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\A CY ~n 4:, t TIC 2c w0_& CSWa T,I..lup , 1-6., . 1, Aim. E. U. Chinese DOCU14Th tNO. 268-A LIhE HISTORY Oit H....I...., Los Angeles, Jan.25, 1925. EARLY LIFE. I was a family-supported student and belonged to a well to-do family in shanghai, China. I knew nothing aboutl"work" or serving others but being served. Recently my home on amount of was the failure of our business after the death of my father/broke and couldn't support me though college. I had to find some way to educate myself, because I felt I was lacking in the knowledge of applied science, and also because I did not like to be out of class among the members of my groups who were holding high situation in the society. At that time I often heard from a friend of mine concerning America who was a self-supported student in Fresno State College. It really was the first stage of my coming to America. In the same time one of my schoolmates was ready to come whose father was a merchant in California. So I made up my mind to come- with him to be a self-supported student. Of course, I knew, it would be hard struggle but rather than being out of class and suffering the disdain from others. Furthermore, America was known as the place where the opportunity was opened to the self supported students. As a common tendency, one goes to his acquaintances when he is a foreigner. 1. knew no one in 0alifornia nor in any other per* state of the united States, except those two I mentioned above. So i came to California rather than to another state. M/y immigration to America was entirely based upon the purpose of seeking the opportunity of education which was not -1- opened to the self supported students in China. FIRST IMPA M6O1 O: iU.G. America is certainly a country which possesses the best roads in the world. Whenr i sailed across the Pacific Ocean, the first beautiful picture in my sight from the deck was the scene of San Francisco, where the arraxgement of the streets were per- fectly beautiful in uniform blocks. Seeing is believing; then I believed California was a picturesque state. After my being ashore, £ made a visit to China Town. 'he first thing which set me to wondering was the electric lifht sign of the Chop Suey Cafe. I never knew those two proper words in China. When I foudid out the information it was very laughable. ,i:he other thing that impressed and disappointed me deeply was the life of the Chinese residents abroad. 1 had expected them to be more highly civilized than those in China. On the contrary, they still kept their insensible customs or worse, though some of them were exceptional. ihe longs, being the producers of the fights known as Tong Wars, were the bad organizations, but their purpose was beneficial primarily. By those organizations, they protect themselves from the outside offense. They do not wish to face the court for the justice because most of them do not know, as coming from the ruRal districts, the English entirely. On this account, i had to watch my step in conversation with them because of their narrow-mindedness. So I felt a little uneasy with them. but they are willing to give assistance and respect our students more than they do the government officials. The second condition disappointed me was that the gambling houses were universal in the commorancy. It was unfortunately caused by the isolation from the common amusements. -2- In this century t1e freedom of women has become a matter of tendency even in-the conservative China, so that it did not shock me very much when I first came to America. but the vanity case which the women carried in hand showed me that the women in this country were too artificial. In other words, they had excessive make-up which meant to please others - the opposite sex. This has been objected to strongly by the women of China, in resent years. did not expect that this 1 appeared among the women of America who were respected as not the 'knicknack of man." by our Chinese. fay reaction upon the freedom and independence is abeulut- ly favorable because they are needed in the present China, but they must be accompanied by the reverence and love ir. order to decrease the divorce rate and separation between the youth and his parents. So many parents of the American born intend to send their children back to China and let them receive a few years of Chinese cultivation. In my part, most of the American-born are out of manner either of Chinese or of American. This is mostly due to the isolation from the elders of their first generations, and from the youngers who come from China, and also from the Americans of the first and middle classes. SOUIAL OMT. The first difficulty for me in my present life in :America is the lack of spoken and even written English. S3o 1 am not able, besides being too busy, to take much interest in any newspapers, magazines, or books. To read there is very seldom any opportunity except for the school work. The onflr organization I am not very sociable naturally. to bring me tn touch with Americans is the school. American friends are school teachers. - 3- Among my if I am not perfectly and heatrily welcomed by the people I never want to associate with them, because I know the race prejudice is the pecularity of the Americans. COAFLICTS Ai1LD AQUOI ikODATIUAS. Once upon a time my friend and I went to the ticket office of the Orph eum Theater and purchased a couple of tickets. When we were seated 1 noticed that the entire row in which were were was filled with yellow and colored people. After that I began to notify anyone whom I knew to keep away from it and 1 began to hate this theater. Chinese people. The race prejudice is not possessed by our We trest the foreigners respectfully in China. But if the prejudice is given to us, our reaction is very strong and return it to the individual who has given it. Since 1 have arrived in America 1 noticed the people of the united States(maybe it was over-emphasized) minded, strong in race prejudice and money mad. government is tbhe foreign to the purpose. were narrow- Of course, the They are very proud and unfortunately the Chinese residents abroad are almost in lack of education. Then a small hole at the bottom will sink the whole boat in the measureless sea. This results in the misjudgnent of the Americans. As the chance was not should i remain in America? opened to the yellow race, why Whoever plans not to return is the one who is in lack of education or who has entirely no chance in China. PHILOSOPY uF LIFE xy ambition was so simple that I have realized it as a self supported student. If I had a child I woald send him back to China a few -4- years and to some other countries, and not keep hiim only under the American influence. I am always in favor with inter-marriage in order to' But if that does not take place, I shall let it alone because it does not do any good to China. solve the race problem. k, " .:y v, "e"A It% I . P II'vom 6- 1- J+ "I. ; I ., t. A I 1- 1 1. . ......... , .-.- , S .i1. 7.31I. . E4 li tlo --zC. *. . . i. t.-wO .-*.2&-. . ,*-* , I , 3. _ ts. .-/ vo. . .. 3. . " ) q 2, .. * . J aI 7 4 w1 w~~4~-&-> 1' P-X-e~~ /I 2- 17"~~~~~~~1 124i :~ ~ . <f fZ~~~~~~~~ ,7 6 oiA,/ on : _ 1--1 ED A_ -- -e <_D X 9A- -Ar!: v E ~~- 6i I < t; ' ->'D g 9~ ~m2Xed 1~~~L4~alo R4a <:N :v 6+v_..WH'uAhS~~ -)I'& A LA :4-~ WQk ( f iso d ->wL7R I /\§ e-y ae 2 _ ~ - f - 4.~~~~~~44.A~~~~Isa .-o .7./.7L. j2 -e as4. A#.' .Z2-z) . ____________.1