Chinese-American History

Paper Summary:

The paper attempts to explore the historiography of Chinese-Americans and the impact that the Exclusion Act had on shaping the course of Chinese-American culture. The paper examines why so many Chinese immigrants continued to flock to America in droves if they knew of the hardships and discrimination they would face in America. The paper discovers several historical myths that are not based on primary sources or quantitative data. The paper presents a new approach to Chinese-American history and claims that it will have a dramatic impact on future perceptions of Chinese-Americans.

Outline:
History and Impact of the Exclusion Act
Identity Crisis
A New Generation of Historiographers
Location Specific Works
On Primary Sources

From the Paper:

"Erik Lee explored the impact and motive behind the actions of Chinese immigrants in his book At America's Gates. Lee relates the experiences of Chinese Americans to the immigration story of his Grandfather. In this case, he has first had knowledge of the events and their impact on Chinese Americans. This personal experience apparently sparked his interest in the topic of how the Exclusion act impacted other Chinese American Immigrants and their families. Lee uses primary sources to draw his conclusions and support his thesis. He relied exclusively on the documents of immigrants and those that were deported as his data source. This gives his work an incredible air of reliability."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Chen, S. Being Chinese, Becoming Chinese American, Shehong Chen, University of Illinois Press, 2002.
• Chen, Y. Chinese San Francisco, 1850-1943: A Trans-Pacific Community. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2000.
• Cheng, C., Lee, F., and Benet-Martinez, V. "Assimilation and Contrast Effects in Cultural Frame Switching: Bicultural Identity Integration and Valence of Cultural Cues." ournal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Vol. 37 No. 6. pp. 742 - 76 (2006).
• Chew, K., Chao, R., Leach, M., and Lio, J. "Revolving Door to Gold Mountain: How Chinese Immigrants got Around U.S. Exclusion and Replenished the Chinese American Labor Force, 1900-1910." Population Association of America. Publication Number PAA05: 9.23.04. Office of Population Research, Princeton University. Pp. 1-6.
• Chew, K. and J.M. Liu. "Hidden in Plain Sight: Global Labor Force Exchange inThe Chinese American Population of the 19th and Early 20th Centuries." Population and Development Review. vol. 30 No. 1. pp. 57-78 (2004).

More papers on Chinese-American History:

• Term Paper # 53024 : "Chinese-American History and Culture"
• Essay # 54331 : "Chinese-Americans"
• Case Study # 92387 : "Chinese Immigration to America"

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