The Chinese in America: A Narrative History

By John | Thursday, August 9, 2007 | View Comments

I recently finished reading “The Chinese in America: A Narrative History” by Iris Chang which is an excellent and expansive overview of the history of Chinese immigration and Chinese-Americans, with even a chapter devoted to Taiwanese immigration.

What is amazing to learn in more depth is the level of official and day-to-day discrimination Chinese and Chinese-Americans (as well as Asian-Americans in general) have faced since the California Gold Rush days, from the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) to wrongful persecution of Dr. Wen Ho Lee, and how Chinese/Americans have been viewed historically as “foreigners” and not “real Americans,” though I do think the book tends cover discrimination a bit too much, considering I think the Chinese have had it a whole lot better than African Americans or Native Americans (or let’s say, Japanese Americans). Still, the book is still an excellent read if you want to learn about the history of the Chinese in America.

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http://www.merchantsmirror.com Ben Hwang

Totally agree. Greatest thing about Chinese? We actually have a good stereotype. I mean, who doesn’t want the whole “smart” thing going on.
http://life.firelace.com darkmoon

Totally agree. Greatest thing about Chinese? We actually have a good stereotype. I mean, who doesn’t want the whole “smart” thing going on.
http://jozjozjoz.com jozjozjoz

Darkmoon: Shall we start a debate on the Model Minority (Myth)?
http://jozjozjoz.com jozjozjoz

Darkmoon: Shall we start a debate on the Model Minority (Myth)?
http://www.merchantsmirror.com Ben Hwang

Sure. Then you can come to the South, and try out your theories.
http://life.firelace.com darkmoon

Sure. Then you can come to the South, and try out your theories.
http://www.merchantsmirror.com Ben Hwang

And believe me…. I know that the model minority thing is disappearing fast.. but it existed enough when I was growing up, and I grew up in the Seattle area. It’s still around… you just have to know where to find it.
http://life.firelace.com darkmoon

And believe me…. I know that the model minority thing is disappearing fast.. but it existed enough when I was growing up, and I grew up in the Seattle area. It’s still around… you just have to know where to find it.
http://www.8asians.com/2008/02/09/the-chinese-of-california-a-struggle-for-community/ 8Asians.com » The Chinese of California: a Struggle for Community: An Asian American/Asian Canadian Blog

[...] you’ve read The Chinese in America: A Narritive History, you will remember the many documented struggles to fight discrimination for early Chinese [...]
dwilliams

If one really wants to get into the Chinese American struggle please go read the book Driven Out and one will get a better understanding and to John who thinks Chinese Americans had a better than African Americans or NAtive Americans problably needs to go rethink that theory.
dwilliams

If one really wants to get into the Chinese American struggle please go read the book Driven Out and one will get a better understanding and to John who thinks Chinese Americans had a better than African Americans or NAtive Americans problably needs to go rethink that theory.
http://www.8asians.com John

Hmmm. The United States almost killed off native americans (can one use the word genocide?) and brought Africans over as slaves to the U.S. I’ll have to take a look at Driven Out, but I’m not sure the Chinese-American experience can be compared on the same scale as African Americans and Native Americans.
http://www.8asians.com John

Hmmm. The United States almost killed off native americans (can one use the word genocide?) and brought Africans over as slaves to the U.S. I’ll have to take a look at Driven Out, but I’m not sure the Chinese-American experience can be compared on the same scale as African Americans and Native Americans.

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