 Oana 's Hawaiian heritage was also a handicap in an era before racial integration of Major League Baseball . In January 1934 , shortly after Oana had been acquired by the Phillies , The Sporting News wrote a feature story about Oana under the headline , " ' Prince ' Oana Pops Into the Big League Melting Pot : Adding Dash of Hawaii to Cuban and Indian Spice . " Author Daniel M. Daniel offered Oana 's promotion to the Phillies as evidence that , " while baseball is as American as America itself , it is also as cosmopolitan as our national population . " Daniel wrote that , without going into the justice of the color line , the color line in baseball " is adhered to most strictly . " Daniel wrote that , despite Oana 's batting record , San Francisco owner Charlie Graham had difficulty selling Oana to a major league club , as some suggested that a full @-@ blooded " Kanaka " may " not be welcome in the ranks of the big leagues . " When the Seals signed Oana , he was rated as " an ' important money ' prospect " who would likely draw five figures in a sale to a big league club . 
