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ASSIMILATION

They have also shown considerable capacity for adopting American customs, much more so than the Chinese or even the Mexicans of the lower working class. They seem desirous to learn western ways and methods, and externally, at any rate, they conform to the customs of the time. They make very earnest efforts to learn English; they take up the studies that the Americans have in their schools; they adopt American dress; and altho in religion they are, as a rule, either free thinkers or Buddhists, still they make no opposition to the Christian faith, and a considerable number of them are professing Christians. It is thought by many that they often join the missions (and the Chinese are said to have done likewise) for/ the sake of obtaining good schooling at low rates, but presumably in many cases their belief in the Christian religion is sincere. In spite of this external assimilation they, nevertheless, beyond doubt, maintain their race characteristics to a greater degree than do most of the European races. The difference in color, in ideals particularly, perhaps their competition with laborers, have tended to put them, in the minds of most Americans, largely into the same class as the Chinese. There are very few cases of intermarriage, and in other ways the effort is made to hold them apart as a separate race, even when they themselves apparently manifest a strong desire for assimilation. And this effort appears to grow more earnest in expression and purpose, on the Pacific Coast, as time goes by, and seems not likely soon to change.

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ANTI-JAPANESE FEELING

Generally speaking, the Japanese, altho at first received with favor, are now looked upon with dissatisfaction, especially in comparison with the Chinese. The Chinese are considered to be much more trustworthy workmen, much more faithful to their employers, uncomplaining, easily satisfied with living quarters, not ambitious to establish themselves as independent farmers, while the Japanese, on the other hand, are often inclined to take advantage of every opportunity to push themselves forward as regards wages and also socially, even at the expense of violating an existing contract. Apparently now, in California, the preference is strongly for Chinese, in case it should seem best to admit any Asiatic race, but such admission is not considered with general favor, probably will not be, in this generation. The recent laws against land holding in California and Arizona, while applying alike to all Orientals, were doubtless intended primarily to check the acts of the Japanese, who have been much more aggressive than the other Oriental races.

The East Indians or Hindus

NUMBER

It is only of late years, especially since 1905, that the East Indians have come in large numbers into the United States. The Census of 1910 showed, for the year 1900, only 2,031 persons in the United States who had been born in India; for 1910 the number given was 4,664. These were nearly all of the student and business classes, and were largely settled in

the Eastern States. In 1906 the number arriving in the United States was 271; in 1907, 1,072; in 1908, 1,710. Of immigrants proper in 1909, 337 were reported by the Immigration Bureau; in 1909-10, from July to July, 1,782. The later arrivals are oftener of the wage-earning class. Probably at the present time, 1917, there are some 5,000 in the United States, about 85 per cent. being Hindus wearing the turbans, the others being Mohammedans, or Afghans.

IMMIGRATION FROM CANADA

The beginning of the immigration to America was, as is perhaps natural, into Canada, a British Colony. They came first largely from the efforts of steamship agents and contractors who were employing laborers for British Columbia corporations. After arriving in British Columbia they had their attention turned toward the United States, partly on account of the warmer climate, more nearly like that to which they were accustomed, partly on account of the higher rates of wages; and after they had begun coming into the United States they, reporting back home to their friends, brought many others after them.

The Canadian authorities took rather rigid means of excluding them from coming in large numbers to Canada: first, by increasing the amount of money that they should have in their possession from $25 to $200; second, by not permitting them to come unless they came by direct route without change of ship, a matter that was almost impossible; third, in part also, by direct arrangements with the steamship companies.

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Of those who ver med by the Immigration Commcation • was found than $5 per cent. had been fammen and farm laborers = boca Of the others, some had been vicers some business men, and a somewhat larger number, laborers in other lines. Usually they have little money in their possession when they arrive, and come with the expectation of accumulating a fortune of some $2,000, then going back to their native land. Some of them express dissatisfaction with the British Government in India, but it can by no means be said that they are fleeing from political oppression.

Usually they have come without their families, but

some, having decided to remain here, hope to have their families join them.

Usually they have been engaged in the roughest and most unskilled labor, outside factory walls, to a considerable extent in the lumber mills, sometimes on the railroads, sometimes in the sugar-beet fields, and many of them as hand laborers in fruit picking.

WAGES AND EFFICIENCY

Where they work in competition with the other races they have sometimes been paid higher wages than the Japanese-as a rule lower wages than white men, they not being recognized generally as a white race. In some cases, certainly in Canada, they have been considered less desirable laborers than either Japanese or Chinese. Physically they are weak as compared with white men, or with the Japanese; generally they are slow to understand instructions, and practically always they require close supervision. A goodly proportion of the 5,000 or so found in the United States are in California. Practically none of the laboring class are found outside of the Pacific Coast States. In some instances they have found employment without much difficulty, because the people desire to break the monopoly control of the labor supplied by the Japanese, or because the Japanese and the Chinese were demanding what they considered too high wages.

In many cases where there has been competition! they have been willing to accept some 25 cents to 50 cents a day less than the Japanese. There seems to be little doubt that they are, on the whole, in the most insecure position of all the Asiatic races. Moreover, it seems likely that they are the most undesir

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