1993 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
American Labor Movement and Japanese Workers
| Project/Area Number |
03630049
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Economic history
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| Research Institution | Okayama University |
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Principal Investigator |
KUROKAWA Katsutoshi Okayama University Department of Economics, Professor, 経済学部, 教授 (10127558)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1991 – 1993
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| Keywords | Immigrant / Labor Movement / Japanese / Seattle / 日系人 |
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| Research Abstract |
1. At the late nineteenth century and the beginnings of the twentieth century the organized labor in Seattle of the United States discriminated and excluded Asian immigrants. The leaders of the Knights of Labor playd the major role in the anti-Chinese riots of 1885-1886. The Seattle Union Record, the organ of Central Labor Council of Seattle and Vicinity, attacked Japanese immigrants bitterly at the beginnings of the twentieth century.
2. Japanese in Seattle organized trade unions by themselves and sought the cooperation of white workers. They rejected to be hired as scabs at some bitter strikes in Seattle in those days. These endeavors and the increasing influences of progressives and radicals in organized labor of Seattle made the attitude of Seattle workers more sympathetic to Japanese.
3. The Seattle General Strike of 1919 became the one of the turning point of the relationship of organized labor and Japanese in Seattle. Some Japanese workers took part in this strike and the General Strike Committee admitted them to send nonvoting delegates to its meetings. After the strike the Union Record became far more friendly to Japanese workers and criticized the anti-Japanese legislation such as alien land laws in Washington State.
4. In those days Blacks in Seattle was publishing a weekly of which title is The Searchlight. This weekly protested the discrimination against Japanese as well as Blacks. It also supported the progressives in Seattle labor movement.
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