View/download PDF

\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