First Published: Unity, Vol. 5, No. 6, April 9-22, 1982.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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The Chinese population in the U.S. today is a rich and unique blending of several waves of immigration and five generations of American-born Chinese. While there are many particularities and sometimes even conflicts between one or more of these different sectors of Chinese Americans, all Chinese Americans share a common history of oppression and struggle. It is this consciousness of a common history and destiny which must be strengthened and built upon.
The immigrant sector is made up of several waves of immigrants reflecting the histories, lifestyles and cultures of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and many regions of China. In class makeup, Chinese immigrants are overwhelmingly workers, about 75%.
Out of approximately 460,000 Chinese immigrants in the U.S. today, about 50,000 are the elderly Loh Wah Que who came to the U.S. in the early 1900’s under the harsh conditions of the racist exclusionary laws. Another 35,000, many of whom are near retirement age, came during the war and post-war years, including large numbers of war brides.
The late 1960’s brought in an additional 80,000 Chinese immigrants, including many young working families from Hong Kong and China. This trend continued in the early 1970’s, with 190,000 more Chinese immigrants arriving. The late 1970’s saw the arrival of the boat people from Southeast Asia and continued emigration from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan numbering about 125,000 (all figures from the 1970 census and 1977 government studies).
Although the stories of the Wah Que and recent immigrants may differ, the reasons for wide scale immigration to the U.S. have remained the same – to escape the devastation and poverty of their native homelands by imperialism. Without the oppression and robbery of Asian, Latin American and African countries for centuries, certainly the peoples of these countries would not undertake to pull up their roots, travel up to 6,000 miles, often leaving families behind, to “find a better life.”
The Loh Wah Que came when China was being carved up by the U.S. and other imperialists. Others have come to escape the poverty of colonial Hong Kong or the persecution by the Soviet imperialists in Southeast Asia. Emigration from China, too, reflects to some extent the continued problems caused by over 100 years of semi-feudal rule and imperialist domination.
Another strong bond among Chinese immigrant workers is the struggle for that better life. While new immigrants find the U.S. to be a rich country, it is not long before most realize that Chinese in this country are cast in a lower and unequal status in society. After over 150 years, Chinese immigrant workers are still largely restricted to the same low-paying and grueling jobs – the restaurant and garment industries. In 1970, 24% of male Chinese workers were employed in restaurants, while 27% of women were unskilled workers in garment, electronics and similar low-pay industries. The experiences of Loh Wah Que and new immigrants sound shockingly the same – 50 years of learning English and “American ways” have made only a small difference in the basic quality of life for most Chinese immigrants in the U.S.
The plight of the recent immigrant is reflected well in these stories told to UNITY:
“As soon as I landed, I began to work in a restaurant. It is like being a horse. Work, work, work in exchange for two meals a day. I never thought coming to the U.S. would mean this, but I am here, and I have to be strong . . . .”
“This is a joke. I have been jailed in a dark kitchen. Until now, I still can’t tell east from west, north from south. I thought I came for a more comfortable and colorful life, but I am still telling myself, ’wait one more year.’”
The American-born sector, like the immigrant sector, is a varied and rich sector going back over 70 years. American-born make up about 42-45% of all Chinese Americans. Most American-born Chinese, like immigrants, are workers (approximately 70-75%).
Common to American-born Chinese is the myth that they have “made it.” But the reality of continuing racism and national oppression leaves American-born and immigrants essentially powerless and unequal in society.
Although many American-born Chinese have been to college, chances for higher pay, advancement and breaking into new fields remain dim. Only 50% of Chinese college graduates in 1970 had incomes of over $10,000, compared to 68% for white students.
Chinese American workers are still largely confined to clerical, service, transportation and salesclerk jobs. There are still only a handful of Chinese men, either immigrant or American-born, in heavy or skilled industries. Like their immigrant brothers, American-born Chinese are mainly in nonunion jobs.
American-born Chinese for the most part no longer live in Chinatown (not necessarily by choice, but because there is no housing available), but their living standards are not substantially better. Ninety-seven percent of all Chinese are still concentrated around the deteriorating urban areas where rents are high and conditions poor.
One of the most blatant and strongly felt forms of national oppression of American-born is forced assimilation or the attempts by the ruling class to strip American-born of a sense of national identity and pride and to promote a narrow path of self-interest and passivity.
The story of this young American-born mother is typical. “In school and at home, all I heard was ’melting pot’ this and ’melting pot’ that. I remember one day when my teachers sent a note home with me telling my folks, ’don’t speak to her in Chinese anymore; only use English.’ The system tries to rob us of our identity. We should not let this happen. Being Chinese is so much richer than being assimilated.”
It has been the desire for basic self-respect and dignity which has activated many American-born to take up the struggle of their people. An American-born worker spoke to us on this point.
“I learned it is not a question of individually ’making it.’ Chinese are forced under and lumped into a lower category in society. We have a commitment to our community; it is part of our pride. Everyone has a commitment in life to do something. It depends on whether we just want to do it for ourselves or work for our people.”
The facts and figures show us that all Chinese, whether immigrant or American-born, have a common interest in banding together to fight for equality, justice and political power.
To win equality and real power and to reverse over 100 years of oppression and discrimination will take a powerful revolutionary struggle, a struggle which can unite all Chinese people into one unified movement.
Every wave of immigrants every generation of American-born, is a potential source of strength to the Chinese National Movement in its fight for equality. Activists and revolutionaries must draw on the strength of each sector – the experience of the Loh Wah Que, the understanding of U.S. society of the American-born, and the militancy of the new immigrants in leading the struggle for basic rights.
In this period of repression and increased chauvinism, a special responsibility falls on the American-born. The American-born must stand up for the rights of their immigrant worker brothers and sisters wherever and however they are being threatened, whether by new exclusion acts in the form of the elimination of the fifth preference, by racist physical assaults, or attacks on the economic livelihood of new immigrant workers. The call of the day must be, “An attack on one is an attack on all.”
Building the unity of the immigrant and American-born is a complex process that must be consciously developed. Revolutionaries must deepen their understanding of both the immigrant and American-born and understand concretely how national oppression affects the groupings and classes within each sector. Revolutionaries must lead in addressing the concrete needs of immigrant working people and must develop a plan and program to unite the Chinese National Movement.
The conscious striving for unity is the key. As expressed by a recent immigrant woman, “The most important thing to a person is unity, like an arrow is easily broken in two, but with two arrows, it will not be broken so easily. Without it we will be discriminated against more because Chinese are a national minority.”