The transnational ties of the Atlanta Chinese Christian Church (ACCC) with Chinese outside of the United States profoundly shaped the membership structure and development of the Chinese-American Church. Edited by Edwin Su, 大洋彼岸的長河:美國華人查經班回顧與展望 (The History of Chinese Bible Study Group in America: Its Review and Outlook) traces the origin and development of the Chinese-American Christian church in the United States from the 1950s to the present with a large number of primary sources such as images and Chinese newsletters. Considering the contributors are members of their churches, the book could be seen as a compilation of primary sources, though the editor argues that it is not an academic book. One of the contributors Jianxin Ren explores the history of the ACCC from 1963 to the early 21st century and offers many first-hand resources by using …show more content…
The Formation and Development of Chinese Communities in Atlanta, Augusta, and Savannah, Georgia: From Sojourners to Settlers, 1880-1965 written by Daniel Aaron Bronstein examines the transition of Chinese “from being perceived as ‘outsiders’ before the 1940s to being treated as ‘honorary whites’ by the late 1960s,” and creates a trans-regional narrative in which the generational differences of Chinese-Americans played a significant role in shaping Chinese-American community and identity.
The trans-regional narrative witnessed a remarkable narrative transformation in the late 1990s and early 2000s when many studies paid attention to create historical interpretations of Chinese-American community, culture, and identity. Some scholars began to examine Chinese-American family history by placing Chinese-Americans within a larger historical context. One of the outstanding works is The Lucky Ones: One Family and the Extraordinary Invention of Chinese America written by Mae
Chinese Americans have arrived to the United States through three waves of immigration. The journey of immigrating to the United States consisted of many obstacles and hardships. Chinese Americans have been in this country for centuries, and still remain one of the smallest minority minorities. To this day, they are still perceived as foreigners in the eyes of other Americans, and have been victimized for their successes. To gain a deeper understanding of Chinese immigration, we must look at the Chinese American experience of immigrant jobs, exclusion and discrimination, and the model minority stereotype.
Known for her notable achievements in memoirs and fiction, Maxine Hong Kingston published China Men: a literature composed of stories about Chinese men in her family. One story distinguishes the heroic journey of grandfather Ah Goong. Ah Goong worked to build the railroad, but was driven out when it was completed in 1869; he then became a homeless wanderer in San Francisco. Upon hearing this fact, Kingston’s family called him Fleaman as “they did not understand his accomplishments as an American ancestor, a holding, homing ancestor of this place” (Kingston 151). What Kingston actually meant by Ah Goong being “an American ancestor” was that he had many accomplishments, but those achievements weren’t communicated to Kingston’s family. To support this claim, I will talk about how Ah Goong’s accomplishments were silenced by photography and by unfortunate circumstances.
To begin with, The Joy Luck Club centers its content around the lives of eight women of Chinese heritage each with their own stories to tell; yet, all striving to satisfy their aspirations in America. A concisive cross is common between the mothers’ hopes compared to those of the American born daughters. Immigrating to America for various reasons, the four mothers all had one goal in mind, to not only construct themselves a better life, but also ensure the finest future for their daughters. For the mothers in the Joy Luck Club, the American dream was to instill Chinese history, heritage, and habit in their daughters while providing American opportunities of growth, gratification, and gallantry. Carrying heavy pasts, the four original American Joy Luck Club members arrived in The United States to start anew, “America was where
In the mid 19th century, America was viewed as a hotspot for freedom and wealth. When the noise of the gold rush flooded the world, immigrants started to see America more appetizing than ever. The Chinese saw America as a place to have a fresh start and as a place of refuge because of it’s generosity, so they immigrated to the west in great numbers. There was a large Chinese population in Virginia and all along the Pacific coast. Writers Mark Twain and Maxine Hong Kingston both wrote in great detail about the Chinese Immigrants. They went into detail about the immigrants and how they came over and why. Although Twain and Kingston both wrote about the immigrants in a positive light, Twain was sympathetic of the immigrants and Kingston focused more on their image and her ancestors.
James Loewen’s The Mississippi Chinese: Between black and white illustrates the racial tones towards Mississippi’s “other” race, primarily in the Delta flatlands. Mississippi’s history revolves around racial narratives set in place by the advance of “King Cotton”. The racial undertones that followed Reconstruction in the South have deep roots in Mississippi. History tends to lean towards the African American oppression, however, oppression affected all who were not of primarily white ancestry. Enter the Mississippi Chinese, a race with ties to black and white popularity on both spectrums. The Mississippi Chinese provides in depth research towards a group of Mississippians often forgotten in Mississippi history, not to mention, reiterates insight to the growing Americanization of Chinese Americans.
Frank Chin has been the most vocal critic of Kingston's who accused her "of reinforcing white fantasies about Chinese Americans" (Chin, 1991) and claimed that writers like Maxine Hong Kingston, Amy Tan and David Henry Hwang who won approval of the American white readers deliberately distorted the image of Chinese American to reinforce stereotypes and cater to the fantasies of American readers about a traditionalist Chinese culture. (Frank Chin, 1991, pp. 3-29)
Making a name for oneself and starting a family is difficult, but it is even more arduous when it is in a completely new country with citizens who judge newcomers based on racial differences. In the face of such adversity, Joseph and Mary Tape swiftly assimilated themselves and their family into American society; in a time of intense political tension for Chinese immigration, they utilized their abilities to survive. By embracing their assimilation and connecting into their ever expanding prestige as middle-class Chinese Americans, the Tapes were able to act as ethnic and cultural brokers between the Chinese and American society. Though the Tapes were “at once powerful and marginal” as brokers, their unique social standing and abilities
In “Chinese Immigrant Lee Cew Denounces Prejudice in America, 1882”, we read the account of Chinese immigrant Lee Chew who, writing in 1882, finds himself discontented with the treatment he endures as an immigrant from China. Lee Chew’s experience was not unique; the Chinese immigration experience was one that was marked by discrimination and general exploitation. However, this pattern of discriminatory behavior was much more comprehensive than being directed at a specific race, and the Chinese experience is controvertible with the immigrant experience at large. Prejudice and discrimination in
Moral and divine practices such as Confucianism have intense effect on the lives of Chinese American women.
The Chinese Experience records the history of the Chinese in the United States. The three-part documentary shows how the first arrivals from China, their descendants, and recent immigrants have “become American.” It is a story about identity and belonging that is relative to all Americans. The documentary is divided into three programs, each with a focus on a particular time in history. Program 1 describes the first arrivals from China, beginning in the early 1800’s and ending in 1882, the year Congress passed the first Chinese exclusion act. Program 2, which details the years of exclusion and the way they shaped and distorted Chinese American
The focus of our group project is on Chinese Americans. We studied various aspects of their lives and the preservation of their culture in America. The Chinese American population is continually growing. In fact, in 1990, they were the largest group of Asians in the United States (Min 58). But living in America and adjusting to a new way of life is not easy. Many Chinese Americans have faced and continue to face much conflict between their Chinese and American identities. But many times, as they adapt to this new life, they are also able to preserve their Chinese culture and identity through various ways. We studied these things through the viewing of a movie called Joy Luck Club,
Sui Sin Far’s short story, “In the Land of the Free” touches on the reality of being a Chinese immigrant in late-19th century America. The story revolves around a Chinese couple. The husband is ready for his wife, Lae Choo, to arrive from China with their new son, later named Kim. However, due to policies on immigration, the American government was forced to take possession of the child due to a lack of paperwork. However, Far’s short-story has a deeper meaning than just focusing on unfair immigration policies. She takes advantage of the story’s ending to symbolize a rejection of immigrant culture, most especially Chinese immigrant culture, by taking advantage of Kim’s change in behaviors, appearance, and dialect.
In addition to the cultural conflicts and confusions with Chinese immigrants ethnic heritage , Amy also portrays how television shows during this era of American culture influences conflicts and confusions in the Chinese immigrant communities. In her attempt to
Chinese families are highly misunderstood and stereotyped in the United States. It is important to understand a different culture before one makes the assumptions produced by these stereotypes. In order to find a better understanding about Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans, one must do research on that countries heritage, traditions, and other customs before submerging one-self into a Chinese families home. I chose to experience and observe a Chinese family who was kind enough to let me be a guest in their home to share dinner.
In his famous play The Year of the Dragon, Frank Chin shows the prejudicial effects that ethnic myths can have on people using the representation of a Chinese American man, Fred Eng, and his family. The staging of this family bonds helps