ASAM paper

Xinyu Shang

ASAM 100AA

Week 2 Reading Journal

The readings this week offer a critical and interesting account on Chinese

immigrants as well as the relationship between China and America. In the reading,

“Reminiscences of a Pioneer Student (1923)” Wen Bing offers an interesting account on

how American missionaries penetrated China preaching the need for education. These

missionaries helped sponsor hundreds of Chinese students to America for education. The

intention of the education sponsorship was to help impact the Chinese students with

technological skills that would help develop China into a strong and prosperous nation.

Nevertheless, the program ended abruptly in 1881 as a result of the Chinese students

being too Americanized and also because of growing poor relations between China and

the United States. All in all, in his account Wen Bing maintains that the educational

program was very important in China and helped shaped the country into a prosperous

state with vast opportunities for its citizens. The students who benefited from the

sponsorship program were able to occupy high offices which helped shaped the country

despite fears that they had been negatively affected by being in America.

The other reading that offers an interesting account of the relationship between

China and America is “Memorial of Chinese Laborers at Rock Springs, Wyoming

(1885).” The reading illustrates how efforts to eliminate the Chinese from jobs resulted in

violence from the whites. The Massacre of the Chinese at Rock Springs, Wyoming in

1885 featured an attack on the Chinese by the whites where the massacre was triggered

by the Chinese miners refusing to join the white miners in a strike for increased wages.

The racial hostilities further intensified resulting in the killing and even burning of the

shacks that belonged to the Chinese. The reading thus shows the negative effects brought

about by the racial hostilities between China and America where the Chinese workers in

the United States suffered at the hands of the whites who perceived them as a threat for

job opportunities and advancement.

The third reading that also shows the strained relationship between China and

America in the 19th century. The reading “Why Am I a Heathen? (1887)” which was

written by Wong Chin Foo features an account of the Chinese culture as well as the plight

of the Chinese in America. In this reading, Wong Chin gives an interesting account of

how despite acquiring a Christian education, he still remained true to the Confucian

ideals of morality and goodness. In his account he details that he was not impressed by

the hypocrisy and prejudices of the American Christian students against the Chinese

students. According to Wong Chin, the American Christians were always obsessed with

religion, building big churches and making long prayers yet their neighborhoods were

marked with wickedness. The reading is very interesting as it shows how the Christian

religion which is perceived to be ‘ideal’ is clouded by multiple flaws.

Lastly, the reading “Experiments in Restriction” gives an account of the Chinese

Exclusion Act which prohibited the immigration of the Chinese laborers into America.

The reading details how the Chinese immigrants suffered at the hands of the Americans

where they were often detained without trial and even deported illegally. In the reading,

“A Bowlful of Tears” Lee Puey extends on the same by giving her an immigration

account at Angel Island. Lee Puey gives a rather sad account of how she was denied entry

into the United States and was instead detained at Angel Island for over 20 months before

being deported. Lee Puey illustrates how her detainment featured sexual exploitation and

institutional racism. Both readings play a key role in understanding the struggles and

triumphs that featured the immigration saga of the Chinese into the United States hence

bringing about a better appreciation of Chinese history and a better understanding of the

relationship that existed between China and America.