  COMPARATIVE STANDING OF INTELLIGENCE AND BEHAVIOR OF AMERICAN-BORN JAPANESE CHILDREN AND AMERICAN CHILDREN DISCUSSED BY SEVERAL PRINCIPALS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.
December 24, 1920. President of the My dear Sir: I am collecting data on the intellectual and moral status of American-born Japanese children. Among the data the most important, I need hardly say, are their school records. I shall highly appreciate your courtesy if you will be pleased to provide me with the valuable information you have at your command bearing on the subject. What I am particularly interested in is the average record of American-born Japanese children and its comparison with the record of American children. Yours very respectfully,
December 31, 1920. Dear Mr. Shafer: May I trouble you to select two of your schools in which you have the largest Japanese attendance and secure for me at your earliest possible convenience data as to the number of Japanese children in those schools and the points about them that are touched upon in the accompanying letter? My thought is this—that if we secure records from two or three schools where we have the largest Japanese attendance, this will suffice as a basis for decision as to the other such schools. Mrs. Dorsey. January 7, 1921. Mrs. Adda Wilson Hunter, Principal, Moneta School, A communication has been received from Dr. T. Iyenaga stating that he is collecting data on the intellectual and moral status of American-born Japanese children. He is anxious to know the average record of American-born Japanese children in the schools and how it compares with the record of American children. Will you kindly send me statement concerning the results in your schools? Very truly yours,
(1) Office of the Principal of Hewitt St. School, District No. 151 Report of American-born Japanese Children. January 17, 1921. My dear Mr. Shafer: The American-born Japanese children, who are enrolled in this school, compare most favorably with the American children both intellectually and morally. They are like all groups of children. We find some very bright children and some very dull ones. As a whole, they are more persevering and more dependable than the class of white children found in this school. Miss Oliver, who has been working with the Japanese for the past four years, said, “When with them I feel that I am in the company of well-bred Americans.” Truly yours,
Amelia St. School, City January 19, 1921. Mr. Harry M. Shafer, Dear Mr. Shafer: My general observation has been that given anything of an equal chance, children are children, human Our Japanese children are called brighter and more studious, sometimes, than the others. I think this is due to the fact that they have, in many cases, ambitious, educated parents who follow school work up very closely in the home. Where home restrictions are lifted, such conditions do not always prevail, any more than in cases of other neglected children. They must be studious. Discipline of American-born Japanese children is not so close in the home as it seems to be with children born in Japan and reared along Japanese lines, yet such children show much more initiative in all of their work at school. They catch the American spirit. As summary, I would say that physically, mentally, morally, given the same chance, there does not seem to me to be a great difference among children of the different nationalities, but this difference is most readily noticed. The other nationalities do assimilate quickly, and lose, to a great extent, their parents’ national traits in short time; but it is exceedingly hard to get the same results with our Japanese children. They cling to one another, to their own ways, and to Our Home teachers are doing much to help along this line, but it is slow work, and work that takes much time, and requires great tact on part of the workers. Most important to me is the work our public schools are doing with the Japanese girls, the mothers of tomorrow. Yours respectfully,
Report of Intellectual and Moral Status of American-born Japanese Children Moneta School, Los Angeles School Dist. As a rule American-born Japanese children know no English when entering school. Their progress at first, therefore, is more slow than that of English speaking children. Japanese children require one year to complete one half year’s work through the first, second, and third grades. After the third grade they complete the work in the time assigned. They are especially good in handwork. Their chief difficulty is with English. In application they rank high. As to their moral status they are neither better nor worse than other children. Mrs. Adda Wilson Hunter,
Hobart Blvd. School, Mr. Harry M. Shafer, My dear Mr. Shafer: In reply to your inquiry relative to the American-born Japanese pupils of our school, I enclose statement as to results noted in the various classes. Trusting that this may serve the purpose desired, and appreciating your very kindly interest, Sincerely, Hobart Blvd. School.January 13, 1921.
Many of the Japanese fail in First Grade on account of inability to understand the English language. In succeeding grades, progress is satisfactory as shown by the following tabulation of current date:
As pupils they follow direction well, and are usually free from faults of rudeness or improper language. Of the forty above Kindergarten, three are troublesome and are persistent cases. In general, it may be said that these children as a class compare favorably with others in matters of progress and of conduct as well. Lizzie A. McKenzie, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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