Guest Author - Caroline Baker
The 50-60-70's were a dynamic time in the United States, not just for Chinese but for everyone. In the United States, the time period was marked with beatniks and cultural revolutionaries. Civil rights took center stage as women finally gained their own voice and African-Americans struggled between the concepts of the independent nation and eliminating segregation. Communism was on the rise in the world, the bad evil that found a home not far from the United States coast in Cuba. The first man walked on the moon. And major figures in history were assassinated.
For the Chinese, this was a period of limited acceptance. Finally, strict immigration laws that kept the Chinese-Americans from becoming citizens were lifted. Those Chinese who have lived in the United States for awhile were changing the face of the land. There were many who began to hold positions of power and even win the Nobel peace prize. As Rock'n'Roll had Elvis during this time, the icon of Martial Arts, Bruce Lee, was also on his own journey of stardom. But as many others, Lee's success was limited by his heritage.
Since the end of World War II, China had closed its doors to the world. Shrouded beneath the red curtains of communism, China underwent a great many changes. But as it emerged in the late 1960's, a realization occurred that the world had moved on while it remained isolated. In 1972, Richard Nixon made a historic trip to extend his hand in friendship to China. A bold act that met both praise and criticism.
During all this, many young Chinese were coming to America, the land of hope. They had dreams of making it big in this new country. They'd heard stories or known of people who had come to America and prospered. Schooling was open for all that worked hard enough or could pay, not based on the strict testing schedules of Chinese countries. Many students came to learn and found themselves settling into this world and creating families. Most lived a fairly middle-class life and stayed near city meccas, where Chinatowns provided a strong support mechanism (and a means to keep in touch with their culture).
While this generation was proud of their heritage, they also realized that their success in this country depended upon them being accepted into the society. Many abandoned much of their Chinese language and studied hard to learn English and the ways of the West. For their children, their hopes remained like many other immigrants, that life would be better here with opportunities because they were American.
Part 1 - 1800's
Part 3 - Turn of the Century
