ipl-logo

The Chinese-Americans In Wang Lung's The Good Earth

505 Words3 Pages

My grandparents made a sacrifice for their future generations by leaving this village in hope of a better life. As I stare at the filthy, impoverished houses, I can't help but wonder how some poor, Chinese villagers from nowhere had the audacity, grit, and determination to leave the village where years and years of family history are woven into the rich, Southern Chinese soil.

I recall Wang Lung from The Good Earth, who became wealthy, forgetting his humble beginnings and everything he valued as a simple, humble farmer. As quite prominent Chinese-Americans, we remember this story's teachings, and believe remembering our modest beginnings and giving thanks to those who came before is crucial. After all, all we are we owe to them. Therefore, …show more content…

Out of nowhere, the heavens begin pouring. The farmers frantically begin sweeping and covering the rice. Rain is friend and foe as it is prayed for during growing season, but unappreciated when packing, as rain is moisture, and moisture is mold.

My mom races out of the cab and begins to help sweep the billions of grains of rice. The farmers stare incredulously. Who is this strange woman who offers unwanted help? I watch, astounded, as one farmer recognizes my mother, and immediately, everyone starts laughing and reminiscing about old times in loud, joyous, Tai Shan dialect. I smile and grab a broom as I dumbly realize--these are my people!

The downpour ceases. Everyone throws down their brooms, looks at me, at my mom, and then back at me. They welcome me with real Southern Chinese warmth and enthusiasm. But, I cannot offer a reply in return; it is an awkward, disconnected moment as they realize, disappointed, that the land of the Gold Mountain failed to teach me the culture and language of our ancestors. I feel out of place with my American clothes, shoes, and mannerisms. For once, I truly regret not learning the

Show More
Related

The Monkey King's Loss Of Power: American Born Chinese By Gene Luen Yang

709 Words | 3 Pages

“Silly monkey. You were never out of my reach. You only fooled yourself.”. These wise words from Tze-Yo-Tzuh set the stage for The Monkey King’s nadir. In particular, on pages 76 and 77, the author portrays The Monkey King's loss of power.

Read More

Jin Wang's Identity In American Born Chinese

491 Words | 2 Pages

According to Forbes, 147 million people worry about their identities but one billion people don’t have an identity. In the novel American Born Chinese there are many different cultures within one community which causes a collision between the people. Jin Wang moved from a San Francisco Chinatown to a more Americanized neighborhood where he finds himself immediately getting bullied for being Asian. Jin Wang's interaction with the American culture had a significant impact on his development, so he tried to change himself physically and was willing to throw away his identity, showing that most people have this ongoing desire to change to be accepted. Jin Wang was so adamant about fitting in that changing himself physically after getting bullied at school.

Read More

The Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet Quotes

575 Words | 3 Pages

"The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford is a captivating coming-of-age story that follows the life of Henry Lee, a Chinese-American boy growing up in Seattle during World War II. Throughout the novel, Henry experiences profound personal growth and self-discovery as he navigates the complexities of racial tensions, family expectations, and first love. This essay will explore how four quotes from the book exemplify the transformative journey of Henry's coming of age. Paragraph 1: In the early stages of the novel, a young Henry grapples with his dual identity as an American-born Chinese.

Read More

Summary Of Chinese In All Of Us By Richard Rodriguez

1076 Words | 5 Pages

From a modern viewpoint, arguments are thought to be the cause for rifts that occur in relationships. Only when thinking objectively will it become apparent that the arguments themselves are harmless. The real reason relationships turn sour is due to ineffective arguing. When each viewpoint of an argument is conveyed successfully, along with coherent reasoning, the opposer will be able to clearly understand the conclusion. The purpose of an argument is to compel someone to agree with a certain set of views.

Read More

I Never Had It Made Poem Analysis

659 Words | 3 Pages

Feng Ru was an immigrant who passed obstacles to change his and our country. It was dangerous, because, ”during one test flight Feng lost control of his airplane (not an unusual occurrence) which plunged into his workshop setting it ablaze.” This was a great risk he took and he could have died doing it. But this hadn’t been the only problem, there other obstacles too. Rebecca states,”San Francisco’s massive earthquakes and resulting fires forced him to relocate to Oakland instead, where, funded by local Chinese businessmen, Feng erected his 10 by 8 foot shack.”

Read More

Qian Julie Wang's Memoir 'Beautiful Country'

1280 Words | 6 Pages

Qian Julie Wang’s memoir, “Beautiful Country” portrays her experiences immigrating from China to the United States at a young age. She discusses her challenges in adapting to a new culture and school system, changes in her family’s financial situation, and the constant fear of deportation as an undocumented immigrant. Through her personal story, the author sheds light on the struggles faced by immigrants in the United States, particularly those who are undocumented, and the emotional toll these experiences can have on individuals and families. In her memoir, Wang describes several biographical disruptions she experienced as an immigrant to the United States. These include the sudden switch in the family’s economic status, Julie’s transition

Read More

Unpolished Gem Analysis

935 Words | 4 Pages

Alice presents the idea that the relationship between Chinese children and their parents is one quite different from that of Australian children and their parents. ‘These were questions Chinese children never asked their parents.’ (Page 144) She suggests that different etiquette and customs are undertaken and that the bond between them differs. Alice alludes to the idea that these differences in the home are the foundation for the differences Alice perceives socially.

Read More

Misconceptions Of The Chinese People In 'Go West' By Peter Hessler

352 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout “Go West,” Peter Hessler explains the egotistical differences between people living in China and those living in America. For one, their curiosity lies in different places; in Hessler’s words, “Most Chinese were intensely curious about foreign life” (48). In his experience, people in China held many misconceptions about the quality of American life, so whenever they were presented with the opportunity to learn more, they took it. That being said, Hessler also comments, “many Chinese had impressed me as virtually uninterested in themselves or their communities” (53). In other words, the curiosity of the Chinese extends far enough to reach the other end of the globe, but it still maintains a decent distance from their own cities.

Read More

Racial Fault Lines Analysis

1871 Words | 8 Pages

Chapter six examines the anti-Chinese sentiment with the emerging class antagonism and turmoil between white capitalists and workers. The unwelcomed arrival of Chinese immigrants brought along their own social organizations such as the huiguan, fongs, and tongs. These types of social organizations secured areas of employment and housing for Chinese immigrants in California. This social structure that was unknown to Anglos led them to also categorize Chinese on the same level as Indians by depicting them as lustful heathens whom were out to taint innocent white women. These images were also perpetuated onto Chinese women, thus, also sexualizing them as all prostitutes.

Read More

China Camp History

845 Words | 4 Pages

After visiting China camp state park I learned that the Chinese battled through nativism and the Chinese exclusion act to try and set a up a sustainable village for themselves. China camp was founded in the 1870 by 60 men, ages 12-65. They came for the gold but had to find other work when the gold was nowhere to be found. Many chinese were farm labourers of The Mcnear brothers who owned all the coastal land. They supplemented their work by setting up these shrimp fisheries.

Read More

Examples Of Assimilation In Fahrenheit 451

1028 Words | 5 Pages

Living as a Chinese-American, the narrator had to take on American attributes in order to be accepted -- for example, while normal Chinese women spoke with strong and assertive voices, the narrator adopted a whisper in order to appear “American-feminine. ”(1) As a result, however, her shy demeanor caused her to be an unpopular outcast. She saw herself in another Chinese-American girl at her school, as they had certain, negative similarities. “I hated the younger sister, the quiet one.

Read More

Chinese Immigrants: The Chinese Gold Rush

316 Words | 2 Pages

Chinese Immigrants: The Gold Rush Like the other nations in the world, the Chinese Empire was represented in the California Gold Rush. At the beginning of 1849 only about fifty Chinese men participated in the Gold Rush. By the year 1876 a steady flow of Chinese immigrants entered California, an amazing amount of 116,000 Chinese were engaged in the great search for gold. The cause of the mass immigration of the Chinese was the war, famine, and poor economy in China.

Read More

Plot Elements In American Born Chinese

461 Words | 2 Pages

In American Born Chinese, there are many plot elements used to make readers feel multiple things. Three elements I will be talking about in this essay are parallel plots, foreshadowing, and conflict. I will give some examples from the story that show how the author used the three plot elements. I will also explain whether or not I think these plot elements were successfully used.

Read More

Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet Quotes

894 Words | 4 Pages

Henry didn’t hesitate. He touched the doorknob, feeling the brass could and hard in his hand. He looked back, speaking his best Cantonese. ‘I… am an American” (185). For Henry, standing up to his father was a hard thing to do.

Read More

Characterization In The Paper Menagerie

840 Words | 4 Pages

Read this quote from the text. “There I was, a ten-year-old orphan.…six years I lived like this…She told me about American men who wanted Asian wives. If I can cook, clean, and take care of my American husband, he’ll give me a good life. It was the only hope I had. No one understood me, and I understood nothing

Read More

More about The Chinese-Americans In Wang Lung's The Good Earth

Related Topics

Open Document