Presidents -- United States -- Messages; United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
of our people cherish a lively regard and respect for the people of
Japan, and in almost every quarter of the Union the stranger from Japan
is treated as he deserves; that is, he is treated as the stranger from
any part of civilized Europe is and deserves to be treated. But here
and there a most unworthy feeling has manifested itself toward the
Japanese--the feeling that has been shown in shutting them out from the
common schools in San Francisco, and in mutterings against them in one
or two other places, because of their efficiency as workers. To shut
them out from the public schools is a wicked absurdity, when there are
no first-class colleges in the land, including the universities and
colleges of California, which do not gladly welcome Japanese students
and on which Japanese students do not reflect credit. We have as much
to learn from Japan as Japan has to learn from us; and no nation is fit
to teach unless it is also willing to learn. Throughout Japan Americans
are well treated, and any failure on the part of Americans at home to
treat the Japanese with a like courtesy and consideration is by just so
much a confession of inferiority in our civilization.
Our nation fronts on the Pacific, just as it fronts on the Atlantic. We
hope to play a constantly growing part in the great ocean of the
Orient. We wish, as we ought to wish, for a great commercial
development in our dealings with Asia; and it is out of the question
that we should permanently have such development unless we freely and
gladly extend to other nations the same measure of justice and good
treatment which we expect to receive in return. It is only a very small
body of our citizens that act badly. Where the Federal Government has
power it will deal summarily with any such. Where the several States
have power I earnestly ask that they also deal wisely and promptly with
such conduct, or else this small body of wrongdoers may bring shame
upon the great mass of their innocent and right-thinking fellows--that
is, upon our nation as a whole. Good manners should be an international
no less than an individual attribute. I ask fair treatment for the
Japanese as I would ask fair treatment for Germans or Englishmen,
Frenchmen, Russians, or Italians. I ask it as due to humanity and
civilization. I ask it as due to ourselves because we must act
uprightly toward all men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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