Museum of Chinese in America Reflection by Dhruva Chhabra

For centuries, individuals have immigrated to the United States in search for economic prosperity, political freedoms, as well as socio-cultural engagement. During their journeys, they have faced a wide variety of experiences, encounters ranging from pluralist acceptance to hostile exclusionary behavior. Located in downtown Manhattan, the Museum of Chinese in America portrays the socio-historical treatment of Chinese immigrants and explores the evolving identity of Asians residing in the United States.

Along with other minorities, Chinese Americans have also been subject to intense discrimination and neglection throughout history. Employers, for example, often hired asians to undermine strikes by white laborers, providing the impoverished immigrants with meager pay and unfit working conditions. Furthermore, official government legislation prevented interracial marriages, curbed political freedoms for non-whites, and barred Chinese workers from bringing their families into the United States (American Museum of Chinese in America).

Although these actions were supported by the law, they weren’t just. It’s important to remember that the legal codes are fallible constructs manufactured by human beings. Justice, on the other hand, serves as an overarching moral standard that unites all regardless of their race, gender, or socio-economic status. Instead of encouraging law enforcement, the United States should have sought to administer justice to the Chinese immigrants that had been severely dehumanized and marginalized by American authorities. Accomplishing this task would demand threading Chinese-Americans into the political, economic, and socio-cultural fabric of this nation.

A famous philosopher, Jane Addams establishes critical principles to assist migrants during their adjustment to American life. She asserts that members of the host community must proactively bond with foreign arrivals and be open to their cultural ideologies. Developing deep socio-cultural bonds with co-inhabitants would “transform aliens into neighbors”, eliminating their resentment and creating a peaceful, inclusive democracy. Doing so also encourages intercultural exchange, a idea formulated by Cesar Chavez to legitimize the capacity of cultures to learn from each other’s values and mannerisms. For example, the Museum of Chinese in America emphasizes the tendency of Chinese to appreciate hard work and seek financial independence, virtues that these immigrants continuously instill into United States society.

While it is often beneficial to discuss the merits of each ethnicities, analysts must remain careful from excessive categorization and collectivism. For instance, during the civil-rights movement, the Chinese had been labeled as the model minority, suggesting that the American public expected all non-whites to behave in one particular fashion best suited for them. Whites respected the industrious and obedient nature of early Chinese-Americans, but by indicating that this group was the “best”, they expressed blatant racism towards other ethnicities. Furthermore, United Statesians characterized the ideal immigrant as a determined Chinese job-seeker, one that refrains from hobbies and personal enjoyment. This reflects nativist fears of permanent home-seeking migrants, preferring individuals who exclusively search for economic opportunity. In conclusion, while it’s convenient to regard all Chinese Americans as possessing a singular identity, they present enormous diversity of thought and culture.

The United States has been enriched by the steady stream of Chinese who seek to offer their talents and virtues to American society. Initially, many migrants endured harsh exclusionary circumstances. Withstanding little pay and burdensome physical labor, they built the transcontinental railroad that fueled American Manifest Destiny. Prohibited from entering any skilled professions, they toiled as mere house assistants at white households. In response to strong discriminatory attitudes, Chinese residents questioned whether they are included in the sacred “we the people”, a direct reference to the Preamble written by the American founding fathers. In the Museum of Chinese in America, many immigrants also cited President Lincoln and other noble figures, wondering why they suffer in spite of the sympathetic ideologies presented by prominent US leaders. Psychologically, it seems that many conservatives are solely addicted to a particular flag, not the underlying message behind its prestige.

Today, Chinese Americans have intermarried with whites, emigrated out of ethnic enclaves, and make novel scientific advancements. As xenophobia and racism once again plague the political leadership, it becomes vital to acknowledge the true beauty of an open, colorblind country.