An Analysis of Current Living Situations of Asian Americans from a Historical Perspective

牛筱萌

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An Analysis of Current Living Situations of Asian Americans from a Historical Perspective

牛筱萌

This paper aims to find out the roots of discriminations towards the Asian Americans from a historical point of view， aims to give people a true picture of the current conditions of the Asians in America， which may be different from what people have imagined. In this way， there may be more attentions drawn to the special group，which tenaciously survives and thrives.

Asian Americans Immigration Interaction Discrimination

America， known as a “melting pot” and “salad bowl”， has been radically diverse since its beginning on the Virginia shore， when the first twenty Africans were brought there in 1619. For over three centuries the U.S. has been a promising land for the oppressed and the hungry of Europe and of other parts of the world. The making of America has much to do with the contributions made by the ethnic groups， among which the Asian Americans are one indispensable part.

Based on the definition made by the Census Bureau in the USA， Asian Americans refer to people whose origins are in the Far East， East Asia and the Indian subcontinent， including those Americans who identify themselves as of one of the Asian races and who were born in Asian households and use their languages accordingly.

Due to the cultural differences， the geographical distance between the Western and the Eastern people， especially， these years， because of the increasing competition in the wealth distribution brought by more Asians coming to America， the American people hold a relatively hostile attitude towards the Asians.

This paper， first by analyzing the changing immigration policies of the USA towards the Asians， focuses on the interactions of the Asian Americans and America， attempting to analyze the current situations of the Asians in America.

The changing immigration policies of America to Asians

The measures America made for the Asian immigration were considered as one important part of its immigration policies. From the foundation of the state to 1882， the beginning of enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act， due to an immediate demand of labor force， the federal government encouraged immigration， welcoming all who settled in this newly liberated land.

In the late 19th century， though there was still a high demand of labor force because of American industrialization and western exploration， many Americans wanted to end Asian immigration. Some racists and politicians managed to stir up troubles in the Congress by passing the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. The act regulated that no Chinese should enter the American borders and no Chinese was allowed to get an American citizenship. What’s worse， in the 19th century， Congress passed other laws sharply restricting Asian immigration. One of the worst periods for Asian Americans was during World War Two， when the US was at war with Japan.

In 1965， these prejudicial laws were replaced by a new immigration act. That is because， in the early nineteen sixties，the movements to guarantee civil rights for blacks made many Americans see that racial laws and beliefs were wrong. In the 1980s， almost half of all immigrants were Asians. Many have settled in California， Hawaii， New York and Texas.

The interaction of America and Asian Americans

The dominant American culture growing out of a large number of white ethnic groups had been assimilating into American life. The original settlers were of similar background，coming largely from Northern Europe.

As time went on， the characteristics of the dominant majority had been formed and determined the extent of groups’ acceptance. As one of the ethnic groups， though there’s a shorter history for the Asians to immigrate to America compared with other minority groups， they have also shown the great impacts of assimilation on the shaping of the characteristics of the Asian people.

The process by which these groups have been made a part of a common cultural life with commonly shared values has been full of ups and downs. Though an enormous amount of racial and ethnic assimilation has taken place in the U.S.，some groups continue to feel a strong sense of separation from the culture as a whole. People of various origins have become interested in their foreign past and proud of their cultural heritage. Many of today’s descendants of immigrants respect the cultures that they had once rejected. Furthermore， they believe that the U.S. would benefit by retaining aspects of its many cultural backgrounds.

On the other hand， many people already feel thankful for the different ways in which Asian immigrants have enriched American culture. Chinese， Japanese， Thai and Vietnamese foods， for example， have gained wide popularity. What is more，a higher percent of Asian Americans complete university study and the Asian students usually do a good job at school.

The discrimination to equal opportunities for Asian Americans

Despite many Asian Americans being longtime legitimate U.S. citizens， many people continually view and treat them as outsiders or foreigners.

In contrast with the White Americans， their employment rates are not very high， especially after the financial crisis broke out in 2008. The population of the present Asian Americans has increased rapidly and affected American society and economy greatly， but their political anticipations and status are lower than those of other minorities.

Due to the deeply rooted racial prejudice， the influx of Asian refugees， the impact of Asian economy on the anti-Asian sentiment and the misleading of the “Model Minority” thesis，Asian Americans are psychologically living in a dilemma： On one hand， they are U.S. citizens； on the other， they are still viewed as foreigners in their own country， isolated from the mainstream. This psychological dilemma has potential for heightening pan-Asian awareness， the recognition of common experience and interests among various Asian subgroups.

References：

［1］ Chen Yiping. An Analysis of the Characteristics and

Influences of the Asian Americans. The World’s Nationalities. Issue2， 2003， Pages50～61.

［2］ Di Yanqiu. American culture. Changchun: Jilin Scientific and Technological Press， 2002， Page186.

［3］ Dong Di. Asian Americans’ identity. Journal of Xinyang Teachers’ College. Volume21， Issue3， 2001， Pages98～101.

［4］ Fan Yue. American Cultural Heritage.Beijing: University of International Business and Economics Press， 2006，Pages226～228.

牛筱萌（1987-），女，山東煙臺人，貴州理工學院大學外語教學部教師，研究方向：英美文化、英語教學。

（作者單位：貴州理工學院）