Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
Angel Island
Angel Island was a difficult time for many immigrants that had to suffer through a system created primarily to be against them. Not only were some unfortunate enough to be there for months, but they were also treated as less-than-human with not much hope that they would be released to the mainland. It was a place that could break a spirit. However, the kindness of others and working together helped many of the immigrants forge ahead. One example of this help was coaching notes. Immigrants on the island went through extremely thorough interrogations with asinine questions such as what the floors in their Chinese home were made of and which direction it faced.[37] If there were any discrepancies with their answers, they could be denied entry and forced to return to their home country. To limit these mistakes, coaching notes were snuck into the facility through unsuspecting items like coins and peanuts. Sample answers were written in Chinese characters on the sides of coins or placed in empty peanut shells and snuck into the facility by either relatives or the kitchen staff.[38] Besides the notes, the Angel Island Liberty Association also helped stabilize the community while inside. It was composed of a group of men in charge of introducing new detainees to the rules and keeping the peace. They even served as mediators between the detainees and the government.[39] The presence of the group helped the community at Angel Island feel more united and reminded them that they were not going through these trials alone.
Chinatowns
Once the immigrants passed through Angel Island, the question of where to settle emerged next. Chinatowns in cities such as San Francisco and New York, were initially formed out of racial segregation, but luckily, were able to serve the needs of newcomers and long time residents. In these areas, Chinese immigrants were able to be near family and friends, speak their native language, and attain a start to employment. This link still exists in the present. “Chinatown remains a gateway for new immigrants and a continuing safe haven for old ones,”[40] Bonnie Tsui states in American Chinatown: A People’s History of Five Neighborhoods. When one feels discouraged at the culture shock of living in another country, they have the option to visit a Chinatown to remember themselves.
One of the ways Chinatowns are able to function as an anchor for the Chinese American community is to provide resources to ensure success in the United States. For example, the Joy Lok resource center in the San Francisco Chinatown is a necessary hub for immigrant families. They provide a bridge to American-style culture through children playgroups aimed at modeling age-appropriate activities to help the development of children for parents in the community. Additionally, they make the effort to introduce these immigrants to areas outside of Chinatown to familiarize them with larger society.[41]
These Chinatowns also help continue the connection between Chinese people and their ethnic country, which have been especially important for children. Learning about the history of Chinatowns builds an appreciation in the youth about the community, and that appreciation is key to its survival. There are numerous youth-based initiatives dedicated to maintaining the neighborhood like the Adopt-An-Alleyway program in San Francisco.[42] The founder, Norman Fong, asked high school students what problems they had with the area, and when they answered with the odor of the alleyways, they worked together to take care of the issue. When asked why Fong is so focused on the youth, a younger coworker named Rosa Wong-Chie answered that he wants to “keep Chinatown alive.”[43]
For Chinese people who did not grow up in Chinatown, the community still holds space for them. It becomes a place where they can attend Chinese school, get authentic Chinese food, and become further acquainted with their Chinese heritage. In New York’s Chinatown, a martial-arts and lion-dance school named Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu exists to introduce people to a traditional style of Chinese dancing. An added benefit of this dance school is that it has given students a place to go to avoid getting involved with gang life and staying in school.[44] Exemplifying the importance of Chinatown being a tie to Chinese culture, one lion-dance group student explains, “I want to experience a little bit of it and retain it in myself, so although I’m an American, I don’t forget that I’m also of Chinese blood.”[45]
Interethnic and Interracial Community Building
In this conversation about community, the importance of community between different groups cannot be forgotten. Mary Paik Lee, a Korean immigrant in the United States, says in her autobiography, “Due to our mutual problems, all minorities felt a sympathetic bond with one other.”[46] For this reason, she made sure to patronize stores owned by Black and Mexican people and vice versa. Activist Grace Lee Boggs also internalized this mindset and worked to fight for civil rights, Black Power, and women’s rights. She fought for the belief that “people of all races and ethnicities [could] live together in harmony”[47] and made a difference with her work. Continuing the efforts of Boggs, a movement by Asian Americans set out to spurn the term “Orientals” and popularize the moniker “Asian Americans” to refer to all Asian ethnic groups.[48] This led to the creation of the Asian American Political Alliance, which platformed interracial solidarity with other groups of color such as African Americans, Chicanos, Puerto Ricans, and Native Americans.[49] Together, these groups were able to work together towards their goal of diminishing their oppression.
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