WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION 61

ample, which would probably be our alternative, as we would
have to go to the Philippines or Porto Rico and bring in labor, because
our farmers must have seasonal labor or lose their crops. So, in
self-defense, if our Mexican labor is taken away from us, our farmers,
individually or in groups, will send to Porto Rico or to the Philippines,
which seem to be the only sources that we could go to for extra labor,
and bring laborers in. Well, when they are once here they will not
go back home, as the Mexicans do—come and go to meet a seasonal
demand—but they will be here and we will have to take care of them
when there is no work. Therefore, we would have a surplus labor
problem at certain seasons of the year. Further than that, every
American knows, who is familiar with the Indian character, Indian
blood has never degraded our citizenship. An American who has a
little Indian blood in his veins is generally proud of it, but if he has
any negro blood or oriental blood he is not so proud of it.
So you have to consider fundamentally that these Mexican men are
practically Indians, they are of Indian blood, these peons who come
tn; and there is no more problem with them than with our original
Indians. And we Americans who look back to the time we were
among the Indians know there were fewer problems then. - But they
Were not Americans, and they were not our race. They did not make
the problem that the negro has made or that the Filipino would make
if we brought him in.
The CuarrmaN. Would you mind being interrupted?
Mr. CranpLir. Not at all.
The CrarrmMan. Do you not imagine there was a time when a
great many people thought that the negro would be no problem in
the United States?
Mr. Caanprer. I do not remember such a time.
The CuarMaN. Have you any real unemployment in Los Angeles
now?
Mr. Cuanprer. No; I do not think we have any abnormal unemployment.
 }
The CuarrMaN. The population of California is approaching
6,000,000, I believe.
Mr. CuanDLER. Yes.
The Cuarrman. Ten years ago it was about 3,000,000 plus.
Mr. Cuanprer. Pretty nearly 4,000,000.
The Crarrman. What is the population of Los Angeles, in round
numbers about now?
Mr. Cuanprer. Well, it is estimated from a million three hundred
 thousand to a million five hundred thousand.
The Crairman. Would you give an estimate of the population of
Los Angeles City and County? Is the population of Los Angeles
City and County about the same?
Mr. Cuanorer. Well, it is estimated that there are upwards of
bwo million in the city and county.
The Cratrman. Can you give any estimate of the proportion of
that population which is ‘either of Mexican ancestry or Mexican born?
Mr. CrAnoL en, Well, I think the latest estimates place the
Mexican population at 150,000 to 175,000 in southern California, as
recall it.
The CrarrMan. In all of southern California?
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