Author Description

The story of the Toisanese and Cantonese Chinese, especially of those from New York City, are largely missing from our annals of history. The accomplishments of these peasant farmers and their offspring from southern China were extraordinary amidst enormous struggles. Known as the Jook Sing generation, their children went on to become responsible U.S. citizens and educated professionals. Many enter fields where no Chinese had gone before. They created, within New York City's Chinatown, a village and a community with its cobweb of family and social relationships. It was safe, supportive, and they belonged. This book is a collection of narratives about ordinary people who made extraordinary strides. It is a psychosocial account of narratives of the Toisanese and Cantonese Chinese growing up during the 1940s-1960s in the US-told for the next generation lest they be forgotten. While the Garden of Eden lies in the East for Westerners, the Jade Mountain of the Queen Mother, Hsi Wang Mu, lies in the West for Easterners. These pioneering Chinese made their Journey to the West. What made for their resilience and bonds that enabled them to succeed? Isn't it ironic that they came to America for economic opportunities, only to be mistrusted for their political allegiances? They were recruited for jobs that White Americans did not want; yet they became an economic threat because they took away American jobs. Chinatown was viewed as a secretive and isolated community; yet the anti-Chinese laws blatantly discriminated and excluded them from housing, immigration, and access to mainstream resources. Isn't it ironic how many Chinese Americans served in the military, yet faced more backlash from their American comrades than from the enemy? They continued to be viewed as foreigners despite sacrificing their lives for the US. But most of all, this story about the Cantonese and Toisanese Chinese is a story about the plight of all immigrants. Volume 2 is a collection of stories for the Ne