Not Like Us By Roger Daniels

The Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907 is a deal conducted between President Theodore Roosevelt and Japan in an attempt to soothe rising tensions, through the limit of immigration by both countries, and the United States additionally repealing the allowance of segregated school for Asian children.

The author of this particular article saw the treaty as ambivalent, which may have been signed under special circumstances in order to regulate emigration without completely rewriting a new, general treaty that would have specifically dealt with the issue in-depth. By replacing the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation with a new treaty, signed by the House of Representatives on February 21st and sent to the Senate afterwards, Americans believed with certainty that relations were not strained between the two nations. Furthermore, the Americans believed that the Japanese public could have been satisfied with the terms and accepted the treaty. The Japanese people no longer needed to fear that Article XIX would affect emigration. When proposing the ratification to the article, Washington took into account the long standing history of friendship between Japan and the United States, so no one needed to fear inconvenience or embarrassment. By ratifying the treaty, American officials agreed to get rid of objectionable provisions, resulting in the Japanese handling their own emmigration rules and regulations. Overall, the main concern stemmed from Article XIX. Removing the article relieved the Japanese people, reaffirming their trust and alliance with the United

The white people thought of the Chinese as lesser people to themselves. This is inherently obvious based on published works that depict racist stereotypes of Chinese immigrants who conspire together to make sure that all jobs are held by the Chinese. Large amounts of white people were willing to act in a hostile and xenophobic manner to the Chinese, despite the supposed values that America was built upon.

Throughout the Progressive Era, Theodore Roosevelt struggled with immigration regulation and foreign relations. As Anti-Japanese feelings erupted across the West Coast, Roosevelt had to take action in order to maintain good relations with the Japanese both internationally and domestically. Pressured by the Japanese immigrants’ response to the unfair transition to segregated schools, Roosevelt created the Gentlemen’s Agreement in hopes to sustain a sound relationship with Japan and maintain the United States’ moral and diplomatic stature.

But the Chinese were considered inferior and the Anglo Saxon American didn’t understand their religion. Subsequently with the “Chinese Exclusion Act” of 1882 new Chinese immigrants were severely limited to coming to America until the 1940’s. As the “Chinese Exclusion Act” prevented the Chinese from immigrating to America from 1882 to 1943. Once the Chinese were denied immigration in 1882, their agricultural jobs in California were quickly filled with Japanese and Mexican immigrants, eventually dominated by the Mexican migrant worker, still today agriculture in the United States is mostly harvested off the backs of the Mexican migrant worker. Many immigrants coming to America today arrive with the dream that they can work hard and earn a decent living, eventually owning their own slice of the American pie called, “The Home.” Immigration reform present day revolves around closing our borders, mainly the border with Mexico, as you read this paper new sections

During 1941, despite President Roosevelt wished to stay neutral in WWI; on December 7th, Japan established an unexpected, (though perhaps to be foreseen) assail upon Pearl Harbor, hence the next day war was declared. Prior to Japan’s attack on the U.S; Japan had been struck by an Immigration Policy, embargos on aircraft and parts, a freezing of all its assets and bank accounts, and eventually an embargo on oil and petroleum shipments. The Immigration Act was a forge of shame and humiliation against the Japanese, causing them to become unable to purvey the Yamato race; thus began the first surge of aversion towards the U.S (first-page doc). Embargos on aircraft, parts, and oil would lead to believe Japan to become a third- class nation within two to three years if no action on the U.S policy was taken (as stated in document E). The propositions which were taken by the U.S preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor led Japan to hold a surge of execration, which became a wound Japan sought out vengeance for.

After the Japanese bombed the Pearl Harbor, 1941, the US started to be more cautious of the Japanese. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Gentleman’s Agreement of 1907, and the Immigration Act 1924 were other bills passed that discriminated against a certain group of people. The Japanese Americans were rounded up and kept in much rougher conditions, and kids were forced “repatriation.” Some were sent to war and showed their loyalty to America allowing them to be honored for it. They were congratulated for what they did at war. Japanese American weren’t the enemy however they were punished as ones, they just wanted to be treated like Americans. They were scared emotionally and psychologically. President Gerald Ford signed a Proclamation “Confirming

America was close to losing Japan’s friendship when many people in California started a campaign to stop Japanese immigration into the U.S. There were leagues formed to specifically exclude Japanese and Koreans from entering the nation. What these people wanted was for Asians to be prohibited from coming to America. These “exclusion leagues” believed that Asians “threatened American culture and unfairly competed for jobs that rightfully belonged to native-born white workers” (Keene, 585). California spoke out about protecting their nation from the “yellow peril” and they lumped all Asians together (Keene, 585). This was something that greatly angered Japan. Japan viewed Asian peoples as not being as good as themselves and was insulted to be grouped with them. In order to remain in good relations with Japan, President Roosevelt created the Gentlemen’s Agreement, which saved Japan from being lumped together with China. The social elements during this time showed just how racially motivated America could be. It also showed that some Americans did not care about their relations with other countries, as long as they had their jobs “that rightfully belonged to them” from being born in America (Keene, 585) This self-entitlement that America had would end up causing many more problems down the line. Also, the Gentlemen’s Agreement had many loopholes in it that Japan took advantage of,

Japan wanted to diminish “yellow peril” and prove they deserved to be imperial, but the United States kept enacting discriminatory laws (Smith 47-49). The San Francisco Board of Education on October 11, 1906, for instance, set a new rule that certain races, including Japanese, must be separate from whites in schools. This upset the Japanese, but when the Japanese ambassador complained to the United States’ State department that this violated a treaty of equal rights in 1894, Roosevelt did nothing to prevent it (“History of the Oriental School”). This caused outbursts in Japan for war and anti-American sentiments as Americans even further discriminated, so the United States finally came to the Gentlemen’s Agreement in 1907 (van Dijk). This stated that “citizens of Japan or Korea, to-wit: Japanese or Korean laborers, skilled and unskilled, who have received passports to go to Mexico, Canada or Hawaii, and come therefrom, be refused permission to enter the continental territory of the United States” (“Executive Order Known as the 'Gentlemen's

It was believed that because if the immigration it would only benefit the Americans who were already rich, with the Chinese acting as a cheap source of labor. Part of the scare of Chinese immigration was that there would be a large influx of skilled and unskilled laborers that would lower the overall cost of labor because of the excess of workers. The degradation of Chinese, and Asians was part of America's scare, as the common worker did not want to see an Asian take their job. The common person's fear of a foreigner being better than them is what led to the degradation of the Chinese and it was what put them next to African Americans working in condition that resembled slavery. This discrimination of Asians and their place next to African Americans redefines the impetus which allowed certain raced to be seen as second class, or inferior to whites.

From 1850 until early 1880’s, the United States sought immigration from China to meet the increasing demands for labor, to help build the railroads, and to help with the mines opening in the west. Nearly 250,00 Chinese came to the United States during this time, however in 1882 Congress would pass the Chinese Exclusion Act which barred all immigration from China and make deportation of those already here easier. The idea behind the Chinese Exclusion Act was that Asian immigrants could not easily assimilate to Chriastin, mostly English-speaking country. Furthermore, Chinese immigrants were willing to work for lower wages thus taking away jobs from earlier generations of immigrants.

Stereotypes were even made for the Irish. They were known to have red hair, be heavy drinkers, and would lose their temper quickly. Americans were afraid that the immigrants would take all of the jobs, as both the Irish and Chinese would take even the lowest paying jobs.   Discrimination was bad especially in the time that the Chinese were immigrating. They came to America during the time of the great depression, and the Chinese Exclusion Act had taken place in 1882.

For more than 200 years, people of Japanese Ancestry have made their home in America. They came to this country because of the poor political and economic conditions back home, as well as the possibility of finding employment as sugar planters in America. During the period of 1891 to 1900, approximately 26,000 Japanese immigrated to America (see Appendix I). During the period of 1901 to 1910, approximately 130,000 Japanese immigrated to America (see Appendix I). There was a fivefold increase in the number of Japanese immigrants in ten years. This proliferation of Japanese in America led to the birth of a movement known as the “Anti-Japanese Movement.” This movement was led by anti-Japanese organizations such as the Japanese Exclusion League, the Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West, and the American Legion, as well as prominent political leaders. Influenced by these organizations, politicians passed a series of legislations limiting the rights of the Japanese and their possibility of immigration. In 1913, politicians passed the California’s Anti-Alien Land Act, which prevented Issei, first-generation Japanese Americans, from owning land. In 1907, the government passed the Gentlemen’s Agreement in which President Theodore Roosevelt severely restricted Japanese immigration to America. Immigration was cut off completely when Congress passed the National Origins Act of 1924, which prevented immigration by aliens who were deemed ineligible for citizenship. One Issei who wanted to become a U.S. citizen was Takao Ozawa. He arrived in the United States as a student in 1894, and attended schools in California, including the University of California, Berkeley. In 1914, he filed an application for U.S citizenship. His application for citizenship was denied because the court declared that Ozawa was “in every way eminently qualified under the

Shortly after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, after the United States joined World War II, the United States made the decision to intern over 100,000 Japanese Americans. Even if someone was only one sixteenth Japanese, they would be interned. That’s the equivalent of one of someone’s great, great grandparents being Japanese. Overall, fear is what led the United States to make this decision.

California During the late 1800’s to mid-1900’s was extremely unwelcoming to many of the immigrants including: Japanese, Chinese, Latinos and many other immigrant groups. Early Japanese immigration started around the 1880’s with the Chinese immigrants working in the railroad construction and as contract laborers in the fields. Throughout history many immigrants that migrated to the United States have been the feared by many native born citizens as being a threat to the American Culture and many available jobs. Even though the Japanese contributed greatly to California’s agricultural bloom and where a model to citizens, they were still treated as second citizens by the native citizens for this country and had been excluded from many opportunities being offered to United States citizens; the treatment was inhumane, working enslaved many hours and not being able to grow in business or increase the possibility of obtaining money Many Japanese had the intention of returning back to Japan before the Gentleman Agreement was signed in 1907. The agreement between the governments of Japan and the United States was that the U.S would lower their restrictions on Japanese staying in California and offer some protections granted to American citizens, while the Japanese agreed to limit the numbers of unskilled Japanese workers immigrating to the United States.