Page:The National Geographic Magazine Vol 16 1905.djvu/32

Rh the oriental races, but without many of the virtues. They are the toughest problem that official and private charity has to meet in the communities in which they live.

Ever since the beginning of time there has been a constant struggle for assimilation between races, in which the absorbent quality of the United States has proven superior to that of every other nation in the world, with the single exception of the Chinese.

On the other hand, assimilation of the Chinese is impossible. Their fecundity and lack of interest in any other civilization but their own, their habits and customs and unwillingness to accept new ideas, offers no material to work on.

One of our best and clearest thinkers on this question claims that the danger from Chinese immigration is that, if allowed to come here unopposed, they will in time monopolize all industrial occupations, and the American people, both of native and alien descent, will shrink to a superior caste, who would temporarily hold their own in government, education, and culture, but would finally and hopelessly be displaced as a race, and American labor and American manhood would diminish and fade away before the influx of this inferior and prolific race from the Orient, as in classic times the Latin husbandman vanished before the endless number of slaves poured into Italy by triumphant generals.

One of the most interesting questions in connection with the Chinese is their climatic adaptability. While it is beyond question that the Northern races of Teutonic and Celtic descent are superior economically and militarily over all known races of the earth, in climates different from their own they are unable to compete with inferior races.

The Latin races — French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese — are much more successful in tropical settlements than the English or German ; but the most remarkable adaptability to climatic conditions is manifested by the Chinese. They succeed in the far South, where the white man cannot live, and are suc- cessfully working in the North, where the mean temperature is below freezing. The trouble with the Chinese is that they are 400 million strong. It is to the interest of the Chinese government to allow them to migrate to foreign lands. The history of Europe shows that the Jews have clung to racial characteristics with the utmost tenacity since they were driven out of Alexandria by Cyril. They have gone from one country to another ; have been oppressed, and have absorbed the best traits of all with whom they came in contact. They have attained prominence in the business and financial markets the world over. Wherever they have gone they have always remained Jews — true to their religious and racial ideas. While they have been able to maintain their racial individuality in every other country, whole tribes have gone into China, and in the course of a hundred years have been completely absorbed.

No foreign influence has ever gone into China that has made the slightest impression on the Chinese race, and while they have been the migrant race of the world, they always remain Chinese. Their history in California, where 10 per cent are professional criminals, does not show any special reason for encouraging more to come.

For fifty years we have been getting alien emigrants, and most of our people have become accustomed to the sight of foreigners, but as a matter of fact they know very little about them — whence they come, their racial traits or habits.