Introduction
Sui Sin Far is a British-American female writer known for her literary portrayal of the Chinese people’s experience in North America, inspired by witnessing the hostility and prejudice against Chinese natives. Far discusses the underlying concerns of being a Chinese person overseas from historical and legal perspectives. The story reveals the devastating impact of racial insensitivity, the human costs of discriminatory immigration laws, and the relentless benevolence of the Chinese people, which is prevalent in modern society.
The Sentimental Portrayal of Family Bonds
Far adopts a complex depiction of the parent-child relationship in the context of the restrictive immigration policies at the United States border. The story goes beyond the immigration policies and reveals a much deeper meaning of the sentimental family ties and values. Aside from illustrating the realities of American immigration policies, the author incorporates pivotal aspects of the “historical phenomenon” through the basic idea of the unconditional parents’ love for their child (Campbell 236). However, Far provides a Chinese perspective to enhance the impact of the bureaucratic system and argue against the discriminative laws.
The United States proved itself as a highly unequal society and never the land of the free. The sentimental approach in the story can be traced to when Lae Choo cared for her husband’s sick parents after her child was born: “…my wife nursed and cared for them” (Far 93). Also, there was an emotional undertone when a family lacked the money to pay the lawyer, and the mother gave all of her jewelry carrying the family tradition and values (Far 96). Most importantly, the Chinese family encountered such a challenging and overwhelming separation from their son by staying together with constant support for one another to confront the American immigration order.
The bureaucratic policies were disuniting the family from their son to the point when he was unable to recognize his mother. While the family was putting all their efforts to reunite with their son, the American restrictive laws and unjustified racism made them endure such a distressing time. In the end, Far symbolized a “denial of immigrant culture,”, particularly through the Chinese immigrant experience (Campbell 215). The family reunion was intended to be the most sentimental part of the story; however, the son’s change in behavior and rejection of his mother manifests the disapproval of the immigrant mentality and its climate.
Similarities in Contemporary Issues and Debates about Immigration
The short story interprets the still prevailing topic of critical investigations of identity, community, and culture through the historical and legislative lenses. The turning point in American history regarding immigration implies the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. According to Dong, it was the first legislation in U.S. history to impose “critical limitations on immigration” (47). The act aimed to repress Chinese immigrants’ flow to the United States by making them ineligible for naturalization. Even though it was repealed in 1943, Dunigan believes that similar themes can be viewed in the current immigration policy (86). This encompasses the implementation of Trump’s travel ban on seven Muslim majority countries and accusations of Hispanic immigrants.
The most recent example of severe racism can be traced to the rapid spread of coronavirus disease worldwide. Racial discrimination towards Chinese people and other Asian ethnicities was considerably enhanced at the beginning of the pandemic. Moreover, Trump failed to demonstrate their leadership qualities during the crisis as he blamed the entire nation and the country for spreading the virus. With this said, both in the past and nowadays, Americans employ similar political pressure regarding immigration and racial intolerance through anti-Asian discrimination attitudes.
Conclusion
Sui Sin Far aimed to create a literary piece revealing the upsetting realities of the immigration policy system of that time. The author analyzed the themes of racial insensitivity, discriminatory laws, and the core of humanity of the Chinese natives. To conclude, the anxieties about cultural assimilation remain a fundamental concern in modern society, which needs to be addressed urgently based on the lessons learned from the previous historical experiences of the immigrant legislation.
References
Campbell, Donna M. Bitter Tastes: Literary Naturalism and Early Cinema in American Women’s Writing. University of Georgia Press, 2016.
Dong, Lan. 25 Events that Shaped Asian American History: An Encyclopedia of the American Mosaic, ABC-CLIO, 2019.
Dunigan, Grace. “The Chinese Exclusion Act: Why It Matters Today,” Susquehanna University Political Review, vol. 8, no. 8, 2017, pp. 82–89.
Far, Sui Sin. Mrs. Spring Fragrance: A Collection of Chinese-American Short Stories. Courier Corporation, 2013.