China+Group


 * __History__**

The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Museum. (2001, April). //The Eagle and the Dragon: U.S.Relations with China//.The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Museum. West Branch, Iowa. Retrieved March 2010, from [] This website gives its viewers a detailed account of the struggles Chinese immigrants faced migrating, working, and living in the United States. It also shows the hardships these Chinese immigrants faced in becoming Citizen’s of the United States of America. For over 150 years Chinese immigrants and Americans have been subjected to menial labor and discrimination. They have also been subjected to contributing and servicing the American culture, but have not been welcomed with open arms to the American culture. This website helps break down all the history, contributions, and continual success of Chinese immigration. Currently, Chinese influences can be seen in nearly every region of the country and in American cuisine, clothing, the arts, education, and technology. This website explains how Chinese immigrants went from outcasts to important parts of the American Culture. (BEN)

Waxman, S. (n.d.). //The History of New York's Chinatown.// Retrieved March 2010, from NY.com: [] This website gives a detailed account of New York City’s Chinatown. The website explains that, New York City's Chinatown is the largest Chinatown in the United States and the site of the largest concentration of Chinese in the western hemisphere. The website also explains that, the population is estimated to be between 70,000 and 150,000, and is the favored destination point for Chinese immigrants. Lastly, the website explains: how New York City’s Chinatown was born, its tenants living arrangements, information on immigration within Chinatown, the reason for the dominant male population, the current growth of Chinatown, and the current state of Chinatown. (BEN)

__**Language **__ 

Lam, J., Parekh, A., & Thomrongnawasouvad, T. (2001). //Chinatown: Chinese in New York City.// Retrieved March 2010, from Voices of New York: [] This website explains the official language of Chinese immigrants and Americans. This website will also be used to explain the different dialects spoken in China as well as by Chinese immigrants. Another important fact this website will explain, is the dialect that is used a lot by Chinese Americans, but is overlooked due to the popularity of the official language of China. Another piece of information that is shed by this website was the fact that China has one offical language, but it is the ways the offical language is pronunced by its people, which has the written language broken up into so many spoken dialects. (BEN)

Semple, K. (2009, October 21). //In Chinatown, Sound of the Future Is Mandarin .// Retrieved March 2010, from NYTimes.com: [] This website provides an understanding of the previous Chinese language, current Chinese language, and other Chinese dialects used in New York City’s Chinatown. This website explains why there is a current change going on within New York City’s Chinatown. The change that is occurring involves the previous language spoken, which was Cantonese and the current language they are making strides to change to which is Mandarin. Finally the website explains that a majority of the change is taking place with the younger generation of Chinese immigrants and Americans. The Older generations with the New York City’s Chinatown, show a reluctance to change. (BEN)

__**YouTube **__

media type="youtube" key="00veSu3aJEU" height="385" width="480" align="right"Diana, H., & Danielle, D. (2007, November 8). Chinese Exclusion Acts of 1882 [Video file]. Retrieved from [] This YouTube video gives a brief synopsis of the Chinese American History. The video briefly shows images of the first Chinese immigrants and gives a brief description of why they migrated here. Images include the Chinese imigrants migrating here in search or wealth during the gold rush of 1950 in California. The gold rush was actually known as "Gold Mountain." The images progress to show Chinese immigrants being contracted to work on the first transcontinental railroad. This railroad was known as the "Central Pacific railroad." The images also give us a brief view of all the hardships these Chinese immigrants faced. The most notable of all their hardships were during th time of the Exclusion act of 1882. Finally, This video shows how the these Chinese immigrants and americans thrived in the American culture, even though they were treated so harshly. (BEN)

New York Chinatown[| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsoNrpewzpI] (Extra YouTube) This short YouTube clip shows how Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans have thrived and prospered in New York City. The clip informs its viewers that Chinatown in New York City has a rich Chinese American History, which is normally over looked. The video also informs its viewers that other cultural history can be found in Chinatown. The other cultural history that can be found in Chinatown includes the history of Irish, Jewish, and Italian immigrants. While the architectural structure of Chinatown is mostly of Asian descent, you can still find buildings which originate from European American Ancestry. (BEN)

__**Education**__

U.S. Education Leaders Delegation to China. (2005) Education in China: Lesson of U.S. Educators. Asia Society pp 2 – 22. Retrieved March 2010 from htt[|p://www.asiasociety.org/files/EdinChina2005.pdf] This website recognizes the growing significance of China in the world and the critical nature of the U.S. and Chinese relationship, the delegation sought to learn about educational developments in China and to explore what these developments mean for the United States. It also wants to create relationships that have the potential to benefit the U.S. and China in an age when the global economy and ties to other nations are more critical than ever before. China’s economic growth has been matched by equally exciting development of education for all over the span of just two decades. In 1986 Chinese government passed a education law, making nine years of education mandatory for all Chinese children. By 2004, the national average enrollment rate in primary schools reached 98 percent, and that of junior high schools 94 percent. More than 240 million students are enrolled in schools, including 112 million elementary school students and 87.5 million high school students, all taught by approximately 12 million teachers. Today 93 percent of the population area of the country has achieved universal nine- year basic education and a literacy rate above 96 percent in young and middle-aged populations. And 20 million students are in senior high school beyond the compulsory schooling age. Local communities through a mix of local government revenues fund basic education, donations for buildings, and school income through parent textbook fees and school activities.(Desiree)

 ==== Louie V, (2009),   Destination college: Chinese-American students’ journey through the American education system. Harvard Graduate School of Education. Retrieved March 2010 [|http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/coHarvard mmunity/CF308-608.html]  ====

 This website talks about the US history of immigrants in American schools. The immigrant s continue to be the story of the nation, set, among other places, in American schools and universities. [|Vivian Louie] focuses on college students in New York City who either immigrated from China, or whose parents did so. Her research examines the unique challenges of these students’ educational journeys, and ways that primary and secondary schools can help this immigrant group make college a reachable destination. (Desiree)

__**Religion and Beliefs**__

Le, C.N. (2010). "Religion, Spirituality, and Faith." Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America. Retrieved March 2010 [] This website talks about the traditional elements of Asian American culture, religion, spirituality, and faith have always been important to Asian American communities, as they were for many generations before them. But within the diversity of the Asian American community, so too comes diversity in our religious beliefs and practices. It talks about the most popular religion within the community. How there is so much diversity in religion and practices of spirituality but they all share the common bond of helping Asian American adjust to life in the US. (Desiree)

Yang, D. (2006). “American Asian Religion.”, Retrieved March 2010 http://www.danielyang.com/musings/asianreligion.php In Asian American studies there has been much focus on the economic, educational, and media representational aspects of the Asian American experience, and how these affect ethnic identity development. Religion is still a significant social institution that has affected all societies since the beginning of time and has been ignored as a factor until very recently. As immigrants from Asia arrived throughout the last century, they brought with them new religions to the West such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. In return, Western Christianity also spread to Asia through missionaries. The influence of Christianity on Asian America cannot be ignored. Twenty percent of Chinese immigrants are affiliated with Christian churches. Religion is an crucial part of understanding Asian America and this article seeks to explore some reasons why Chinese Americans embrace Christianity. (Desiree)

Asian American Alliance (2008), Asian American Religion Spirituality and Faith. Asian American Alliance. Retrieved March 2010 http://www.asianamericanalliance.com/Asian-American-Religion-Spirituality-and-Faith.html This website talks about the most popular Asia religion among the Asian culture is Catholic. There are several reasons why the Catholic religion is the most popular. First Catholicism is a very widespread religion due to many years of being around. They had the holy wars and demanded that Catholic religion was the only one practice, and eliminated earlier religions. Even in China and other countries like the Philippines were entered with Catholicism as a way of getting rid of other Asia religion. (Desiree)

 __**Literature**__

Ling-chi Wang, L. (2010) Chinese Americans. //Countries and their Cultures//. Retrieved March 21, 2010 from []. This website gave an excellent overview of Chinese American experience and their historical journey to America. This was a large article, so I will be focusing on specific parts. What Ling-chi Wang labels the “Modern Era” is a turning point for both Chinese and Americans. The British defeat the China in the Opium War (1839-1842), forcing China into the next hundred years of imperialism. China played a major role in international trade, which led many Chinese citizens out of the country and into America during the years when the western frontier was opened. The Chinese were laborers and refugees. This article talked about immigration but more importantly it dealt with the “language, culture, social institutions, and customs, and over time, [their]…lasting contributions to their adopted country and tried to become an integral part of the U.S. population.” This article talked of settlement patterns, acculturation and assimilation, and Chinese contributions to art and literature. (Dan)

Qing, Li (2010). Culture Matters. //Pre-Departure Orientation for People in China Admitted to a U.S. College or University//. NAFSA AIEF. Retrieved April 2, 2010 from []. This was an interesting find. This website is intended for people in China who have been admitted to a college or university in the United States. This website is interesting because it is from the Chinese perspective in understanding the United States and it is in English. Under header “Differences between Chinese & American Culture,” the website cites Li Qing’s presentation and lists our differences. The site also explains how to get visas. Under the header “Social life,” there are directions how to act and interact with Americans. For example, under the subheading “attending to personal hygiene”: “Many people from other counties are struck by the Americans’ strong sensitivity to body and breathe odors. Americans may quickly back away from a person who has “body odor” or “bad breath,” and they are likely to try to avoid that person in the future.” Then it goes on to list how to avid negative reactions from Americans. Chinese women have to shave their body hair not to offend Americans. This website provides great incite to what new immigrants expect from Americans. (Dan)

Wittenberg, Uriel. (2001, amended 2005). Culture. //American Culture – A Warning for China.// Retrieved April 11, 2010 from []. This website contains the text of a lecture given by Uriel Wittenberg during her Fall 2001. The lecture was based on //Appealing Our Free-Speech Sentence// essay she had written earlier that year. She delivered this speech to several leading Chinese universities. I choose this website because it provided a rich source of comparisons between China and America. She explains culture as it related to differences and similarities with Chinese and American culture. Most importantly she introduces the term “mental environment.” Essentially, she is introducing double-consciousness to the American-born Chinese. This article is important because it attempts to color in the gray area between the American and Chinese identities. She defines culture and explores the movement of Chinese culture through generations. (Dan)

__**Art**__:

Lum, L. (1998). Angel Island History. //Angel Island: Immigrant Journeys of Chinese-Americans.// Retrieved March 17, 2010 from []. This website gave a great and simple overview of Angel Island. From 1910-1940, Angel Island was an immigration station in San Francisco where thousands of Chinese immigrants were detained. Families were splintered. Immigrants spent much time on the island and in some cases years. The immigrants expressed their troubles through poems carved on barrack walls. The MOCA has a replica of the carving while many still remains visible at Angel Island. This website provides a brief overview of the early immigrant experience and oral history project. (Dan)

Seidler Ramirez, J. (n.d.). //Painting the Town: Collecting Cityscapes and Urban Character at the Museum of the City of New York.// Museum of City of New York. Retrieve March 17, 2010 from []. This article focuses on the Museum’s collection of artists. Each artist represents an imperative character of New York City. Often these artist present signature narratives of the city, one such artist were Martin Wong (1946-1999). Wong was a painter of Chinese-Mexican heritage who lived in the East Village in the 1980’s. He was a significant player in the performance art communities of New York and San Francisco Bay. Wong was openly gay and a former member of //The Cockettes//. He had a tremendous impact on the graffiti art scene that is synonymous with the New York City’s look and character. His body of work was filled with and on the cityscapes of New York. In addition, he described as a collector and connoisseur of everything from graffiti to Asian antiquities. Miguel Pinero (1946-1988), playwright, actor, and co-founder of the //Nuyorican Poets Café// had shared his art and life with Wong. Several of Wong’s pieces still can be seen at the //Nuyorican Poets Café// and Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Dan)

__**Youtube**__:

American Born Chinese [| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYCZqt5WSOM] This YouTube video showcases Gene Luen Yang, creator of the graphic novel “American Born Chinese.” This graphic novel is about “creating an identity for yourself in America” (Yang). In essence, Yang is talking about the development of an American identity while retaining, collaborating and infusing the Chinese identity of his culture. According to Yang, “My Chinese heritage definitely informs me on the way I am an American”.(Dan)

American Born Chinese go back to China [| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb1wlV4PAIY] Jessica is a Chinese born American who grew up in Los Angeles and moves to China for work. She is a Dining Editor for an American Magazine called “The Beijinger”. She reconnects with her traditional grandparents. She doesn’t really know them and says that she had to “pretend to act” in specific way. She has an American individualistic identity that differs from her Chinese collective culture. She explained that she feels more Chinese in America but American in China. She prefers working in China because she because works with an English speaking staff and yet she can practice her Chinese. Read Chinese “is a chore” for her because she is not the language she grew up with. Her parents “hated” the idea of her moving back to China. For her it was a “calling to come back.” (Dan)  This was just a funny guy. “FOtB” Fresh Off the Boat “White wash”  [] (part 1) [] (part 2) []

 : **Chinese All-American**  by Manny StallmanThis photo is entitled, Chinese, All-American, and it is an import ant reflection of the Chinese experience. This photo chronicles the story of James Wong; a Chinese-American soldier picked for a dangerous mission while on post with the US Army in Korea. After a stroke, the artist who took this photo was unable to continue as an artist. For the remainder of his life, he used his drawings/photographs to teach English to Chinese immigrants. This photo represents the continuous experience of the Chinese-Americans. In addition, as you can see from this photo, their is a clash of cultural identity. Please notice that James Wong is the man with the glasses in the top row, his wife and mother are in traditional wardrobes. The three eldest girls in white and are unwed. The boys and younger children were wearing the modern cloths of that time. Photo can be found at the MOCA. Why did I choose this photo? I decided on this photo because I felt this image represents one aspect of the American identity. Instead of patronizing the culture with colorful dragons and silent women with painted faces I wanted something as universal and simple as a family photo. (Dan)