Immigration Journey
The following list of books explores the theme of “immigration journey” that A Piece from Home introduces. It is a present day 21st- century story where father, as a professional, has the opportunity to come to the United States and bring his family. This collection of books that get into other stories – contemporary and historical – consider immigration journeys from Angel Island to refugee camps.
Landed by Millie Le and Yangsook Choi
Sun is ready to leave his village in China for America, the place known as Gum Saan, Gold Mountain. His father warns him, though, that passage will not be easy. Because of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, new immigrants like Sun are detained at Angel Island until they are called to take a difficult oral exam before they can "land" – leave Angel Island and go ashore. On the boat, Sun had studied maps of his village and memorized facts about his ancestors. But as the weeks pass in detainment, the map's compass points swirl in his memory, and Sun worries that he will lose his direction and be turned away. The oil paintings are rich with historical details in this vivid recounting, based on the author's father-in-law's experiences, of a disturbing chapter in Chinese American history.
I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story by Grace Lin and Martha Brockenbrough
In 1873, Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco, California to parents from China. Chinese immigrants suffered much prejudice living in California. His parents left San Francisco in 1890 to go back to China while he stayed with relatives in California. Wong Kim Ark visited his parents in 1894 on a temporary trip. When he returned to San Francisco, he was not allowed to enter the United States because officials said he was not a citizen. He was put in prison because of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Law that did not allow Chinese workers into the United States. Lawyers sued to get him out of prison in district court.
At that time Wong Kim Ark was about 21 years old. He argued that since he was born in San Francisco, he was a citizen. Members of the Chinese community pooled their finances and hired several lawyers to represent Wong Kim Ark. His case went all the way to the Supreme Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that due to the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, since Wong Kim Ark was born in the United States, he was a citizen even though his parents were from China.
Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist by Julie Leung
Arriving on Angel Island while the Chinese Exclusion Act was in effect, nine-year-old Tyrus Wong was separated from his father, left with only his forged immigration papers and a fake name. He was born in China as Wong Geng Yeo. At 9 years-old, he became a boy named Look Tai Yow and immigrated to America with his father, who pretended to be a merchant so he could enter the country. Look Tai Yow had to work hard to memorize the answers to many questions before he could enter as a “paper son.” In America, his teachers changed his name to Tyrus Wong. He had traveled from China to America with only a suitcase and immigration papers to start a new life. Tyrus seized every opportunity to make art, eventually enrolling at an art institute in Los Angeles. Working as a janitor at night, his mop twirled like a paintbrush in his hands. Eventually, he was given the opportunity of a lifetime--and using sparse brushstrokes and soft watercolors, Tyrus created the iconic backgrounds of Bambi.
Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say
A Japanese American man recounts his Japanese grandfather's journey to America and subsequent travels around the United States, as well as his return trips to Japan. The author describes the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries.
A Banquet for Cecilia: How Cecilia Chiang Revolutionized Chinese Food in America by Julie Leung
Cecilia Chaing was born and raised in an upper-class family in Beijing, China, who savored traditional Chinese recipes and foods. Cecilia was forced to flee, mostly on foot - 1000 miles away from her home in during the Japanese occupation of her part of China in World War II. Eventually she came to the United States after the war, as communism took hold of the country. She settled in San Francisco along with many of her fellow countrymen and women and eventually opened her own restaurant - where she practiced preparing and serving over 200 traditional Chinese dishes. Her recipes altered from what Americans of that time considered Chinese food which more like fast-take-out food: quick and inexpensive. The book has examples of recipes from many parts of China, along with descriptions of the traditional fresh ingredients, sauces, and spices. The book ends with photographs and further explanation of Cecilia’s contributions to the culinary world.
Dumpling Dreams: How Joyce Chen Brought the Dumpling from Beijing to Cambridge by Carrie Clickard and Katy Wu
Brought up in pre-revolutionary China, Jia Chen left Shanghai with her husband and two children in 1949 to immigrate to the U.S., where she settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Young Jia (later renamed Joyce) learned to cook with a man the text simply calls Cook, possibly a family servant, mastering the traditional art of making dumplings, noodles, and sweet rice balls. At the dragon boat festival, she proudly presents her father with her own creation, zongzi rice packages tightly tied "with five bright strings." Once in the U.S., Joyce and her family face the challenge of life in America. Chen becomes a mentor to other Chinese immigrants and is soon inspired to open a restaurant. The restaurant is immediately popular, but her dumplings aren't. She overcomes the perception of Chinese food as "gluey stew" by rebranding her dumplings as "Peking Ravioli." A cookbook and a TV show soon follow, and she has successfully introduced authentic Chinese cuisine to the East Coast. A timeline, glossary, bibliography, and dumpling recipes are included.
From the Tops of the Trees by Kao Kalia Yang
This is true story of the love between a father and a daughter. Four-year -old Kalia has never known life beyond the fences of the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp. The Thai camp held many thousands of Hmong families who fled in the aftermath of the little-known Secret War in Laos that was waged during America's Vietnam War. For Kalia and her cousins, life wasn’t always easy, but they found ways to play, racing with chickens and riding a beloved pet dog.
Kalia is still figuring out her place in the world as are the adults, awaiting their future in the world as they hope for resettlement outside of the camps. When she asks what is beyond the fence, at first her father has no answers for her. But on the following day, he leads her to the tallest tree in the camp and, in her father's arms, Kalia gets to see a world beyond.
Comments: