Reading through the first part of “God In Chinatown” made it easier to relate to my own experiences and encounters as compared to the other works we read in class. I was able to relate more to the topic and area described in this book because I have always described Chinatown as my second home. Ever since I can remember, I have visited this neighborhood at least twice a week, regardless of where I was living; Bensonhurst, Brooklyn or Medford, Long Island.
What struck me the most in this chapter were the immigrants’ accounts of their journey coming here. Some parts of the stories seem too extreme to believe; yet I believe them, because I have personally encountered people who experienced similar situations. The majority of Chinese immigrants spend loads of money to come to this country along with taking up many dangerous risks. As we have discussed in class, many immigrants struggle a lot to come here and we see a widespread theme among the immigrants’ willingness to come regardless of the expenses or risks. The question is why. Guest answers this question like many other authors have with the fact that America is a place for grand opportunities.
Guest discusses the huge influx of Fuzhounese Chinese immigrants into the country, especially New York City. In the Chinese community, it was very well known that most of the Fuzhounese population in this country is illegal. The Chinese people are split up into many different types because there is so many different regions that Chinese people can come from and each group has their own “reputation”. The Fuzhounese community is known for possessing the most illegal citizenship and for owning restaurants. This little fact comes from my experience in a Chinese community. This has also caused tighter the government to put greater control on the immigration of Chinese immigrants who come from the region of Fuzhou, which has recently caused many Fuzhounese immigrants greater difficulty to actually come here legally.
I found it very interesting that Chinatown became their source of employment and I agreed that Chinatown was not an enclave, unlike other ethnic neighborhoods. Speaking from personal experiences, I know that Chinese immigrants specifically come to America with the purpose of building a better life for their families and being able to obtain a reasonable job that allows a stable salary. It is rare for Chinese immigrants, unless they come at a young age, to want to strive to fit into the American economic society and wish for social mobility. However, these immigrants do expect their American-born children to carry out this mission, which explains partly the stereotype of strict Asian parents.
It is also mentioned in the chapter that Chinese laborers, especially women, work for substandard wages to sacrifice in short term in order to receive benefits in the future. The role of the mother is extremely important in immigrant families, especially Chinese, which reminds me of the domus structure in Italian families. Women play a key role in upholding the family because in Chinese culture, it is not rare for women to sacrifice for the greater good of the community.
