic need for labor. The demand for goods was increasing and so the supply went up through the increased amount of labor provided not only by the Japanese but also by the Chinese, Portuguese, Koreans, and Filipinos. The diversity was an important aspect to the America bosses. With such diversity present it was difficult for the workers to come together and strike. Ethnicity and language barriers prevented the workers to rise up together. The “white” leaders were thus able to keep control over all the labors and force them to work under poor conditions. Takaki expresses the importance of the Japanese workers throughout America history. Those Japanese who traveled to the mainland led a very different life than those who worked on the plantations in Hawaii. The Japanese in California in the 1920’s made up only about 2% of the population. They were not able to get labor jobs, as they were able to in Hawaii, so instead many became shopkeepers and farmers. The Japanese always played a great role in the construction of the railroad systems. The Japanese believed that farming in America was living the dream that they had dreamt when first coming to America. However the work was exhausting and never ending. Men and women would both wake before dawn and labor until late at night. Women had it especially tough. As in traditional Japan women would work beside their husbands yet also be responsible for the household work and rearing the children.
Takaki shows the impact that the Japanese labor force had on American during the early 19th century. The question that comes to my mind is, if the Japanese had not been so quick to come and labor in America then what would have happened to the need for labor in America. It is true that the Japanese were not the only immigrants to labor in America, however they did make up a significant portion of the labor force. America at this point had a history of forcing others who were not white to labor for the white man. Could this have been the case with the Japanese? Looking back at history I think that it is important to take into account the circumstances of the time. Labor was needed in America and the Japanese were seeking out work. It seems like it would be a perfect system. I wonder then why the Japanese were treated so poorly. The thing that comes to mind is the simple fact that they were so different from Americas. They were considered the “yellow race” with small eyes and a different language. It just goes to show how the differences among people helped to shape our country.