Early immigrants from China to the United States

It has been more than 200 years since China immigrated to the United States. Great changes have taken place in the treatment and status of Chinese in the United States, from the early migrant workers selling pigs to the knowledgeable new immigrants since the 1990s, and the relationship between China and the United States has gradually changed from unequal and hostile to more equal "partners". How to treat the history of immigrants from China for more than 200 years, and how to evaluate the Chinese American literature accompanying immigrants from China? This has always been an important topic studied by many experts and scholars at home and abroad. Huang, a famous American Chinese writer, published novels "Running" (Shenyang Press 1996), "Furious" (Shenyang Press 2003) and a collection of short stories "San Francisco Passion Years" (Zhuhai Press 2004) in China, and then a collection of essays "Chinatown" was published by Guangzhou Huacheng Press (at the end of 2004), which made us have a deeper understanding of the above issues.

First, confirm the historical development with personal experience.

Both literature and history require describing the truth and essence of life. Historical writing can't be fictional, it needs a lot of information and data as the basis, and the author's personal experience is not particularly important in writing; Literary writing does not exclude fiction, but the truth of personal experience, especially the details of life, is very important. From personal experience alone, Huang undoubtedly has an advantage in the creation of Chinese American literature: three generations of overseas Chinese have lived in the United States for more than half a century. What he wrote in Chinatown is all personal experiences. His personal experiences (including his family) prove the development of history and times, which also makes this collection of essays particularly true and heavy.

Huang described in the book: "My grandfather came to the New World as a' contractor' to build the Central Pacific Railway when he was 17 years old, that is, when we understood' selling piglets'. /kloc-return to China to get married after 0/7. Due to the implementation of the Chinese Exclusion Act, he could not return to the United States. " (On Overseas Chinese Literature) The "Chinese Exclusion Act" here refers to a bill passed by the US Congress in 1882 that "Chinese workers are absolutely prohibited from entering the country for ten years". 1884 amended the bill, and the clause was increased to 17, which expanded the scope of immigration restrictions in China; 1888 was upgraded to Squet Act again, which prohibited Chinese workers who had temporarily left the country from returning to the United States and rejected more than 20,000 Chinese workers who had returned to visit relatives. Huang's grandfather is probably among the 20 thousand people.

Early immigrants from China worked as coolies in the United States, mining mines, building railways and reclaiming wasteland, which made outstanding contributions to the development of the western United States. However, after the prosperity and development of American economy, these Chinese workers became the targets of white people's rejection and attack. Because the United States restricts the entry of Chinese, Chinese have to adopt some abnormal ways to immigrate, one of which is "impersonation". 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake and fire, all the files of the immigration bureau were burned, and many Chinese took the opportunity to pretend that they were born in the United States and obtained American documents. After "the judge determined the nationality right of indigenous descendants, another means of impersonation came into being." Chinese-Americans came back from visiting relatives in China and reported to the Immigration Bureau that they had given birth to a child (usually a boy). This has created a vacancy for immigrants. After a few years, Chinese living in the United States can transfer or sell these vacancies and related oral confession materials, so that other Chinese can enter the country under false pretenses. "Since you apply for immigration under a pseudonym, you can't take the original surname, and you must change your surname on the immigration paper. Huang's father immigrated to the United States under the pseudonym Zhuo in 1924, and Huang also immigrated to the United States under the same name Zhuo in 1948, so Huang's Chinese name is Huang, but his English name is Zhuo. It is quite common among Chinese Americans that legal surnames become illegal and illegal surnames become legal.

In the 1960s, the US Immigration Bureau launched the so-called "repentance movement", demanding that China immigrants with fake citizenship "repent" to the government that they were "illegal immigrants", and then the Immigration Bureau went through immigration procedures again according to the situation, taking the opportunity to crack down on progressives and dissidents who persecuted China society. 1962, Huang's father was forced to "confess" to the Immigration Bureau, but Huang refused to "confess" and was arrested by the police for "illegal entry". Then, his father was forced to testify that his son was an "illegal immigrant". As a result, Huang was sentenced to three months in prison and five years in prison. In order to protect his civil rights, he fought a lawsuit with the American government for ten years, and was finally allowed to reapply for American citizenship at 1974.

Reading the series of essays of Time Trace, the first series of Chinatown, seems to be reviewing the history of Sino-US relations for half a century with the author, and the author's "American Dream" is indeed linked with the ups and downs of Sino-US relations. In order to dream, Huang came to America with his father when he was 15 years old, but he lost his freedom before he set foot on this promised land. He was sent to immigration as a prisoner and detained for questioning. Just like my father came to America as a teenager and was locked up on an angel island without angels (Lost and Found Diary). The United States in the 1950s was an era of extreme anti-China and anti-McCarthyism. During his service in the army, Huang was considered to be engaged in "anti-American" activities because of his normalization of relations with Zhang Meizhong and his opposition to the Korean War. He was sentenced to "expulsion from the army" by a military court and ordered to be expelled from the army. All books, diaries and novel manuscripts with tens of thousands of words were confiscated. Under great pressure, he has long called for the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, and initiated the establishment of the "American-Chinese People's Friendship Association" with several friends; He founded the famous Times himself and reported President Nixon's "ice-breaking trip" to China in the inaugural issue. When Deng Xiaoping visited the United States, he followed up the interview as a reporter for The Times and wrote a series of reports and comments. When President Reagan visited China, he accompanied him as a member of the American press corps. 1974 at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, led an American delegation to Beijing to attend the 25th anniversary celebration of the National Day. 1 97965438+1October1,he reported exclusively in all American Chinese newspapers for the first time: the United States and China formally established diplomatic relations!

In view of Mr. Huang's outstanding contributions in journalism, publishing, translation and creation, and his long-term commitment to the friendship and cultural exchanges between the United States and China, Willie Brown Jr., Mayor of San Francisco, announced on behalf of the city and county councils of San Francisco: 1 65438+February1day in 998 is San Francisco's "Yellow and American-Chinese Cultural People's Day"! Compared with the discrimination, abuse and bullying suffered by early Chinese, this is a historic event in the history of Chinese immigrants in the United States.

As early as the early 1950s, when Huang and Zhang Meizhong established diplomatic relations, they were regarded as "un-American", tried by a military court and expelled from the army. More than 20 years later, US President Nixon's visit to China was regarded as a "hero" who opened the door to US-China relations. How dramatic the historical development is! Therefore, some people think that Huang's political ideas are at least 20 years ahead of the president of the United States. Huang's gain and loss of honor and disgrace changed with the change of Sino-US relations. He struggled in the United States for most of his life, fully demonstrating the childlike innocence of overseas Chinese who love the motherland! This is the touching place of this book.

Second, the insight and generality through time and space.

Chinatown, also known as China City and Chinatown, is a place where China people live in foreign countries. In the early years, the United States rejected and discriminated against Chinese, and Chinese immigrants were often bullied, beaten and shot by whites. In order to unite against foreign aggression, Chinese people lived together and were squeezed into a small living area, gradually forming this Chinatown surrounded by four invisible thick walls.

Huang's Chinatown not only depicts the mysterious side of foreigners, such as temples surrounded by incense sticks, sacred and solemn bodhisattvas and statues, Chinese architecture with carved columns, martial arts schools, Chinese medicine halls, pharmacies, porcelain shops, silk shops, Chinese restaurants and sparrow halls, but also firecrackers, Spring Festival couplets, lion dances, dragon dances, Cantonese operas and Beijing operas. More importantly, the author analyzes the historical reasons for the formation of Chinatown with insight that penetrates time and space, and points out that "Chinatown is a historical mirror. In different times, you will see different things in Chinatown and feel the warmth and coldness of different human nature. Chinatown is also a thermometer and barometer of US-China relations. When the political cold wind blew in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, the whole society was in turmoil, and Chinatown was not spared. In the 1970s, the United States had to face the reality and take the initiative to improve its relations with China. Chinatown was like a sunny day after the rain (Walking through Duban Street). In this way, Chinatown is inextricably linked with China's traditional interpersonal relationships, seasonal changes, US-China relations and the world situation, revealing the profound historical and cultural heritage of Chinatown and the characteristics of the times in different periods.

Rich life experience, long-term engagement in news writing and political commentary, make Huang's prose have no moaning complaints, but have feelings and righteousness, a lofty position, and a strong artistic generalization of life. Flag is a short and pithy essay. The author starts with the "9 1 1" incident in the United States, as if he didn't love America without hanging the Stars and Stripes. Then, we talked about the hot issue of "changing the flag" in San Francisco Chinatown. 1949, we celebrated the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC). Some overseas Chinese clubs hung five-star red flags in the auditorium of Chinatown Homology Association, which was "unique" in that year. They were attacked by gangsters armed with sticks and sharp weapons, injuring the masses and tearing off the five-star red flag. Now, most overseas Chinese communities in Chinatown have lowered the blue sky and white flag and raised the bright five-star red flag. When the ceremony is held, American mayors and other dignitaries will also be invited to attend. The author only reflects the vicissitudes of Chinatown for more than 50 years on the issue of flag raising.

The dawn of Hong Kong is an important historical event of Hong Kong's return. A century and a half of historical vicissitudes, such a grand handover ceremony and celebration scene, and the complex mentality of so many Chinese and British people at home and abroad, he actually wrote magnificently, meaningfully and vividly in less than 2,000 words. The author first points out that Hong Kong's "return" is "a day that all China people look forward to at night", describes the celebration scenes around Hong Kong, and then captures the most wonderful flag-raising and flag-raising ceremony in the handover ceremony to write about Hong Kong's return. The author was there, "witnessing the end of an old era and the beginning of a new era". At that time, it was raining in Hong Kong, and the rain was symbolic: it was the "rain of tears" of the British colonial rulers who were so sad and helpless; At the same time, this is also a "happy rain", which has washed away the shame of the Chinese nation for more than 100 years! Finally, the author asked several people the same question in the form of news interview: "What is the first thing you want to do at this historic moment?" One of the young ladies said that she wanted to be the first person to have breakfast with Mr. Li Ming on 1 July, 19971day. In such a short space to accommodate such a major historical theme, and written so vividly and symbolically, it is really easy to lift weights and write freely, and it has great artistic generalization ability to life.

His Forty-Five Years of Bitterness won the Excellence Award of "My Motherland and My Prose" held by People's Daily Overseas Edition to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Based on his own life experience, the author writes about the great changes and achievements of the 45th anniversary of the founding of the motherland, shows the patriotic feelings of "overseas Chinese, the soul is China people", and generally reveals the true experience of "the rise and fall of the motherland, sharing weal and woe", hoping that China will embark on the road of "strengthening the country and enriching the people" and praise "China is stepping into the world like a giant! Today's motherland is a place full of vitality and happiness!

Third, the reflection and criticism of Chinese and Western cultures.

Overseas Chinese literature is different from China local literature in its regional, national and ethnic diversity. Overseas Chinese in Huang San are deeply influenced by the traditional culture of China. His daughter, grandson and granddaughter were all born in America. They only speak Cantonese and don't know much about Chinese characters. They are typical American Chinese families. Huang undoubtedly retains the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, such as diligence, thrift, tenacity and kindness, but at the same time he has the personality characteristics of adventure, enthusiasm, initiative and extroversion of western culture. He is with Americans, speaks fluent American English and acts in the American way. With China people, he can speak standard Cantonese and relatively standard Mandarin, and he treats people with the human touch of China. He is a legend who has both the advantages of Chinese and western cultures and few shortcomings.

Huang has lived in America for 57 years. In recent 10 years, he has traveled frequently between the two sides of the Pacific Ocean, and almost every year he has a month or two to return to his motherland. His friends are not only civilians and politicians of the two countries, but also celebrities and scholars in the literary and art circles. In the collision and communication between two different cultures, he has a profound understanding of the customs and cultural characteristics of the two countries. Therefore, there are many reflections and criticisms on Chinese and Western cultures in his works. For example, Between East and West objectively analyzes the cultural differences between East and West. Americans educate their children to be independent of their parents. They don't like being called "children" when they are young, and they don't like being called "old" when they are old. China people educate their children to listen to adults and teachers, to be "good children", to rely on the old to sell the old, and to like others to address them as "old"; China people take modesty as their virtue, and sometimes being too modest seems hypocritical, while westerners think that people should be confident and be good at expressing their own specialties. This cultural difference between the East and the West is even manifested in the concept of two generations in a family: the daughter gave birth to a son, and the author and his wife discussed opening an education fund account for their grandson in the bank, and saving a sum of money every month as the cost of his grandson's future study. However, the daughter and son-in-law are grateful and strongly disagree. They think that parents should do their duty before children 18, and children should be responsible for their future after children 18.

In The Sun and Moon Capitalist, the author reflected on his "lovely naivety and sad extremes" in the 1950s, enthusiastically praised the "sun" and artificially belittled the "moon" in his diary. Due to the influence of political ideas at that time, they thought it was glorious to be workers and shameful to be "capitalists", and even dared not buy a car or house. From the mouth of a middle-aged couple who stole four plastic cups and four glasses while flying in the United States, "the scene on the plane" is associated with the chaotic phenomenon that the mobile phone rang loudly before the domestic plane took off and the plane was still taxiing when it landed, so they quickly stood up to get their luggage. The author believes that these are all manifestations of the low quality of the people.

While reflecting on China culture, Huang also made a serious inquiry about western culture. The Culture of Violence points out that American movies, TV programs, newspaper news, book publishing and entertainment places are full of violent cultures of murder, arson, gun battles, rape and robbery. "At present, the total number of guns owned by the American people exceeds 230 million, and almost everyone has a gun. There are more gun shops in the United States than McDonald's hamburger shops." "When the whole society is shrouded in a culture of violence, when the innocent hearts of our teenagers are eroded by this culture of violence, firearms become weapons that they can easily pick up and kill. The continuous shooting tragedies on American campuses are not unrelated to this "violent culture." In "The Twin Towers", Huang expressed great indignation at the terrorist attacks and deep condolences over the innocent deaths of more than 2,000 American citizens. At the same time, he also deeply reflected on the actions of the US government: "When we are partial to Israel to fight violence with violence, should we calmly and rationally reflect on what is wrong with what we have done abroad? He called on people to "look further and light a candle of hope for a better and more peaceful world in the future when they cherish the memory of the dead and look forward to the rest of the ghosts"!

Drawing on the strengths of Chinese and Western cultures, abandoning their weaknesses, living in the United States, caring about the situation in China and the world, and caring about the fate of mankind, enabled Huang to transcend the boundaries of race and nationality, look at things objectively, comprehensively and dialectically, and show a broad mind and profound humanitarian spirit.

Huang's prose tends to be realistic, faithful to the original state of life, revealing the true colors of history, ranging from trivial matters around him to the international situation. It can be used as the theme of prose and has unique value in revealing the history and present situation of Chinese life in the United States. He not only has great time and space spans, such as Walking at the Age of 70 and Dawn in Hong Kong, but also has small, graceful, touching and affectionate lyrics, such as Sun Tzu's Toys and Letters from Prison. His prose is usually famous for his rich life experiences and profound insights, rather than winning with gorgeous language and diverse skills. Because many articles are about an event, some details may be repeated. If the author is not in a hurry to present the story as succinctly as news, but uses more narrative strategies and rhetorical devices, the aesthetic value of the work may be higher. We expect Mr. Huang, who is 70 years old, to have more and better works.