The Industrial Condition of Women and Girls in Honolulu: A Social StudyBlascoer, Frances
General
The Industrial Condition of Women and Girls in Honolulu: A Social Study
Blascoer, Frances
Child labor -- Hawaii -- Honolulu; Honolulu (Hawaii) -- Social conditions; Women -- Employment -- Hawaii -- Honolulu
The result of the sub-committee’s investigation of parks showed that all
were inadequately lighted, with an occasional concert forming the only
entertainment offered. Open pavilions in the parks, with public dances
under proper supervision ought to be an ideal means of fighting the
dance hall evil in Honolulu. Since the recent passing of an ordinance
regulating dance halls there has been little activity among them, the
most notorious remaining closed. It is thought that they will soon
reopen, and the volunteer supervisors which the ordinance provides will,
it is to be feared, find themselves faced with a difficult problem. A
dance hall ordinance cannot be made really effective unless an
argus-eyed person is on the premises continuously every night until it
is learned which managers are to be trusted to abide by the law. This
has been the invariable experience elsewhere.
The Settlements, Missions and other organizations are assisting several
hundred men and a few women to learn English in classes conducted for
the most part in crowded quarters, and taught by workers who have many
other duties which are in consequence neglected.
The large number in attendance at these classes, the fact that several
Japanese classes are self-supporting and that Hawaiians are attending a
class intended for Chinese only, proves a healthy demand for
instruction.
Hawaii owes a peculiar debt to its foreign element—to its Portuguese,
Spanish, Porto Rican and Filipino population especially, who are brought
from their native land to perform the work of the country, but have no
opportunity to learn its language. Their children sometimes grow up to
working age with only the slightest knowledge of English.
If it is necessary for private philanthropy to aid in establishing night
classes in English, there are surely few better ways in which money
could be expended. In New York the first classes in English for
immigrants were started on the lower East Side thirteen years ago, by
private philanthropy, and six years later were taken over by the Board
of Education. Day classes were also maintained for immigrant children,
who were thus enabled to enter school with a working knowledge of
English.
Afternoon classes which household servants might be able to attend, and
to which could also be sent the children who were backward in their
studies because of lack of English, should prove valuable in Honolulu.
The Department of Education should not, however, be urged to undertake
any of this work until every child in the Territory has been provided
with school accommodations.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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