I posted this thinking about what his opposition to racial intermarriage tells us about Franklin Roosevelt rather than what Franklin Roosevelt's view tells us about racial intermarriage.
Note that Roosevelt's description of the political situation is wrong. In 1882, the Oriental Exclusion Act banned ethnic Chinese immigration of "skilled and unskilled laborers and Chinese employed in mining." Wikipedia says that in 1888 this was tightened to exclude everyone but "teachers, students, government officials, tourists, and merchant," by the Scott Act, but the Scott Act says no such thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Acthttps://china.usc.edu/sites/default/files/forums/The%20Scott%20Act%20of%201888.doc
According to Wikipedia, the motivation was the low wages caused by Chinese immigration, *not* fear of miscegenation. This seems to be the case with restriction on Japanese immigration that started in 1908 also. https://www.janm.org/exhibits/texturedlives/history
Why then does Franklin Roosevelt say that fear of intermarriage is the big problem and the big reason, not economics? He surely knew better.
Notice that this is published in a Macon, Georgia, newspaper. I think Roosevelt is talking to Southern Democratic voters, who don't care much about Japan, but do care a lot about race. Roosevelt ran successfully for the Democratic nomination in 1932, seven years later. Blacks could not vote in the South then; Whites could.
This is great, thanks for posting. How did we come from common sense views to the dull argument presented by technocrats and "experts" today?
I posted this thinking about what his opposition to racial intermarriage tells us about Franklin Roosevelt rather than what Franklin Roosevelt's view tells us about racial intermarriage.
Note that Roosevelt's description of the political situation is wrong. In 1882, the Oriental Exclusion Act banned ethnic Chinese immigration of "skilled and unskilled laborers and Chinese employed in mining." Wikipedia says that in 1888 this was tightened to exclude everyone but "teachers, students, government officials, tourists, and merchant," by the Scott Act, but the Scott Act says no such thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Acthttps://china.usc.edu/sites/default/files/forums/The%20Scott%20Act%20of%201888.doc
According to Wikipedia, the motivation was the low wages caused by Chinese immigration, *not* fear of miscegenation. This seems to be the case with restriction on Japanese immigration that started in 1908 also. https://www.janm.org/exhibits/texturedlives/history
Why then does Franklin Roosevelt say that fear of intermarriage is the big problem and the big reason, not economics? He surely knew better.
Notice that this is published in a Macon, Georgia, newspaper. I think Roosevelt is talking to Southern Democratic voters, who don't care much about Japan, but do care a lot about race. Roosevelt ran successfully for the Democratic nomination in 1932, seven years later. Blacks could not vote in the South then; Whites could.