The Chinese American Experience: BACKGROUND OF CHINESE IMMIGRATION

BACKGROUND OF CHINESE IMMIGRATION

Thousands of Chinese were eager to come to "Gum Shan" or the "Golden Mountain"--another name for California. The Chinese saw this is a golden opportunity to strike it rich, as they had become victims of the "Gold Fever". By 1852, 25,000 Chinese had reached California. The 1852 census showed 804 Chinese males and 10 females in Sacramento (Ling, 1998).The majority of Chinese that came to California were male, as they had to leave their families behind. In search of gold, the Chinese come to Sutter's Mill in Sacramento (Ling, 1998). However, as the search for gold diminished, the Chinese had become a significant part of the labor force in California. It was apparent that they had simply come to work.



Beginning in the early 1850s in California, white workingmen protested that the Chinese drove down wages (Ling, 1998). White labor criticized the Chinese for accepting lower rates of pay, and criticized employers who hired the Chinese instead of whites. Due to the increasing anti-Chinese sentiment, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prevented any further Chinese immigration into California.

From 1910-1940, all Chinese immigrants were forced to come through the Angel Island immigration station when first entering the US. As a result, many Chinese immigrants spent years inside the Immigration Station because the Exclusion Act prevented them from entering the country (Ling, 1998). Due to this act, Chinese men were unable to bring their families and Chinatown was almost an all-male society. The Chinese were unable to connect with what was most precious for them: family.



It was not until WWII, when China became allies with the United States, that the government realized what a mistake they had made and repealed the exclusion act with the Magnuson Act in 1943 (Ling, 1998).

Ling, Huping. (1998) Surviving on the Gold Mountain. Albany, NY. State University of New York Press.


REFLECTION:

The Chinese were "pulled" to come to California. For them (and most other immigrant groups) America was the land of opportunity and in comparison to the condition of their home country, California had a lot more to offer. Leaving their families and homeland behind, the Chinese came looking for a better life. Unfortunately, they were not accepted by mainstream society and faced a great amount of discrimination from the government and society.

Due to the immigration restrictions, many Chinese were unable to go back and bring their families. Even then, they continued to work hard and made numerous contributions to the creation of the American West. Today, we have Chinese Americans who have been living in California for generations. Many of their ancestors came to this country by boat and faced the common hardships of assimilation and acceptance.

Famous Chinese Americans from the Bay Area

Senator Leland Yee

CA State Senator for District 8 (western half of San Francisco and most of San Mateo Country). He emigrated from China to San Francisco when he was three years old. He holds a a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley and a masters/PHD in Child Psychology from San Francisco State University.

Jerry Yang

Co-founder and Chief of Yahoo! search engine. Moved from Taiwan to San Jose at the age of 8. Jerry did not know much English when he first came to California, despite the fact that his mother was an English teacher. Eventually, he learned English in three years and graduated from Stanford University with his BS and MS.

Amy Tan

Born in Oakland, Ca and an alumni of San Jose State University. Amy Tan is a famous author of books like "The Joy Luck Club" and "The Bonesetter's Daughter." Most of her work is inspired by her real life experiences as a Chinese American. She holds her BA and MA in English and Linguistics from SJSU. She has done her graduate studies at UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley.

Works Cited

http://www.asianamerican.net/bios/Yee-Leland.html

http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/press/management.cfm

http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/tan0bio-1

REFLECTION:

These are a just a few of the many prominent Chinese Americans in the Bay Area. To see how much of an impact these individuals have on our daily lives is astounding. Most of us use Yahoo! on a daily basis to check our email and I've been reading Amy Tan's stories since I was in high school! It is quite apparent that after living in California for decades, Chinese Americans have continuously contributed to the advancement of our society, whether it be in technology, politics or literature.

Such figures help encourage the upcoming generation to contribute even more to the local and global community. As a writer of fiction, I admire Amy Tan for her passion for writing. She is able to paint her experiences into words that seamlessly fall into place. Her work is an example of the experiences many second generation children have while living in America. They neither belong to either society, they are in "No Man's Land."

Chinese Population in Bay Area

Chinese Demographics in California - List of Cities (2000)

The list of cities in California with a Chinese-American population in excess of one percent of the total population.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/interactives/chinesevoices/index.html

SOURCES: American Fact Finder, U.S. Census 2000, 2006 American Community Survey, United Nations Human Development Index (2006), CIA World Factbook,

* San Francisco, California - 19.6% (152,620)
* Oakland, California - 8.0% (31,834)
* San Jose, California - 5.7% (51,109)
* Sacramento, California - 4.8% (19,425)
* San Diego, California - 2.3% (27,684)
* Los Angeles, California - 1.7% (63,075)
* Fremont, California - 14.4% (29,240)
* Daly City, California - 13.6%
* Irvine, California - 10.5%
* Sunnyvale, California - 9.56% (12,597)
* Berkeley, California - 7.4% (7,585)

REFLECTION:

As we can see, the Chinese American population in the Bay Area has increased since the Chinese first came to this state. These Chinese immigrants and US born Chinese are culturally and educationally different from earlier generations of immigrants. Many arrive with families, rather than coming alone. Instead of coming as laborers, many of these Chinese Americans are coming as intellectuals, university students, professionals etc. Nonetheless, they still strive for the same "American Dream." The prominence of Chinese Americans in San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area has only increased. However, due to the current economic crisis in the US, many Chinese Americans may go back to their home countries (see Article in San Jose Mercury News below).

Interviews of Chinese Americans (part 3)

Interview # 3

Q:When did you come to California?

A: I came to California to do my masters at UC Davis in 1995. I was born in Taiwan, but I was adopted so I do not know much about my birth parents. I grew up in China for the first twenty five years of my life.

Q:How did you like it here?

A: It was different..most difficult was the food. I was used to having home food and had to learn how to cook on my own (smiles). It was not too bad when I went to visit friends who's families lived in the Bay Area. I can speak English--enough to communicate. It took me some time to fully understand the lingo.

Q:Why did you come to California?

A: Well, I came here to further my studies. I did not think that I would settle down here. My parents regret that I only go back to visit and not live their permanently. It's also difficult for them to understand why I have not married either.

Q:Are there any cultural conflicts?

A: Maybe. In the fourteen years that I have lived here..I've grown to adapt to the American Culture. Sometimes you can tell that I am not born and raised here, my English sounds a little different. Otherwise, I am very American. But that does not mean I have forgotten my culture. I still visit China every year, but now I am thinking of going back.

Q:Going back? To live their permanently?

A: Yes, to live their permanently. I don't think this thought would have ever crossed my mind, but after being laid off this past January..I have been thinking about it for a while. I used to work for Deloitte in San Jose. I've been living here since 2000 and it has been wonderful, but now the economy is bleak. Luckily, I do not have a family to worry about but my parents in China worry all the time.

Q:What do they worry about?

A: Well, they are worried that their only son is jobless in America! They tell me, "How can that be? It's the place of opportunity.." but these are just bad times. I don't know when it well end and so I've decided to visit in January. I'll see if there are any opportunities there.

Q: Well, I've actually heard that there are some great opportunities in China now..and many people who have lost their jobs are thinking of going back..

A:Yes, that sounds correct. Right now, America is not what it was like when I first came here. I remember the dot.com bust..but I have never seen it get this bad. Even with a high level of education you are unable to get a job. I think its very sad especially for individuals who have families.

Q:From your fourteen years of experience in California, how would you describe it in just a few words?

A: Well, for me it was a life changing experience. I came here for school, but I had to learn more than just academics. I learned how to live on my own and balance two different cultures. For my parents and me also getting an education was the first priority. That is why I was sent here. I liked my college experience. Working life was exciting too, but very tiring. Life in America is very stressful. Although I wish I could find a new job soon, the thought of going back home is not so bad.

Q:Have they seen a change in you? Your parents?

A: Yes, they say I've become too "American," which is interesting because I did become a U.S. citizen a few years back. So, technically I am American. It may be just my habits..I like to do things on my own. I have the tendency to speak in English, although I still speak Cantonese fluently.

Interviews of Chinese Americans (part 2)

Interview #2

My second interview is with a 9 year-old Chinese American who attends 4th grade at Challenger Elementary School in Newark, CA.

Q: Hello Meghan, your mom has told me that you are going to visit China this winter break?

A: Yes, I'm going to miss one week of school..

Q: Are you visiting family?

A: Yes..but my grandma lives in San Francisco.

Q: Do you like visiting China?

A: Yes, I like going there..but there's too much pollution! We stay in Hong Kong at my mom's sisters house. I have cousins there too.

Q: You visit China every year? You weren't born there?

A: We go every year..I was born in San Francisco.

Q: Do you like it here more?

A: Yes, I do..I like my friends here. I get to see them at school [Meghan is an only child] and we go to visit my grandma in San Francisco. My mom works there too at Genentech.

Q:Do you speak Chinese at home?

A: We speak Mandarin and English at home. I speak English with all my friends...I don't always understand everything in Mandarin.

Q: When is Chinese New Year? Is it coming up soon?

A:Umm..I think it will be in February, we go to my grandma's house for Chinese New Year. I like to eat Almond cookies..her cookies are so yummy!

Meghan in class (picture below)

Interviews of Chinese Americans (part 1)

Interview #1

My first interview is of a Chinese American who was born in China, before coming to America.

Q: Where were you born?

A: My grandparents on both sides lived in Liaoning, China. My parents were also married there and had seven daughters--including me.

Q: Why did you come to the United States?

A: Well, My dad came to the United States to make way for the rest of us to come. We finally did in March of 1979 when I just turned 3. So I have grown up in San Francisco all my life. My father drove a cab without a day off for several years and my mother worked in a sweatshop knitting clothes on a machine and then sewing details by hand.

Q:How did you like it here, in California?

A: Most of my youngest memories are here..and I recall having fun with many of the girls in the area as my mother's machine would continously buzz in the background. My childhood memories were quite pleasant..

Q: There were no cultural conflicts between you and your parents?

A: Well, there was..but nothing too serious. My parents started their own business and eventually put all of us through school; that was their American dream.They probably would have preferred that I study computer science rather than cognitive science, but that was about it. My family has always kept their cultural roots intact. We learned Chinese at home and I can speak Cantonese fluently. Unfortunately, my reading and writing skills aren't too strong (laughs)

Q: Where did you go to college?

A: I went to Berkeley, so I was not too far away. My older sister was there also, so my parents were fine with us living away for some time.

Q: How was your college experience?

A: It was quite enjoyable. I must add that it was during this stage that I began wanting to know more about my culture. I guess it was the age when most young adults "search" for their identity and since I was not at home as

often..I began to take classes on Chinese culture...

Q: Did you learn a lot from those experiences?

A: Absolutely. Although, I think I was always interested in learning about my culture. I can probably say the same for my siblings. Even though we were easily able to assimilate into American culture we never felt the need to abandon our roots. For example, every now and then I catch myself watching Mandarin dramas on television with my parents. It's a great way to connect.