LucasSantiago

CutlerEdwards
English
October28,2015
MeijitoAmericaJapantoAmerica
JapaneseimmigrationtoAmericastartedinthelate1800s.Theyleftanunstable
countrywithdreamsofwealthandsanctuary.Therewasthreemajorpushandpullfactorsforthe
JapaneseimmigrationtoAmerica,allrevolvingaroundtheMeijirestoration.Thepullfactorsto
immigratetoAmericaweremainlybecauseoftheabundanceofjobscausedbytheChinese
Exclusionactin1882.ThisdidntlastverylongthoughbecauseoftheGentleman'sagreementin
1907.

MeijiRestoration
AmajorpushfactorforjapanesepeoplewastheMeijiRestoration.TheMeijirestoration
wasachainofeventsthatrestoredpracticalimperialruletojapanin1868underemperorMeiji.
Iteliminatedtheshogunateandunitedjapanunderoneflag.Italsoquicklymodernizedjapan.
Thetopleadershipleftforeuropeandunitedstatestostudywesternwaysduringthistimethe
governmentstartedtherapidindustrializationoftheircountry.Theystartedbuildrailroads,
shippinglines,telegraphandtelephonesystems,andstartedmanyindustriesmakingsugar,glass,
cement,chemicals,andotherimportantproducts.Howevertheseindustrieswereveryexpensive
tomaintainsotheyendedupsellingmostofthemtoprivateholders.Educationwasalso
becomingpopularandthegovernmentsetupapublicschoolsacrossthecountry.Tobeableto

getthefinancesforalltheseprojectsthegovernmentstartedtoenforcelandtaxes.1Thismostly
affectedthefarmerswhocouldntaffordtopaythetaxandwhowerealsobeingdrivenoutby
themodernization.AndthusstartedtheemigrationofjapanesefarmerstoAmerica.

Foreigncompetitionandindustrializationwasamajorpushfactorforjapanesefarmers.
TheMeijirestorationbroughtmanyindustriestojapan.Japanalsonowhadopentradewiththe
restoftheworldmeaningitnolongerreliedonitsownresourcestosurvive.Thismeantthat
farmingwasnotasneededasbeforeandwiththeriseofindustrializationandthenewinstalment
ofpropertytax,moreandmorefarmerswerelosingtheirjobsandtheirland.2Theycouldno
longercompetewiththeforeigncompetitionforjobsandwageswerestartingtoplummet. 3
MeanwhileAmericaseconomywasbooming,givingthejapaneseevenmoreofanincentiveto
immigratetotheU.S..

JapanConfl
icts
Rebellionsandwarswereamajorpushfactorforjapaneseimmigrantsinthemid1800s.
DuringtheMeijirestorationalotofsocialchangeswerealsotakingplace.Oneofthesechanges
eliminatedthesamuraiclassandmadeallclassesequal.TheSamuraiwerenothappyaboutthis
andthisstartedalotofrebellionsthroughoutthenation.Japanalsogotintotwomajorwarsina

"TheMeijiRestorationandModernization."
TheMeijiRestorationandModernization
.N.p.,n.d.
Web.04Nov.2015.<http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1750_meiji.htm>.
2

"TheMeijiRestorationandModernization."
TheMeijiRestorationandModernization
.N.p.,n.d.
Web.04Nov.2015.<http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1750_meiji.htm>.
3

"JapaneseIntroductionImmigration."
JapaneseIntroductionImmigration
.N.p.,n.d.Web.04
Nov.2015.
<http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigrati
on/japanese.html>.
1

veryshortperiodoftime.OneagainstRussiaandanotheragainstChina.4 Japanwonbothbut
theywereverycostlyvictories.InthebattleofMukdenthecombinedlosseswasover100,000
troops.5TheJapanesehadtobuilduptheirmilitarypowertocompetewitheuropeanpowersso
theydraftedtheirpeopleintotheirwars.ThesewarsalsostirredupalotofunrestaroundJapan
causinglotsofprotests.Uninvolvedcivilianswerecaughtinthemiddleoftheseskirmishes,
givingthemareasontopackupandleaveforotherplaces.

SugarPlantat
ions
SugarplantationsinHawaiiwasamajorpullfactorforJapaneseimmigrantsinthe
1860s.In1863theHawaiianconsulgeneralsecretlyhiredandtransported148Japanese
laborerstoHawaii,theywereeventuallydiscoveredbutinthebeginningofthe1880s,legal
barrierstoemigrationbegantodrop,andmajoremigrationsoonfollowed.Within70years,the
indigenousHawaiianpopulationwentfrom97%16%.ThelargestgroupwasnowJapanese.6
Japaneselaborerswerebroughtoverbycorporationstobeusedonthesugarplantations.They
wereboundedbythreetofiveyearcontractsandiftheytriedtoleavebeforethentheycouldbe
jailed.ButfordesperateJapaneselaborersthiswastheperfectopportunitytogetjobs.Theywere

Wikipedia
.WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.04Nov.2015.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Japan>.
5

"TheTreatyofPortsmouthandtheRussoJapaneseWar,1904190518991913Milestones
OfficeoftheHistorian."
TheTreatyofPortsmouthandtheRussoJapaneseWar,19041905
18991913MilestonesOfficeoftheHistorian
.N.p.,n.d.Web.04Nov.2015.
<https://history.state.gov/milestones/18991913/portsmouthtreaty>.
6

"JapaneseHawaiiImmigration...ClassroomPresentation|TeacherResourcesLibraryof
Congress."
JapaneseHawaiiImmigration...ClassroomPresentation|TeacherResources
LibraryofCongress
.N.p.,n.d.Web.13Nov.2015.
<http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigrati
on/japanese2.html>.
4

givenhousingandthepaymentwassubstantialforthetimebeing.TheimmigrationtoHawaii
eventuallysparkedtheimmigrationtothemainland7

Industry
OneofthereasonsJapaneseimmigrantsdecidedtocometotheUnitedstateswas
America'sboomingeconomy.Americahasonlybeenaroundforabout100yearsandhadto
buildbrandnewinfrastructureupanddownthewestcoast.Thiscreatedhundredsofjob
openings,whichattractedmanyunemployedjapanesefarmerstocomeovertoAmerica.
Businesswasboomingandlotsofprojectsweretakingplaceonthewestcoast.Oneofthem
beingtheUnionPacificRailroadcompany.Thiscompanybuiltrailroadsupanddownthewest
coastandtodothistheyneededanarmyofworkers.BecauseoftheChineseExclusionActthese
companieshadalackoflabors.ThisgavetheJapaneselaborsalotofopportunities.8Therewas
alsoamajorincreaseinindustrializationonthewestcoast.SanFranciscobecamethe9thbiggest
factorytowninAmerica.Withallthefactoriesstartingup,therewereplentyofjobs.Thisisthe
reasonmostJapaneseimmigrantschosetocometoAmerica.

ChineseExclusionAct
OnepullfactorfortheJapanesewastheChineseExclusionAct.WhentheUnitedStates
passedtheChineseExclusionActin1882,majorlaborgapsinjobslikefarmingemergedwhich

"JapaneseHawaiiImmigration...ClassroomPresentation|TeacherResourcesLibraryof
Congress."
JapaneseHawaiiImmigration...ClassroomPresentation|TeacherResources
LibraryofCongress
.N.p.,n.d.Web.13Nov.2015.
<http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigrati
on/japanese2.html>.
8

"HistoricalOverview:JapaneseAmericans."
HistoricalOverview:JapaneseAmericans
.N.p.,n.d.
Web.05Nov.2015.<http://archive.vancouver.wsu.edu/crbeha/ja/ja.htm>.
7

theJapanesewereeagertofill.TheChineseExclusionActwasaUnitedStatesfederallaw
signedbyPresidentChesterA.ArthuronMay6,1882.Itwasoneofthemostsignificant
restrictionsonimmigrationinUShistory,prohibitingallChineselaborerstoimmigrate.9
Becauseoftheirpreviousknowledgeoffarming,Japaneseimmigrantswereeasilyabletofillthe
laborgaps.Theyfirststartedbyworkingforotherfarmersbutsoontheywouldstartcreating
theirownfarmbusinesses.

Gentleman'sAgreement
JapaneseimmigrantsweredislikedbymanyAmericansmainlybecauseofthe
competitionforjobs.AftertheChineseExclusionacttheJapanesestartedtocometoAmericato
fillinthelaborgaps.TheymostlyworkedontheplantationsinHawaii,intherailroadcompanies
andonfarmsonCaliforniacoast.10 Onthemainlandthecompetitionforjobswascreating
tensionbetweentheamericansandJapaneselaborers.ThetensiongrewsogreatthattheUnited
StatesgovernmentwaspressuredintocreatingtheGentleman'sagreement.TheGentlemans
agreementwasaninformalagreementbetweentheUnitedStatesandJapan.Theagreementwas
thattheUnitedStatesofAmericawouldnotrestrictJapaneseimmigration,andJapanwouldnot
allowfurtheremigrationtotheU.S..Thisagreementwasmadethiswaysothatrelationswith
Japanwouldnotdeteriorate.11

Wikipedia
.WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.05Nov.2015.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Act>.
10

"HistoricalOverview:JapaneseAmericans."
HistoricalOverview:JapaneseAmericans
.N.p.,n.d.
Web.05Nov.2015.<http://archive.vancouver.wsu.edu/crbeha/ja/ja.htm>.
11

Wikipedia
.WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.06Nov.2015.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentlemen%27s_Agreement_of_1907>.
9

IntheendJapaneseimmigrationwascreatedby3pushfactors:MeijiRestoration,
TaxationofFarmers,andSamurairebellionsandwars.The3pullfactorstoAmericawere:
America'sProsperingeconomy,theChineseexclusionact,andfarming.Japanesewere
eventuallybannedbecauseAmericanssawthemascompetitionforjobs.Thisrelatestothe
presentwiththeMexicanimmigrantdilemma.Peoplewantthemtoleavebecausetheyare
takingAmericanjobs.Thisisnottruethoughbecausetheyaredoingjobsthatnooneelseneeds
todoandjobsthatneedtogetdone,justlikewhentheJapanesecameovertheyweredoingjobs
thatneededtobedoneandthatnoonewantedtodo.

Sources:
1.
http://www.localhistories.org/japan.html
2.
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immi
gration/japanese.html

3.
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1750_meiji.htm
4.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Japan
5.
http://archive.vancouver.wsu.edu/crbeha/ja/ja.htm
6.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Act
7.
https://history.state.gov/milestones/18991913/portsmouthtreaty