西奥多·罗斯福对中日移民问题的不同态度及其原因——读他致国会的两份年度咨文

罗斯福在1905年和1906年致国会的年度咨文中分别花了较长的篇幅谈美国排斥中国和日本移民问题,态度与拟要采取的措施却大不一样.对中国移民,他态度生硬、冷漠,强调要严格排斥劳工;对日本移民,他热情洋溢,说要采取一切措施加以保护.此种差异仅以罗斯福的种族主义思想加以解释是不够的.他对实力的崇信才能说明问题.

Theodore Roosevelt's Different Attitudes towards Chinese and Japanese Immigrants:Comparing his two Annual Messages Delivered to the Congress

In the Annual Messages delivered to the Congress in 1905 and 1906, Theodore Roosevelt paid much attention to the Chinese and Japanese immigrants, to which he showed a quite different attitude and would take different measures. As to Chinese immigrants, he spoke in a stiff and impassive manner and emphasized that Chinese laborers should be excluded strictly. As to Japanese immigrants, he spoke with enthusiasm and promised all necessary measures to protect them. Racism could explain partly the reason of the difference, but Theodore Roosevelt's theory on power would be more important to the answer.