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Teaching the Chinese Immigrant's Story - Angel Island (1910-1940) 

By Steven M. Baumann

BACKGROUND INFORMATION TO THE CHINESE IMMIGRATION

Historically, the Chinese have viewed themselves as a sufficient people who have greatly contributed to the world's inventions, a country with plenty of resources. Closed off to the rest of the world, Marco Polo first mixed East with West, opening a new relationship. However, the Chinese never sought after trade, or a relationship with the west for that matter. Not until the west sought by force trade relations with China did the East consider emigration from its shores. The calculated effort by the British to introduce Opium to the Chinese resulted in the Opium Wars of 1839-1842 and 1856-1860, which hooked a generation to this drug, giving the west an upper-hand in trade. Losing the wars, the Chinese Court was forced to trade and open their shores to legalized emigration.

As Ronald Takaki states in his book, Strangers From A Different Shore, "They went as wah gung, Chinese laborers, as sojourners hopeful they would be able to work in a foreign country and return home rich in three to five years...Beginning in the 1840's and 1850's, they departed by the tens of thousands" Approximately 46,000 immigrants arrived in Hawaii in the second half of the nineteenth century and about 380,000 in the U.S. mainland between 1849 and 1930. It is estimated that 2,500,000 emigrated from China, to go to the nations of the world, between 1840 and 1900.' Wars, starvation and little hope of a bright future drove these people from their homes, to seek after fortune. Most intended to bring back their fortunes home and settle with their families. In doing, most left their wives and children in China.

Takaki, Ronald. Strangers From A Different Shore. New York: Penguin Books. 1989. Pg. 31.

While conditions at home were ripe for leaving for new lands, the west advertised laborers to come abroad, making boasts that one could work hard for a period of time and come back rich. Workers were needed in Hawaii to grow sugar and laborers were needed in California to build the transatlantic railroad. The backbreaking work in Hawaii, tending the sugar, required workers that could labor all day-12 to 14 hours. Plantation owners recognized that the native Hawaiians and whites were unwilling to give the intensive labor that would make them rich, sought after the hardworking immigrants. While pay was significantly higher in the islands of Hawaii, comparatively, the Chinese laborers were paid little. In doing so, the costs were reduced, and the incentive of those laborers were high.

California sent shock-waves throughout the world with the discovery of gold. California became a place where dreams could come true. Many Chinese immigrated to California from Hawaii, in search of this gold. At first they were wanted in California. Workers were needed to build the railroad, but by the time the work was completed, there was an excess of labor that competed with the white population. They resented this. Women were allowed to come to Hawaii, but not the mainland. The Chinese were considered temporary workers that would soon leave, when the work was completed, A law in 1875 that was intended to eliminate prostitutes from coming to the U.S. was interpreted so strictly that most all women could not come to the mainland. In 1882 the Chinese Exclusionary Law forbid laborers from coming to the country, great to the satisfaction of white unions in the United States.

Immigration to the U.S. was greatly curtailed until the turn of the century. In 1906, the great earthquake decimated the records of Chinese immigrants. Thousands in China claimed to be sons and daughters of laborers in the United States, maintaining that they were born in America, thus U.S. Citizens. Because their claims could not be proven true or false, as a result of the destruction of records in San Francisco, the U.S. Government resorted to closely monitoring of individuals who arrived by boat. The place of inquiry and detainment became known as "Angel Island." Angel Island became the Ellis Island of the west.

Unlike Ellis Island, however, the Chinese were detained in concentration camps for weeks or even months. If officials were unsatisfied with testimonies by those who were attempting to enter the country and their relatives in the United States, they would be sent straight back to China. In order to get past the customs check-point at Angel Island, a "Paper Son" received and memorized information on the boat that would need to exactly match what the "father" gave to officials. While some were eligible, the majority were relatives that claimed to be born in the United States, or had paid a Chinese worker for this "Paper Son" status to enter into the country. Officials at Angel Island understood what was taking place, so they felt justified in treating these immigrants with contempt. Unfortunately, these officials and the people who made them forgot that they too were once immigrants.
 

THE IMMIGRATION EXPERIENCE: ANGEL ISLAND

Objective: To teach kids the importance of understanding and appreciating one's history and family immigration experiences. By constructing these narratives one can look at others without judging them by their appearance, language or ethnic differences.

Day One

DAY TWO Day Three  
The west wind ruffles my thin gauze clothing. 
On the hill sits a tall building with a room of wooden planks. 
I wish I could travel on a cloud far away, reunite with my wife and son. 
When the moonlight shines on me alone, the nights seem even longer. 
At the head of the bed there is wine and my heart is constantly drunk. 
There is no flower beneath my pillow and my dreams are not sweet. To 
whom can I confide my innermost feelings? 
I rely solely on close friends to relieve my loneliness.
America has power, but not justice. 
In prison, we were victimized as if we were guilty. 
Given no opportunity to explain, it was really brutal. 
I bow my head in reflection but there is nothing I can do.

A casual reading of this text could easily sense the despair and anguish felt by the author(s). How could America crush the dreams of these people, who claimed to take the peoples of the world to her shores? The grim reality contradicted the promise of liberty and freedom for all. America in all her glory denied many the chance to receive the promises she had made.

The quality of the food served on Angel Island was suspect. Often food would be dropped or thrown as a form of protest. Signs were placed in the cafeteria (in Chinese) warning immigrants not to drop their food.

Disturbances such as riots even broke out. One such riot in 1919 took place that caused federal troops to be called in to restore order. A year later, Washington D.C. authorities decided to change the scenario by serving better food.
 
Random Thoughts While Staying in the Building 
For days I have been without freedom on Island 
In reduced circumstances now, I mingle with the prisoners. 
Grievances fill my belly; 1 rely on poetry to express them.  
A pile of clods bloat my chest and I wash it with wine. 
Because my country is weak I have become aware of the laws of growth and decay. 
In pursuit of wealth I have come to understand the principles of expansion and diminution. 
When I am idle, I have this wild dream That I have gained the western barbarian's consent to enter America
Bored and filled with a hundred feelings, 1 am imprisoned in the building. 
Seeing the surroundings stirs one who is sad. How can one stop the tears? 
I recall the ship starting off for the land of America. 
Looking back, the moon has repeated a cycle. 
The actual detainment, as difficult as it was became even more resented, because other immigrants from other nations were given relatively quick process and release to begin their new lives on the mainland.

While the visitors to the U.S. felt alone and without help, not all were unsympathetic to the plight of the Chinese. One such caring woman was a regular to the island became known as the "Angel of Angel Island." She was Deaconess Katharine Maurer (1881-1962), who was appointed in 1912 through the Methodist Episcopal Church, by the Women's Home Missionary Society. Through her work many immigrants were able to learn English and receive services that made life more bearable. She was sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The focus of her work especially aided the women and children.

Lai, Him Mark. Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, 1910-1940. Seattle: University of Washington Press. 1991.
 
I left my native village and drifted to the American continent 
The moon has waned and waxed in turn several times 
My family anxiously waits for me to mail them news 
It is difficult to meet the wild geese and my sorrow is unending
I remember since boarding a ship to America 
Till now. the moon has waned twice 
I want to send a letter of comfort but regret that there is little time 
The family is expectant but their hopes are in vain
I came to the United States because I was poor 
How was I to know fate would be so perverse as to imprison me 
News and letters do not reach me and I can only fantasize. 
I hear no news so who sympathizes with me?
I have been in the wooden building for more than ten days 
My eyes have seen people being deported back 
Witnessing that scene makes one sad 
Spending more than five thousand golden coins 
I drifted alone to this place 
If I am unlucky enough to be deported, my parents will be grieved. 
The interest piles one on top of another 
I do nor know yet when it will be completely repaid to the creditor.
Amongst the Asian people, specifically the Chinese male, it was critical to have the respect from others. "Losing face" was not merely a shameful experience felt by one person, but by a whole family and clan. An individual that was forced to return to China, rejected by the host country was a stigma that would unlikely be shaken. Returning to China humiliated was far dreaded than a life of poverty at home or abroad.

BIBLIOGRAPHY