FREE ESSAY ON THE LOST ONES - YOUNG CHINESE AMERICANS

THE LOST ONES - YOUNG CHINESE AMERICANS

The Lost Ones - Young Chinese Americans
Due to harsh immigration laws, in American history, Chinese have often relied on illegal
means of entering the United States. For example, in 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act
(Chinese Exclusion Act, Documents on Anti-Chinese Immigration Policy.) was passed, the
first and only act that restricted immigration from one particular ethnicity. This act
restricted immigration of Chinese labourers. In 1888, this act was extended to all
Chinese immigrants except for officials, teachers, students, tourists, and merchants.
However, not all-prospective immigrants made it to the shores of America safely. The
United States is well aware of illegal immigration and rings operating these smuggling
operations. Therefore increased vigilance at America's doors has led to the capture of
many Chinese illegal immigrants. The result of above brief history of Chinese history in
America is that these new comers at the time period of illegal entering of America would
eventually result the wave of 3rd generation Chinese population along with Baby Boomers
after World War II. The new generation was in the era of Civil Rights movement in the
1950~1970's. The talented, new 3rd generation possessed not only the despair of having an
identity, but also faced the pressure from the elder generation of their origin cultures.
It is true and inappropriate that the newer the generation, the more they refuse their
own cultures. However, from what it took the elder generations of Chinese/Asian Americans
for the younger generation to be able to live under the aegis of liberty, freedom, stable
society, and satiating living; I think that the younger generations should be proud of,
and respect the elder generation and who they really are.
Chinese who still tried to enter the United States needed to pretend that they were
merchants. Others pretended to be relatives of people living in the United States.
Chinese Americans who returned from visits home (China or Taiwan) and reported births of
sons and daughters thereby created flaws, which were often used to bring in immigrants
who posed as sons or daughters. Chinese immigrants, eager to start a new life and begin
their pursuit of the elusive American dream, do not want to wait their turn in line.
Rather they want to begin their journey today, and smugglers and underground networks are
more than willing to provide the decent services to do just that. At great expense,
Chinese immigrants underwent the long, dangerous, and illegal route of smuggling
themselves into America. They brave a long journey at sea and are willing to pay
exorbitant fees and work under the pressure of Chinese Mafia once in America. These
voyagers are often successfully smuggled into the United States and are placed in
positions of cheap labor in Chinatown, working as waiters or sweatshop workers. Chinese
immigration resumed quickly after 1906 (being shut down for many years by governmental
legislation before Angel Island interrogation), an anti-Chinese climate. Thanks to the
San Francisco earthquake which destroyed most of the immigration records in the city,
allowing many resident Chinese to claim U.S citizenship and many others to claim to be
paper sons and daughters. The anticipated outcome that is intended or guides of the Board
of Special Inquiry at Angel Island was to deport or exclude as many prospective Chinese
immigrants as possible. Under the kindly explicit approval and guidance of seeking out
the truth and separating the legitimate immigrants from the intended to deceive claims,
the immigration service tried to get or reached to exclude the Chinese. These is obvious
from the type of questions asked and avoid or try to avoid, as of duties, questions and
issues of traditional rules of procedure. The types of questions were often based on
previous knowledge concerning the villages of where the immigrants came from since after
these inspectors had worked thousands of cases, they had gained a clear knowledge of what
some of the major villages looked like. With this knowledge of the villages' layout, they
asked questions that were purposefully wrong to trick and feign the immigrants (Clauss,
64).
Another reason that motivated the immigration service at Angel Island was the "public
presentation". Chinese immigrants being landed would only draw serious examination and
judgment from the public. Therefore they would prefer as many Chinese deported as
possible because this would enhance their image as being thorough and completely devoted
gatekeepers. The job then provided ample personal motivation to the interrogators to be
especially not capable of being swayed or deviated from against the entrance of Chinese.
A decision would be made. If the decision was admittance, the detainee would be allowed
to land at once. However, if the decision was deportation, the detainee had five days to
protest this decision. His or her case would be retried and he or she would be
re-interrogated. These appellants however, had to stay on Angel Island while waiting for
their appeal hearing. It was here that some would stay as long as two years, waiting to
hear from the board (Clauss, 50). This is clearly evidenced by the interrogation process,
and the main reason that the board wanted to exclude as many as possible.
The Angel Island era clearly defined the hardship of earlier immigrants from China, who
seek for the promise of American Dreams; yet many of those were being treated as the
'bugs' that sought to get away from hardship in their mother land and enter the United
States to abuse the liberty and the freedom those founding fathers of United States had
anticipated. Undergoing not only discriminating decisions that would eventually effect
the elders' future generations and lives; these Chinese immigrants literally risked their
lives. However, many of the next generations do not appreciate or acknowledge the past.
How can America, which was built on the labor and communities of immigrants, allow such
indecision in these cases? It is a simple question to answer: America is simply doing
what it has always done. It had ignored history. History repeats itself, and it has shown
that we do not learn from our old mistakes. By not dealing with these prospective
immigrants in a fair and equal manner, we are only damned to repeat the same mistakes
that our forerunners had. America should take a closer examination of what history has
shown and take note of previous mistakes. We should let history be our guide in
determining the fate of these Chinese immigrants and the immigration problem that we
endure today. This notion of discrimination will last as far as present; and it would
also be responsible for the burdens and pressures that the younger/present generations
have to interrogate themselves with doubt. Some younger generations overcame this
pressure and honor their identities; some assimilate and adopt them well; however, many
opted for to live in ignorance and self-hated.
There are many Chinese who feel that one either have to adopt one culture or the other,
which, in an inherent manner, carries disadvantage into the white society is considered
selling out, while completely adopting the Chinese culture could bid the student a trick.
The different reaction of being Chinese American runs the complete extent or range from
complete assimilation to compromise. There are many Chinese Americans who inflexibly and
unfalteringly advocate complete assimilation. They feel that the two cultures are
incompatible and mutually exclusive, and that growing up in a western exclusively
counteracts a person's attempt to be Asian. Many people expressed this nostalgic feeling,
because they speak English as their primary language, and they grew up in the United
States.
However, it seemed that most of the Chinese Americans, just as other Asian or ethnic
groups might face, are unwilling to consent the facts about their own origin:
"The struggle for identity is particularly acute for some children because their home
life is steeped in Confucian values—such as the emphasis on the family, respect for
authority and learning. They also are burdened by the model minority myth that they
should be superachievers. So hot is the issue among Asian Americans that it has given
rise to studies, movies and an array of programs designed to help the young explore their
identities. In recent years, teenagers from New York and Boston to San Francisco and Los
Angeles have formed leadership groups and held forums at which they learn about their
history and share common experiences." 
"… It was through soul-searching that Chan realised not only that she was a unique
product of both cultures, but also that her values differed from those of her parents.
Her definition of personal success, for example, is based on her ability to positively
affect people's lives, rather than status or how much money she can earn.
'I guess everybody goes through this whether you're Asian or not, Chan said of her
identity search. But if you are Asian, you're forced to face the issue of culture.'" 
- Cultural Balancing Act Adds to Teen Angst, JULIE TAMAKI, LATimes.com
However, good news are that not ALL the Chinese Americans are accused of being ungrateful
of their own identities and the facts that they are who they are. One of the examples of
the 3rd generation Chinese claimed that he had regretted his early idea of excluding
himself to his own ethic identity of being Chinese as a youngster is Eddie Tang:
"… When I was younger - all I wanted was Big Macs and G.I. Joe figurines. I
distinctly remember saying that I hated Chinese food. I just wanted to eat the good stuff
- French-fries, burgers, and apple pie. But as college neared I realized that I was
Chinese - and that Chinese food was good after all. I began to learn the value of Chinese
culture: it's stories, history and society. But it was too late. The conflict between my
two selves had left the American self as the victor. My chance to be truly Chinese had
vanished and with it my ability to interpret much of the Chinese culture I partake of now
… I only ask myself: What if I had been more Chinesey as a kid? Would I have been
better off now? But now I am some kind of weird compilation of Americana and
quasi-Chineseness.
I suppose being Chinese-American to me means trying to recapture my Chinese self. The
conflict left that side of me wounded and badly lacking. The guilt is chasing after me to
find it again and nurse it back to health. … to understand what went on in my
ancestor's lives as well as learn about the people of my community but ultimately it is
to learn about myself. I really think that a concerted effort such as this will allow me
an entrance back into my Chinese self… 
For me Chinese American means too much American and not enough Chinese. The conflict's
aftermath is led by guilt and now a stronger desire to regain balance. This dichotomy of
being Chinese and American has eluded me most of my life - I've pretty much just been
American all my life. Chinese American denotes two worlds in one. But being Chinese
American is such a broad spectrum. … it includes people who are recent immigrants,
second generation, or descendants of earlier immigrants. For all of these Chinese
Americans there is more or less of the Chinese or American depending on their background.
But now I am searching for my own fine line and my own mixture of the Chinese and the
American and the understanding of being both. That term, Chinese American signifies a
chase to me, a chase for my lost Chinese soul." 
- "What does Being Chinese American Mean to Me", Eddie Tang
Along with rebelling against their own elders, most of the young Chinese Americans
abandon their identities due to some pressures that they had when they were younger.
However, as with all labels, the term 'Chinese American' may sometimes stamp and
generalizes a person, but one should believe that with this label comes an natural force
that binds you to your obligations and the courses of action demanded by that force to
learn about one's own culture. Therefore, regardless of what the younger generations
believes, they have an obligation to themselves to learn about the Chinese culture before
dismissing it completely. Some people believe that the two worlds are mutually exclusive,
whereas they should find the western culture and Oriental cultures to be compatible when
these two cultures are examined equally, they contribute to the progress or growth of
many of the same values, such as hard work and perseverance. Unfortunately, there are
still some people who cannot see past the Asian features and consider Chinese Americans
foreigners, but there are also Chinese who feel that 'Chinese Americans' are 'sell-outs.'
For some, both of these camps represent views that are too uncompromising and narrow.
Ultimately, if a person decides to celebrate one culture and exclude the other, they
should understand that they are denying a part of who they really are. So, wake up, the
lost ones!
Bibliography
- "Angel Island, Jewel of San Francisco Bay", Francis J. Clauss, 1982. Briarcliff Press,
Inc. Menlo Park, California.
- "Cultural Balancing Act Adds to Teen Angst", JULIE TAMAKI,
http://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/REPORTS/ASIANS/part2.1.htm
- Documents on Anti-Chinese Immigration Policy , Archives of the West
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/wpages/wpgs670/chinxact.htm