Examples Of Assimilation In The Joy Luck Club

Kaydence Kelly

Mr. Launius

APUSH, Period 6

2 March 2023

Assimilation in America It is often difficult for humans to imagine themselves in someone else’s shoes. The walk of life is seen from a billion different perspectives and it can be hard to empathize with someone of a very different walk. Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club offers views from the lives of four Chinese immigrant women who have faced unspeakable tragedy in their homeland. America may be considered the melting pot of cultures, but American history portrays a common theme of discrimination against those seeking asylum. Immigrants such as the Joy Luck women have experienced the struggle to assimilate into American society while continuing to honor their ancestral traditions and culture.

As an influx of Chinese immigrants entered the United States, Americans felt that their jobs were being threatened. The Chinese were willing to work for lower wages that average Americans would not have setteled for, making it easier for employers to exploit them. Many Americans felt threatened by the amount of Chinese immigrants taking jobs in America, and "while skilled and organized workers did not necessarily compete with Chinese workers, many were frustrated because they felt they were losing ground during the post-Civil War depression" (Matsubara 35). After the fight to create a nation of opportunity, Americans felt that their hard work was being undone by Chinese immigrants. A competitive job market, coupled with different physical features led many Americans to resent the Chinese. During the economic depression of the 1870s “a rising tide of racism was especially extreme in the Pacific coast states where the majority of Chinese immigrants lived” (Henretta, et al 561). Chinese people were seen as filthy and expendable; a hindrance to American society. San Francisco, California, was a hotspot for Chinese immigrants and is also the setting for The Joy Luck Club. Cultural bias against Asians has remained a common theme throughout American history. From the Chinese immigrants of the early 1800s, to the immigrant women of The Joy Luck Club and present-day history, the Chinese

Because of the pressure to quickly fit in, immigrants often lose touch with their native roots, leaving them feeling alone in a completely new society. Although America has come a long way from its past extremes of racial discrimination, it is still difficult for immigrants to feel accepted in American society as they continue to face discrimination.

Works Cited

Henretta, James A., et al. America’s History. 8th ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2014.

Matsubara, Hiroyuki. “Stratified Whiteness and Sexualized Chinese Immigrants in San

Francisco: The Report of the California Special Committee on Chinese Immigration in 1876.” American Studies International, vol. 41, no. 3, Oct. 2003, pp. 32–59. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ofs&AN=509390091&site=ehost-liv

Olsen, Laurie. “Learning English and Learning America: Immigrants in the Center of a

Storm.” Theory Into Practice, vol. 39, no. 4, Sept. 2000, pp. 196–202. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ofs&AN=507725152&site=ehost-live Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club. Penguin,