“By way of summary, it may be said that when compared with
other races employed in similar kinds of labor in the same
industry, the Japanese show relatively rapid progress in acquiring
a speaking knowledge of English. Their advance has been much
more rapid than that of the Chinese and Mexicans, who show
little interest in American institutions. During their first five
years of residence, a greater proportion have learned to speak
English than of most of the south and east European races.
However, among those who have been in this country for a longer
period of time, a larger proportion of the south and east
Europeans than of the Japanese speak English. The progress
of the Japanese is due to their great eagerness to learn, which has
overcome more obstacles than have been encountered by most
of the other races, obstacles of race prejudice, of segregation and
of wide difference in language.” + ‘““The Chinese are self-satisfied
and indifferent in this regard, whereas the Japanese are eager
to learn the English language or anything pertaining to Western
civilization.” *

The next table shows the percentage of foreign-born Japanese
who read their native language and percentage who read and
write their native language, by sex and industry. *

 

    
  
 

MALE
Number _ Per Cent Who _
Industry Reporting Read Read and
Complete Native |Write Native
Data Language | Language
oc occc cna socccturccesavenevecs 5,563 97.6 97.5
0 ES 368 100.0 100.0
Fruit and vegetable canneries..................... 201 98.0 97.5
nso sco cndicadeaseiessasacsnces 161 100.0 100.0
IRE EERIE eons so, ooo. cise s ceased oscccscvcveesecs 231 98.3 97.8
oo ccatelsca cs yin ni/eeclackenassaeesee 403 96.3 96.0
ee eos - oo. cp as nnenncensenenccssennes 63 100.0 100.0
‘Transportation
Steam railroads—
Maintenance of way and construction ...... 1,000 98.2 98.1
Shops, bridges and buildings, water and
oy 628 98.6 98.4
ne 102 92.2 92.2
Miscellaneous Ne 849 98.9 98.9
oes ooo cdi cccdsasadecdseeresessee 9,569 97.9 97.8

1 —o en Commission, Reports, vol. 23, p. 149.
i

21
45

3 Ibid, p. 150