Analysis of American Paper Son: A Chinese Immigrant in the Midwest by Wayne Hung Wong - Book Report/Review Example

American Paper Son: A Chinese Immigrant in the Midwest In the years preceding the war and after the war, there were observed increase in the numberof immigrants from different parts of the globe to the United States. Numerous accounts of the experiences of immigrants have been published, as well as the conditions that prompted them to make their move, their hopes and dreams that they wanted to fulfill, and whether they had a chance to achieve them or not. A main topic most seen in these narratives is the problem of racial discrimination, and while many immigrants are not exempted from this treatment, there are also stories of people who seem to not have experienced that much discrimination, and instead received help and friendship from others outside their own cultural group. Such a story is woven in the life of Wayne Hung Wong, whose name back in China was Mar Ying Wing, as he described it in his memoir American Paper Son: A Chinese Immigrant in the Midwest. Reading the book can give the reader a vivid picture of what is was to be like as an illegal immigrant through Wong’s eyes during the 1930’s onwards, trying to live and blend in an American society quite far from the East Coast, staying true to his Chinese roots by visiting his homeland, and eventually passing on his ancestors’ legacy to his own children while letting them be as integrated to the society as possible. The book is written as the author’s account of what he had experienced before and after immigrating to the U.S. Wong’s family is rather affluent due to the businesses of his great-grandfather and grandfather, but what set his father and his self apart from other Chinese immigrants is that while the other immigrants wanted to escape the poverty in China, the Wongs had the wish of having an improved life in the U.S. compared to what they had back in China. This is attributed by Wong to his father’s exposure to modern conveniences, and the idea that the U.S. is a mountain of gold and fortune, which they and other Chinese called “Gum Saan, or Gold Mountain” (Wong 32). Finally, Wong’s real father was able to pay for him to have a slot as a son of a cousin working as a merchant in the U.S., thus becoming a paper son, which is described as a “Chinese man who resorted to a fraudulent scheme that admitted them to the United States in spite of the exclusionary laws barring Chinese immigration’ (Wong 125). In a sense, Wong was a merchant’s “son” on paper, but not biologically. After memorizing the necessary information to pass the immigrant screening and getting his citizenship, Wong traveled to Wichita, Kansas and served as an assistant then a cook along with his “paper brother” in the restaurant that his “paper father” and real father worked in. He was also able to finish elementary and start high school but after learning that those that would choose to get drafted during the Second World War can receive “instruction at the Mechanic Learner Training School” (Wong 47) , Wong immediately sent a letter to apply as a member of the corps. He became a member of the 987th Signals Operation Company, which was the only troop that fully consisted of Chinese-Americans, and operated from Yunnan in China up to the Indochina border. After the war, Wong visited his family in Guangdong, got married to his wife under Chinese traditions, then got married again under the Christian church in order for her to gain entry in the U.S. as a war bride under the “1945 War Brides Act, which allowed spouses and children of U.S. citizens to gain visas during the next three years” (Wong 151). Along with his young wife, Wong started a family and business, accruing assets steadily through the years, and finally winning his American citizenship in 1964 after professing himself to be a paper son. The wealth that Wong was able to acquire was able to sustain his family’s visits to China and giving support to his relatives there, as well as being able to donate to several institutions. After several decades, his narrative was published to give insight not just to other Chinese-Americans but to all readers in general. The story is able to show that despite most Chinese immigrants experiencing discrimination, many people were friendly and accommodating immigrants despite a few who were not, and Wong was able to “enjoy a relative equality in Wichita” (Wong 3). Most of these were his teachers in school, and even some where his classmates who helped him cope up in elementary upon his arrival in the U.S. The author uses mostly his own accounts as well as the records and certificates that he was able to obtain. The editor was also able to provide invaluable information through the notes section, especially about the events that the author was able to recall and write about in the book. While not all of the events that happened in the timeframe were recorded faithfully through newspapers, it was also mentioned that most of the records to attest the information were either incomplete, inaccurate or destroyed. Also, some Chinese words and references can also be seen in other books that had a similar topic, and are written in the end notes as well, which would be a help for those who would want to further search other literature regarding the experiences of Chinese immigrants. Lastly, it can be deduced that despite the longer time Wong had spent in the U.S., his narration style is able to show that he is still influenced strongly by his Chinese ancestry, and this is most apparent in his narration of how his mother urged him to get married and have the wedding under “traditional Chinese rituals” (Wong 151). Also, the author is able to explain to the reader some Chinese ideas which may not have equal word counterparts and would have been otherwise hard to understand, such as the concept of “the need to continue the family lineage” (Wong 21), among others. As a whole, this book is a good read, especially to those who are greatly interested not just in the history of Chinese immigrants, but to people who are open-minded with regards to the history of immigrants in the U.S. as a whole. The reader does not necessarily need to be an expert in history and culture since most of the words used in the book are rather simple and even at times whimsical, which makes it sound dynamic, not boring. The book is also another able to present another face of the fate of Chinese immigrants since most of the books in the topic were only focusing on the immigrants that lived in the East Coast, which was a major entry point for them during the early part of the 20th century. For people who are not afraid to learn new things beyond their own culture, Wong’s narration about his life during the early years, his adjustments to the American way of living can be a good insight as to how immigrants thought in general, especially since they most likely would not have any idea on what to expected once they land on American soil. This book is also recommended for readers interested in what happened before and after the war, as well as during the Great Depression, since the accounts were based on what Wong and his fellow Chinese immigrants were experiencing, as well as to how they coped and survived during tough times. Lastly, this book is recommended for Americans with a Chinese cultural background, so that they may be able to connect to the past during the times of their grandparents or great-grandparents, or even of their own parents themselves. This would be a good eye-opener as to what immigrants would have to endure in order to enter the mountain of Gold, or Gum Saan. Aside from describing the details in his travels and experiences in a way that can be easily imagined, Wong was able to tell his readers his good times in Wichita, and that while there were indeed records of incidents of oppression towards Chinese immigrants, there were also many people that are helpful and friendly towards them, no matter where they came from. As a whole, this book is very descriptive and somewhat light compared to other books on the lives of Chinese immigrants to the U.S., and as mentioned in this review this is a good read both for the sake of reading itself as well as a new insight in the lives of people from a different cultural background. Work Cited Wong, Wayne Hung. American Paper Son: A Chinese Immigrant in the Midwest. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2006. Print. Read More