Chinatown Research Paper

The first wave of Chinese immigrants arrived during the gold rush era. These immigrants were mostly young men that found work as “ploughmen, laundrymen, placer miners, woolen spinners and weavers, domestic servants, cigar makers, shoe makers, and railroad builders” (Lee 71). Many immigrants came during this period because the United States provided economic opportunities these immigrants were seeking. For others, coming the United States meant achieving the “Gold Mountain Dream,” which was to earn money and return back home rich (Lee 66). Chinese workers also ran their own business. The two most common were laundries, and restaurants which were considered “women’s work” because these were typically tasks done by women at home (Lee 75). However, laundry owners faced harsh realities since they worked and slept in the same place and “rarely left the premises because

The Vietnam War had a huge affect on the nature of migration to Australia. Vietnamese refugees changed the face of Australia and created today’s multiculturalism.

San Francisco, as a multicultural city, undoubtedly included a large variety of groups of people from all around the world. In English 162 course, we’ve learned a lot about history and culture of the bay area. From the gold rush the outsiders came, to the diversity of the Fillmore, we can see that even people far from the other side of the earth came here for a better life. As for myself, I came from a Chinese culture country, which is surely different from the culture here in America. Besides “The Only Real Day” by Frank Chin really interests me of how the Chinese’s attitude toward this distinct culture, and how they struggled and coined their own lifestyle. Since San Francisco Chinatown is so famous and successful, it gives me an inspiration of comparing the architectures, culture and atmosphere with the Orient.

Approximately 10 years into the gold rush, the Chinese numbered about 40,000 – 3% of the population. However, they were concentrated in the Victorian gold-rush areas that also attracted the mass of the early white diggers - Ballarat, Bendigo, and Beechworth.

The Chinese immigrants also contributed to us a whole new culture of which we had not been familiar with before. They brought their religious beliefs, prompting a Chinese Temple to be built in 1863 in Oroville, which provided a place of worship for Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism (Bancroft). They also brought their traditions, like the celebrations that they’d have for certain holidays like the Lunar New Year. These celebrations entailed festivals, parades, partying and all of the Chinese community coming together in the streets. Another one of the traditions they held dear to their culture was theatre, and so they continued these performances and even built their own Chinese theatre in 1852 (Bancroft). They

“Trying to Find Chinatown” begins on a street corner in New York City. Benjamin, a blond haired, blue eyed white male, walks upon a street performer and begins a conversation with him. The street performer is an Asian-American named Ronnie. Their conversation begins with Benjamin asking where a certain address is in Chinatown. Ronnie takes this question as an insult because he’s the only Asian-American anywhere near by. Ronnie turns aggravated as Benjamin tells him he is also an Asian-American, not knowing he was adopted. He’s stunned when Benjamin informs him on his knowledge on Asian-American history because of his skin tone; which is very ironic considering he believed he was racially profiled and asked about the address in Chinatown because of his skin hue. They both give valid points in their arguments and begin to understand one another and their overview of the topic. The discussion doesn’t exactly result with either one of them winning but as a mutual understanding of each other. Although Ronnie and Benjamin don’t see eye to eye on the topic of conversation, the main idea of this play is very clear; don’t judge a book by its

There were a couple of reasons. One of the reasons was the city development and extension of the McCormick Place impacted on the planning design of the square as well as the transportation service availability. The other reason was because of environmental issue. The Chinatown Square was detected with toxins, which cost $400,000 and a long period of time to cleanup. Even though the Chinatown Square went through a lot of difficulties, the city of Chicago showed their support of the project by contributing $7.2 million and offered to build needed streets, sewers and sidewalks. (Chicago-Chinatown, 1996)1

The development of Chinatown first began with the many Chinese immigrants that appeared in the United States. Because of the Transcontinental Railroad, many Chinese immigrants were paid laborers working on the project and were thought of by employers as reliable laborers who would work, without complaint, even under strenuous conditions(Norton 1924, 283–296). Chinese immigrants came in waves because of the grand opportunity. These immigrants were paid significantly lower wages than white workers, then blamed Chinese laborers for lashing down pay and taking away jobs. After the railroad was completed and white laborers in other industries began to fear for their jobs, anti-Chinese attacks increased, including beatings, arson and

There were several reasons, that led Chinese people migrate to Australia and those reasons are largely different from those of Afro-American slaves. Between 1839 and 1842, Britain and China had Opium War concerning disagreement of their trading. Ryan (1995, p.15) argues that after the war, Hong Kong was dominated by Britain and people,

Lisa See grew up in L.A’s Chinatown, with her Chinese grandparents living and working there, and she was taught the Chinese traditions throughout her life. A lot of her novels take place in China and/or deal with China. The book being a fiction and according to the author’s familial background, she might approach the topic here as a way for her to carry her family history, people and places with her forever.

The Chinatown Game Lecture only touched upon the topic of the game called The Miss L.A. Chinatown Missing towards the end of the lecture, it was mostly about Chinatowns around the world in general. This particular lecture fit in well with class due to the race and gender aspects. To elaborate, when it comes to race, the lecturer pointed out the fact that Chinese individuals have been seen as in the past as subhuman compared to other races. An example that was used to show Chinese as subhuman was that they are depicted as mole like for keeping to themselves and in Chinatowns, there are passageways as well as underground stories. This depiction of Chinese individuals being labeled subhuman made me think of the “Why Mammals Are Called Mammals” reading by Londa Schienbinger. The term

When tragic, major events happen in the United States, you can always expect an argument or something to unfold about how to prevent something similar from happening again. On October 1st, a man named Stephan Paddock, shot and killed 59 people including himself, while injuring an additional 546. This shooting is now considered the deadliest attack in United States history, so of course you can expect an ongoing political conversation on how to prevent attacks like this. During the attack, Paddock used what is called a “bump stock,” on many of his guns, making his guns’ rapid fire, like an automatic gun, which is what made it so easy for him to open fire and attack so many. After the tragic event, a gun control organization looked into the

Samantha, that is a key in the districts of schools at all levels, we tell kid they have a voice, but where I their voice. The school will tell the students if they have concerns, something is happening, and we don’t allow bullying at our campus. But how much truth is there to that sentence? Unfortunately, students must look at angles to stay safe, in some cases where and how they need to share good a negative situation. Dean Diamond explained, “exposing kids to different characters, different ways of thinking, something so foreign it the way they live, I do think that it broadens them as people (Seider, p. 185). During school meetings, I think we need to be prepared to respond to the student’s questions, whether they be positive, their hurtful emotions, and how they feel they aren’t heard. Students can be lead if they have role models that promote positive civic development. If the faulty is not approachable, them the student body will deal with things in their way, rather than thinking that the faculty supports them.

The main character of this short story “The Cask of Amontillado” written by Poe was a man skillful in the Italian vintages called Montresor. However his character sets out to seek revenge “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” (Poe) This problem came as a result of his friend Fortunato who has insulted him. Montresor is determined to seek revenge. Unable to understand Fortunato’s reasoning he states “It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will.” (Poe) Both men were in the same profession and Fortunato was a man to be feared and well respected, but there was no mercy to be shown “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity.” (Poe) Due to Fortunato hurting his friend Montresor saw it fit that he must die.

The plans and narratives of the Kowloon Walled City have drastically changed through the years, as it has been an unrolled and unregulated enclave between the British and Chinese governments. It began as an officially planed Chinese military fort and afterwards witnessed three distinct stages of lawlessness, demolition and rebirth as an urban garden. It all officially began in the 16th century, when the Chinese built a defensive garrison town filled with soldiers, civil officers and their families (Carney, 2013). However, when Hong Kong was leased to the British in 1898, the Kowloon Walled City became a enclave in the colonized territory, where no laws of the official state applied and everything began expanding spontaneously. The first stage of the city’s unintentional self-organization began in the 1950’s. It is widely known as the time of three vices – gambling, prostitution and drug dealing. The official regulations of the British did work on Hong Kong and were reversely reflected in the Chinese enclave. As soon as something was forbidden in the city-state, people massively poured into the un-ruled territory and let the sins to flourish. This way the Kowloon Walled City became synonymous with violence, crime and disturbance. During this period, the city and people became one, the buildings were connected by piping systems and wires, the water poured through the holes and sunlight could barely reach the lower levels. Yet, in the early 1970’s the situation started changing