In Chinese: Different Destinies in Immigrant New York, Min Zhou describes the Chinese enclaves that exist in New York and also historically explains the reason of great immigration to New York. Zhou also analyzes the settlement of Chinese immigrants and the causes for immigrants to settle at a specific area.
In the 1900s, many Chinese people came to the west coast in search of gold becoming laborers in many industrial sites. They hoped to go back to China with the gold and wealth that they had high hopes of attaining. As a Chinese immigrant said, “New York offers many fortunes but unequal opportunities to newcomers. Not everyone can make it here.” Coming to a new country brings many changes and sometimes immigrant’s destiny to belong in New York does not belong. With more than 1.5 million Chinese people legally admitted in the US (in 1997) the population of these Asians continues to thrive in numbers. One reason why was because of the passage of the Hart-Celler Act which rapidly led Chinese people to fly to America to be with their whole family, rather than have family restrictions. With modernization and push for higher education, many Chinese students have come to New York to make their living similar to those Chinese workers who came in the 1980s.
With the arrival of various Chinese immigrants, not all were on the same boat. Some were poor, some had little education, and others had poor working skills. These characteristics shaped their selection of jobs as well as the place they settled. Zhou focused on three settlements: Old Chinatown, Flushing, and Sunset Park. All three settlements had very distinguishable difference. Old Chinatown was the site where they had the similar “socioeconomic status” with low-wade jobs, low level of education, and more of an area for the elderly. Flushing is more of an area not dense in one ethnicity but is known as the “second” Chinatown that has seen great business and property expansion and offers a good socioeconomic standing. Sunset Park consists of more of a working-class community with little “mobile immigrant Chinese” people and is the site for not so expensive houses for immigrants to come to. Like other communities in New York, Old Chinatown, Flushing, and Sunset Park are all similar in the make-up but they have different characteristics that suit certain people. When Chinese immigrants come to New York, there are reasons for settlement at a specific community.
Within each Chinese community, there is “class status” that determines what location is the best fit to live. From affordable housing to decent housing, Chinese immigrants look to settle where they can afford and be like the rest of the others. This is a main factor that determines their achievement when they come to New York for a successful life. Another factor is “ethnic networking.” Being a stranger when coming to NY and meeting new people from work or from other areas, it is important to have the connection or friendship near you so their is comfortability as well as a cultural relationship.
With the arrival of these great Chinese populations, different communities have been created and although it may not seem like it, but there are different characteristics that surround each community. I can relate to this article but with the Indian community. Jackson Heights, Queens, and Flushing are sites of big Indian population but only they know the difference in each community. Although I haven’t been to Sunset Park, I’ve been to Old Chinatown and Flushing, but I never distinguished the people from those two areas. I viewed them as the same, but reading this article, by a Chinese person who probably can relate to it, helps us see and think of the differences within the communities in New York. I could tell the differences within the Indian Community since I’m Indian and same for Zhou because she is Chinese. Using that insight and knowledge, I can understand the Chinese settlements as well as how much they have developed.
