Topaz Oral History Project research files: Published articles (1920s-1980s)

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16 XI Th u vn l n " ns o h Nis · d' f r 'Ub t i lly from those of their unt r 1:t in J 1 n, u , of ours , to iff er nc s in tl ir respective environments. In f of thi , lle romin nt p s ns n ducators, newly arrived from Japan, h been m kin~ sw ering criticisms and remarks about the education of the Nisei. r nt!:> t n t ~,..; pt thc:ir pronounc m nts wi hou 4u stion, comple ly ignoring the f ct that these persons--however prominent they may be--are poorly informed about the problems of the Nisei. It onlj stand!:> to reason that the problems of the Nisei are our problems, to be resolved by us, and that the opinions of the newcomers to America should be listened to only as a matter of reference. They should not be blindly accepted. In any event, when the Nisei reach maturity, the point of self-discovery, they will solve their own problems, and their leaders will emerge by natural process from among their own group. The Japanese government has been alert to the problem of dual citizenship of the Nisei and has taken the drastic measure of resolving it by releasing the Nisei to make their own choices. I hope we Issei will follow this model. With the exception of those who wish to return to Japan, we should encourage our children to make their own choices. This is particularly true in the case of education, when the general trend appears to be in the direction of permanent settlement here. (8/8/28) XII Just as we Issei long for our native place , it is quite natural for the Nisei to feel attached to their place of birth, the United States. And following the old adage "In Rome, do as the Romans do," we would do well to adhere to the educational methods