Chinese Speakers Should Not Be Denounced

Amy Tan, in her text, Mother Tongue, also acknowledges how names can hold people back, as well as analyzing how the stereotypes created from these names can affect opportunities. She describes the challenges she faces being of Chinese descent, and the stereotypes she has to overcome that stand in her way. She wonders why so many Asian students go into math and science career fields, and speculates if others steer them in that direction because they assume those are careers Asians are naturally good at. Tan questions, “Why are there few Asian Americans enrolled in creative writing programs? Why do so many Chinese students go into engineering?” These students are being pushed in this direction based off of stereotypes about their race and language.

“Chinese Immigrant Lee Chew Denounces Prejudice in America, 1882” A Comprehensive view of Discrimination in Nineteenth Century America

Amy Tan’s ,“Mother Tongue” and Maxine Kingston’s essay, “No Name Woman” represent a balance in cultures when obtaining an identity in American culture.  As first generation Chinese-Americans both Tan and Kingston faced many obstacles. Obstacles in language and appearance while balancing two cultures. Overcoming these obstacles that were faced and preserving heritage both women gained an identity as a successful American.

year of his life. This year, Shao will take the National University Entrance Examinations, which

There comes a point in time in an individual’s life in which their name truly becomes a part of their identity. A name is more than just a title to differentiate people; it is a part of the person. In Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood by Richard E. Kim, names play a major role on the character’s identities. The absence and importance of the names in the story make the story rich with detail and identity through something as simple as the name of a character. Names are a significant factor affecting the story and the characters throughout the novel Lost Names.

My name is Alyssa Nguyen and I am a professor at Texas State University. I like to define myself by the things that I love and what I have accomplished in life. Unfortunately, others define me by my accent. It is difficult living in America with English as my second language (Question 1). When people sign up for classes, they avoid Asian-sounding last names. On websites such as Rate My Professor, students rate “American” last names 80 percent higher on clarity than Asian professors (Jaschik, 2015). I have worked very hard to learn English and am proud of how I have prospered. Having English as a second language has given me many opportunities in adapting to other cultures, participating in intercultural communication and overcoming diverse stereotypes (Thesis Statement).

As expected, the act was not well received among the Chinese population. Violence and riots erupted throughout the country. On September 2, 1885, British and Swedish miners attacked their Chinese co-workers at Rock Springs, Colorado, killing twenty-eight men, wounding fifteen, and driving off hundreds into the desert. News of this attack was told across the country and it led to more expulsions. The next attack was in the same year in Tacoma, Washington. Both city officials and the Knights of Labor union workers pushed the Chinese out of their city. On the third of November, they forced the Chinese people from their homes and put them on the streets. Some protesters attempted the stop the expulsion, but it was no use. This gives some insight

     Another way that Chinese Americans preserve their identities is through their weddings. The traditional Chinese wedding procedures are known as the “Three Letters and Six Etiquettes.” Chinese American weddings in America do not really follow all of the old traditions, but there are still aspects that are preserved. Large engagement parties are still held, at which the traditional roast pig is served. Also, at many Chinese American weddings, the traditional tea ceremony is still performed. This is where the bride and groom offer cups of sweet tea to their families, and are offered envelopes with money or jewelry in them in

Recently, the Huffington Post, a story was published about Columbia students who vandalized and tore off the names of Eastern Asian students from dormitory doors. An Asian Columbia film student responded by producing, the video “Say My Name”, that included nine fellow student explaining the meaning behind their Asia name. Huhe Yan described her video as “a way to challenge the stereotypes about the Asian community- especially Chinese students- that they are silent and take punches without complaints

Names, being a primary method of identity, have always had a bearing on the interactions among individuals. In most societies the choice of a name is a choice laden with thoughtful consideration. Varying ethnic groups more often than not have distinctively identifiable names. There has been a raging debate on whether these ethnic names adversely affect the social and economic prospects of those who bear them. This paper will, through an evaluation of opinions and studies by three different authors, investigate the demerits of having an ethnic name, and also by extension give reasons why the use of ethnic names should be toned down.

In 1852, there were over 20,000 Chinese immigrants living in California (Franks). Americans reacted very negatively to this influx, and their negative sentiments were made apparent in the California Supreme Court’s People v. Hall verdict, which rendered Chinese testimony unreliable. Then, in 1882, President Chester Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act, a law that prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the United States (Foner, 651). From the 1850s up to the Exclusion Act of 1882, Americans felt increasingly negative sentiments towards the Chinese. As illustrated through newspaper and magazine depictions along the Pacific Coast, the Americans perceived the Chinese as inferior and

When I came to America from China at age 16, everyone around me appeared to be different. However, I didn’t just talk to my Chinese friends. I pushed myself outside of my bubble; I tried my best to make friends with American students, while I still maintained good relationships with my Chinese friends. America is very different from what I expected, everyone speaks so fast and unclear; it almost made English a completely different language from what I had already learned. As I was trying to make friends, I realized that Chinese culture had made me different from Americans; things that I was curious about as a Chinese person were very private to American students. For example, in America, people won’t mention what their parents’ jobs are when they meet someone for the first time.

On 1/27/2017, President Trump signed executive orders on prohibiting citizens of certain countries from entering the US for the two months and suspending the access of all refugees for four months. Americans, especially those who are from seven Muslim countries, were shocked and outraged After Trump’s executive orders were announced. A lot of protests were going on at the airports all over the country because of Trump’s travel ban. Most people think it is not acceptable in America because America is a freedom country. However, when looking back at American history, Chinese immigrants used to have the same situation. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act, which was to prevent a particular ethnic group from moving into the US was declared; however, it was removed by the US congress in 1943. Despite of that incident, Chinese immigrants are still increasing by years. There are

Marilyn Chin’s “How I Got That Name,” is a poem about a Chinese-American immgirant’s identity. At the centre of the poem, there’s a conflict between American, and the Chinese culture when the Chinese woman experiences cultural shock. In the opening part of the poem, she touches on how she got her American name- Marilyn “ when my father the paperson in the late 1950s obsessed with a bombshell blonde transliterated “Mei Ling” to “Marilyn.” (lines 9-12) Next, she describes how despite having an American name, [model minoriy] is a tease (42). Although Chin’s the author, she’s not the one in the poem, infact she’s narrating through another Chines-American woman. She later makes her point of losing the identity by comparing

    Names are a terrible way to understand someone’s identity because names are regularly replicated. In my sixth grade class, there were three Mollys. We all had different backgrounds, different religious affiliations, and different personalities. If our names displayed who we are, wouldn’t our identities all be the same? Instead of staring at names and trying to understand their meaning, one should focus on a person’s personality, for personality depicts our identity. In fact, I have learned from experience to not infer one’s identity based on their name. For instance, in middle school, I was mutual friends with a girl named Kassidy. One Tuesday afternoon, my friend, Katy told me that Kassidy was going to sit with us at lunch that day. I shrugged my shoulders and replied with a casual “okay”. Before Kassidy walked in, I had a whole image of her in my mind: blonde hair, cute pastel colored clothes, and religious, all stereotypes that I thought a person with an innocent name like Kassidy