Mr. Chairman. the purpose of this amendment is to obtain statistical information relating to the agricultural lands in Hawaii and the labor employed upon those lands. The population of those islands consists of 60.000 Asiatics. 40.000 Kanakas. 15.000 Portuguese. and about 8.000 other whites. We can readily understand that if the entire legislation of those islands drifts into the hands of the landed class. we shall have there a republic in name only. I take it. the purpose and aim of our legislation is to increase the immigration of free white persons to those islands. and our duty is to obtain such statistical information upon this subject as will enable us to legislate upon it intelligently hereafter. At present the labor there is mainly the labor of Asiatics. There is no reason why white labor should not be employed in those islands. The Portuguese and the Italians are excellent laborers in a climate of that kind. We have had a large experiencewith both these classes of laborr era upon thePacific coast. andwehave found them exceedinglyeffi. cient. Most of these people who come to this country are poorly educated. but their children under our freeschool system acquire an education and become intelligent citizens. exercising the duties of citizenship consistently with the spirit of our institutions. Now. it seems to me that if we can encourage that kind of immigration and discourage Asiatic immigration. we shall march a long ways in the line of making the Hawaiian government a republic in spirit and essence as well as in form. Of course we do not want to interfere with vested rights there. Nor do we wish to interfereignorantly with the conduct of business there.
Identified stereotypes
Asiatics are presented as a threat to the desired demographic composition of Hawaii and are implicitly considered less desirable than white laborers.