GR: Teen, Adult |
RT: Approx. 50 Min. Ea. |
Titles: 5 |
$39.95
DVD SERIES: $195.00
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Titles include:
Angel Island - Where Angels Feared to Tread
Angel Island began operating in 1910 as an immigration station.Those with dubious immigration status from the Pacific region, particularly the Chinese, were shipped there and detained for review. For the Chinese who entered America via Angel Island, and for those who were eventually refused entry, the harsh experience was forever branded in their psyche.
North American Chinese Through The Images Of The Media
In the late 19th and early 20th century, Chinese portrayed in North American political cartoons wore braided hair and looked shifty. The media had long manipulated the image of Chinese Americans. This episode traces the changes in the life and social status of Chinese immigrants from the Gold Rush to present day.
“Sweet and Sour” and the Chinese Laundry
The early Chinese Americans belonged to the low-income class. They struggled to make a living and to gain a foothold, often in hostile environments. Many Chinese went into the labor-intensive laundry business whose growth aroused resentment from the whites. Such resentment led to the California government enacting many measures and laws targeting Chinese laundries. So many turned to running Chinese restaurants. Their life, like the popular dish that is a staple in all Chinese restaurants, was “sweet and sour.”
Transcontinental Railroads & Head Tax
Over ten thousand Chinese immigrant workers were hired to help build both the American and Canadian transcontinental railways. Despite their significant contributions and loss of life, they were treated like pariahs and paid half the white man's wage. When Canada’s economy went into recession, the government imposed a head tax on the Chinese to stem their immigration. The aging head tax victims and their families are determined to fight for their dignity and seek redress, which is long overdue.
World War II and the Korean War
Chinese living in North America were second-class citizens with no voting rights. When WWII broke out Chinese men enlisted. Their willingness to fight for their adopted countries eventually gained them equal civil rights and raised their status in the minds of their white countrymen. With China’s formal involvement in the Korean War, Chinese students studying specific disciplines were forbidden to leave the U.S. They became embargoed strategic resources. North American Chinese became pawns in the volatile political games at the time.