In the 1930s, there was a Chinese-American actress named Anna May Wong who was quite well-known in Hollywood. She made every head turn when visiting pre-World War II Shanghai. But back home -- America -- she had to live with all the stereotyped roles assigned to her, which made her cry deep inside. She had no doubt that she deserved better, much better. But she could only do so much.
Anna May Wong’s fellow Chinese Americans did not generally fare better. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act kept Chinese from entering or reentering America. Dr. Sun Yat-sen was once held up under this racist act.
Slowly but surely, though, racial tolerance had been working its way into mainstream America since World War II and the F.D. Roosevelt administration. For the record, however, the number of Chinese Americans only inched up because the slope was too steep. In 1960, there were no more than 240,000 Chinese in the Beautiful Country.
Then ice broke. In 1965, Congress passed the Immigration and Naturalization Act. This opened the floodgates for Chinese immigrants among other Asians and along with Africans, Middle Easterners, and Latin Americans. The 2020 U.S. Census reports that there are 5.2 million Americans claiming the Chinese heritage as theirs.
Minority or otherwise, we are Americans first and foremost. Like every American, we are entitled to freedom and dignity, no more and no less. Meanwhile, we must understand that freedom is not free and never will be.
Personally, I am looking forward to the day when the term “hyphenated American” becomes obsolete.
The Shanghai Express,, good lady with her own sets of principle
I m Chinese ，living in Canada,but understand how you might be feeling about this in particular issue.
our little lady actress was suppose to play the leading role, the wife in the then adaption of Pearl S Buck s book the GoodEarth,,but then they replaced her with an American actress who was not from ant Oriental origin I suppose
good writing bro,, applause for your simplicity, generosity,,and caring heart,,goodnreading,,thank you..
Nay,,guess just to let the rest of the family catching with thei
some has classes in the morning,,that's all :)),, my kids really loved the Good Earth,, that book,, everyone was appalled by the then hyprocisy ,, I guess..
We are in the Canadian East,,so catch up with you and the rest
Of the class in the morning,, Men I m glad I checked your piece out before I called it a day,,
hypocrisy knows no bounds.
we , my family and I used to live for quite some time,, under the former British ruled Hong Kong,,and a large part of the rest of my family still does,, now ,,living in today's Hong Kong..
"Hyphenated American" might signal tribalization ...
Don't get me wrong, though. America can always afford the thriving of ethnic neighborhoods, such as China towns. But a persistent over-emphasis on racial identity (and difference) does not make much sense of a UNITED States of America, in my humble opinion.
"A group of black leaders, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, says members of their race would prefer to be called African-Americans rather than blacks."
In the 1930s, there was a Chinese-American actress named Anna May Wong who was quite well-known in Hollywood. She made every head turn when visiting pre-World War II Shanghai. But back home -- America -- she had to live with all the stereotyped roles assigned to her, which made her cry deep inside. She had no doubt that she deserved better, much better. But she could only do so much.
Anna May Wong’s fellow Chinese Americans did not generally fare better. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act kept Chinese from entering or reentering America. Dr. Sun Yat-sen was once held up under this racist act.
Slowly but surely, though, racial tolerance had been working its way into mainstream America since World War II and the F.D. Roosevelt administration. For the record, however, the number of Chinese Americans only inched up because the slope was too steep. In 1960, there were no more than 240,000 Chinese in the Beautiful Country.
Then ice broke. In 1965, Congress passed the Immigration and Naturalization Act. This opened the floodgates for Chinese immigrants among other Asians and along with Africans, Middle Easterners, and Latin Americans. The 2020 U.S. Census reports that there are 5.2 million Americans claiming the Chinese heritage as theirs.
Minority or otherwise, we are Americans first and foremost. Like every American, we are entitled to freedom and dignity, no more and no less. Meanwhile, we must understand that freedom is not free and never will be.
Personally, I am looking forward to the day when the term “hyphenated American” becomes obsolete.
--- Lingyang Jiang
Anna May Wong
I m Chinese ，living in Canada,but understand how you might be feeling about this in particular issue.
our little lady actress was suppose to play the leading role, the wife in the then adaption of Pearl S Buck s book the GoodEarth,,but then they replaced her with an American actress who was not from ant Oriental origin I suppose
good writing bro,, applause for your simplicity, generosity,,and caring heart,,goodnreading,,thank you..
"漸近漁樵遠帝京，浮槎不負水深情。"...
love this,,,
It is wonderful to have u in MYSJ.
some has classes in the morning,,that's all :)),, my kids really loved the Good Earth,, that book,, everyone was appalled by the then hyprocisy ,, I guess..
To their true feelings,,and s strong attachment to their true roots,,your new poem,,I meant..
Of the class in the morning,, Men I m glad I checked your piece out before I called it a day,,
hypocrisy knows no bounds.
we , my family and I used to live for quite some time,, under the former British ruled Hong Kong,,and a large part of the rest of my family still does,, now ,,living in today's Hong Kong..
gateway to America, thanks to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act.
Don't get me wrong, though. America can always afford the thriving of ethnic neighborhoods, such as China towns. But a persistent over-emphasis on racial identity (and difference) does not make much sense of a UNITED States of America, in my humble opinion.
despite the sun that afternoon, coldest day since many years,,we were shaking with the cod and the historic memories,,,
my uncle and us ,,went for a visit,he still lives vets in aching,but wanted to visit historic places on New York City back then.
Like every American, we are entitled to freedom and dignity, no more and no less.
one day when the term "hyphenated American" becomes obsolete. We're all human beings first and foremost! We should look beyond skin deep.
he would have none of it on the ground that it defeated the purpose of uniting people in a nation of immigrants.
"A group of black leaders, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, says members of their race would prefer to be called African-Americans rather than blacks."