American History

The Chinese are one of the largest ethnic groups that have immigrated to the United States.  They have been arriving upon Americas shores since the 19th century for various reasons   some left China to seek their fortune, others were hired to build the transcontinental railroad, others simply wanted to leave behind the misery and poverty of China and start all over again in a new land.

Theme  Anti-Chinese Movement  Chinese Exclusion
Upon arriving in America, the reception of the Chinese was anything but pleasant.  Unlike European immigrants to whom (white) Americans can easily relate, Asians like the Chinese (and Japanese) are viewed with congruity and peculiarity from their physical build to their cultural traits as though they were aliens from another planet.  Like other non-white ethnic groups, they are often the objects of (racial) discrimination which are often unfounded.

In a play titled The Chinese Must Go by Henry Grimm, it tends to depict the Chinese in a very derisive and ridiculous way such as speaking  funny  broken English with bad grammar.  From the play, one can see that whites tend to look down on the Chinese, hence depicting them in the most abominable way possible.  In one scene, Mr. William Blaine catches his daughter Lizzie smoking opium and screamed at the Chinaman named Ah Coy, a  breeder of ruin and destruction (4)   He would go on cursing them, calling them every derisive name he can think of.  In another scene, they are depicted as dubious hoodlums and this showed in a scene where Dora Blaine is being threatened Slim Chunk Pin  and Ah Coy who said,  your life wont be safe a minute (Grimm, 1879, p.5).   In another scene where William Blaine is talking to his son Frank, he was appalled that his son is going to be a bootblack because it is the only job  not monopolized by the Chinese (Grimm, 1879, p.8).

This literature is just one example of how whites see Chinese though in this case, in a negative way, viewed with fear and suspicion.  This stereotyping has made many people suspicious towards the Chinese that they would be persecuted and the worst  that can happen to them is to be deported if not lynched like blacks.

Theme San Franciscos Chinatown   Outsiders Looking In
San Franciscos Chinatown is the largest Chinatown community outside of China.  It is here that the would create their own world where they find comfort and security among each other as they still brought with them their xenophobia and as such they rely on each other for help in any circumstances.

The literature to be discussed here is a 1912 wanted poster published by the San Francisco Police Department for a Wong Yuk.  He was deported for reasons not stated but he escaped and was suspected of hiding somewhere in Chinatown (San Francisco Chief of Police, 1912).

It can be inferred from this poster that the Chinatown community could be harboring him.  He could be an illegal immigrant who came to the country illegally and this could explain why he was being deported.  It can be further impaired that he must be determined to stay in America which was why he escaped and could probably be hiding in Chinatown.  One thing outsiders would discover would be that the Chinese are very clannish and would protect one of their own from justice.  It does not also help when they are objects of discrimination and harassment which makes them band together even more for protection.

Theme Sentiment Concerning the Chinese   Illustrations from Periodicals
There are times when words or text may not be enough to send the message through to the audience and when this happens, visual images like paintings, illustrations and photographs would serve as an alternative in sending the message.  In the context of the above-mentioned theme, such image can make such an impact and create an impression faster than words.

This illustration is take from the periodical The Wasp dated December 1880.  The eagle in the center symbolizes the United States taking cover as ships carrying Chinese unload them in droves and in a seemingly unending stream.  This can be viewed in two different perspectives depending on ones persuasion.  In one perspective, this underscores that the Chinese are here to stay and will keep coming no matter what the authorities might try to do to stop them.  They are determined to come to America because of the opportunities it promises to anyone who comes   a chance for a new life and to prosper and live freely as how one wishes to.

This illustration can also be viewed negatively and with prejudice and one may think that the Chinese pose a threat to the way of life of Americans.  One obvious reason is they are numerous and there will never be a shortage of immigrants arriving on American soil.  They are threat because they stand to  steal  jobs from Americans.  As stated earlier, Chinese laborers were brought in for cheap labor, getting paid less and best of all, they were hard-working and considered more reliable than  spoiled  and pampered American laborers.  This was another reason for the discrimination.