A thoughtful look at Hawaii’s language schools and the push for Americanization in the 1920s. This address analyzes how language policy affected Japanese residents, local politics, and race relations.
The text examines the rise of language schools, public response, and the arguments for and against abolition or regulation. It weighs motives, risks, and practical steps, offering a perspective on how policy can shape loyalty, identity, and community life in a plural society.
- Context for early 20th‑century immigration, citizenship, and education debates in Hawaii
- Different views on language schools, Americanization, and the role of regulation
- Practical policy suggestions, such as hours, curriculum, and oversight
- Considerations of loyalty, trust, and interracial relations in a multicultural community
Ideal for readers of history, immigration policy, and Hawaii’s social landscape of the era.
The book: The Foreign Language School Question: An Address to the Honolulu Social Science Association; November 8, 1920.