Abstract

Suppressing Japanese Schools in Hawaii

The article discusses the suppression of Japanese schools in Hawaii. The first attack on the foreign-language schools was made in the territorial legislature in the session of 1919, when a bill was introduced to abolish schools, but was defeated. When the territorial legislature met in special session in 1920 it directed its attention to the foreign-language schools and passed an act completely changing their status. The preamble provided that the term "foreign-language school" should be construed to mean any school which is conducted in any language other than English or Hawaiian. The act further provided that no person should conduct a foreign-language school in the territory of Hawaii unless he should first have obtained a permit from the U.S. Department of Public Instruction.