Takaki Chapter 10

In chapter ten, Takaki draws a parralel that shows how rising taxes in Japan forced Japanese famers to move to America. Japanese farmers heard stories about great wealth and oppouutunity in America, some even imagined America as heavenly, and strived to move to America. Once here, the Japanese found that American was as heavenly as once thought.

The Japanese governement was sent a request for six-hundered workers and recieved 28,000 applications for the six-hundered job openings (Takaki 247). Before applicants could be sent to on the growing farms, or plantations, they had to meet requirements to radiate positive image for Japan. The Japanese were careful about who they sent because they had heard rumors about Chinese immigrants hiring prostitiutes, gambling, and drinking; and the Japanese wanted to insure that they would not be connected to these rumors. In an attempt to stop these actions, the government stopped allowing men from Japan or China from coming to America, but allowed women to come and wed the men that had already immigrated to America. But was there hidden meaning behind allowing Japanese women the right to move to America? Women made up seventy-two percent of those in field labor and plantation owners believed that Japanese men worked better if they had their families living/working on the plantation. Plantation owners were fearful that workers would strike if they were all of the same ethnicity so in attempt to prevent the possibility of a strike plantationm owners requested different ethnicities be sent to Hawaii to work. Takaki gives the example of how plantation owners would send Korean workers over to compete with the Japanese because they knew the two ethnicities would not work together to strike because of previous conflict. After the Korean government heard about the poor conditions in Hawaii, they stopped allowing immigrants to go to Hawaii. Once the Korean government stopped allowing the immigration of Koreans, plantation owners turned to the Phillipines. Once the Phillipinos arrived in Hawaii they were filled with propaganda to compete with the Japanese and this led to ethnictensions that would sometimes result in physical conflict. After years of work and no advancement, the Filipinos and Japanese both worked together in an attempt to gain better wages. This event was significant because it was the first time two ethnic groups came together to challenge the white plantation owners. Both ehtnicities over came the propaganda to work together and attempt to bring change to their living conditions and earn more pay.

Takaki shows that no matter what culture comes to America, they will be pitted up against other ethnicities to control one another and to keep those with power in power. The Koreans were brought to America to compete against the Japanese. It is very interesting to know that this happened only eighty years ago. To think that this occured within one's lifetime and yet it isn't commonly known. Takaki shows how those in power stay in power.