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In this remarkable memoir, Tung Pok Chin casts light on the largely hidden experience of those Chinese who immigrated to this country with false documents during the Exclusion era. Although scholars have pieced together their history, first-person accounts are rare and fragmented; many of the so-called "Paper Sons" lived out their lives in silent fear of discovery. Chin's story speaks for the many Chinese who worked in urban laundries and restaurants, but it also introduces an unusually articulate man's perspective on becoming a Chinese American.Chin's story begins in the early 1930s, when he followed the example of his father and countless other Chinese who bought documents that falsely identified them as children of Chinese Americans. Arriving in Boston and later moving to New York City, he worked and lived in laundries. Chin was determined to fit into American life and dedicated himself to learning English. But he also became an active member of key organizations -- a church, the Chinese Hand Laundrymen's Alliance, and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association -- that anchored him in the community. A self-reflective and expressive man, Chin wrote poetry commenting on life in China and the hardships of being an immigrant in the United States. His work was regularly published in the China Daily News and brought him to the attention of the FBI, then intent on ferreting out communists and illegal immigrants. His vigorous narrative speaks to the day-to-day anxieties of living as a Paper Son as well as the more universal immigrant experiences of raising a family in modest circumstances and bridging cultures.Historian K. Scott Wong introduces Chin's memoir, discussing thelimitations on immigration from China and what is known about Exclusion-era Chinese American communities. Set in historical context, Tung Pok Chin's unique story offers an engaging account of a twentieth-century Paper Son.
List of contents
Preface Winifred C. Chin Introduction: Paper Lives K. Scott Wong Prologue Part I: The Early Years Gold Mountain My Village A Gold Mountain Man Between Father and Son Everybody for Himself Fighting Chinese City Hall The Cheating Game Turning to Wisdom Part II: Gold Mountain Dreams A Navy Man A New Outlook The "Confession Period" A Bitter End, a Bright Start A Paper Son's Duty Under Suspicion A Dream in Flames Chinese Communism Part III: Becoming American Paranoia Assimilation The Homecoming The Problem with Confession The Final Visit Writing Again The Lunar New Year Living in the Present Postscript Winifred C. Chin
Summary
Focuses on the experience of those Chinese who immigrated to this country with false documents during the Exclusion era. This memoir discusses about the many Chinese who worked in urban laundries and restaurants. It introduces an unusually articulate man's perspective on becoming a Chinese American.
