Today, the influence of Chinese Americans is growing stronger, but as President Obama noted, they still face multiple forms of unequal treatment. It is heartening to see that the situation is changing. Happiness and rights must be fought for, and this is certainly true for Chinese Americans.
Every May is "Asian Pacific American Heritage Month" in the United States, and President Obama held a celebration at the White House on the 24th. He specifically mentioned the immense contributions made by Chinese laborers in building the railroads throughout American history. However, for those Chinese Americans who have endured hardships and unfair treatment for over a century, the U.S. Congress still owes them an apology. On May 27, representatives of Chinese community organizations from across the United States formally submitted a petition to Congress, urging it to apologize to the Chinese people for the Chinese Exclusion Act passed in 1882.
The Chinese Exclusion Act was signed by the U.S. Congress on May 6, 1882, and remains the only immigration exclusion act in American history targeting a specific ethnic group. Together with other discriminatory laws, the Chinese Exclusion Act, for a period of 60 years, prohibited Chinese people from buying homes, marrying white people, holding government positions, and even prevented the wives and children of Chinese immigrants from entering the United States, which was a severe violation of basic human rights. 128 years have passed, and the U.S. Congress has yet to apologize to the Chinese community across the nation.
More than 100 years ago, when Chinese people began to take root in the United States, they were undoubtedly a vulnerable group. Today, as the fourth-largest minority group in the U.S. with a population of approximately 4 million, their political influence is growing. However, as President Obama stated on the 24th, Chinese Americans still face multiple forms of unequal treatment. Clearly, beyond the inherent factors within American society, the current situation of the Chinese community is inextricably linked to their own behavior. While an apology is important, deep reflection and changing certain social patterns are also worth noting.
Although there are many Chinese Americans, they still appear vulnerable, and an important reason for this is the lack of awareness regarding political participation. Most Chinese people who traveled across the ocean to the United States had only one simple, primitive wish: to improve the lives of themselves and their families and to ensure a good future for their children. Therefore, they generally only know how to work hard, without caring about politics or participating in social activities. Over time, the Chinese community has become a group forgotten by society. A previous survey by the Committee of 100 showed that at least 28% of respondents stated they had little or no contact with Chinese people. Not taking the initiative to participate in politics means that the Chinese community has lost a legitimate path to fight for their own rights and interests.
Coming to the United States, Chinese people uphold the virtues accumulated by the Chinese nation over thousands of years, becoming a so-called "model minority." However, some Chinese people appear too "submissive," following the principle of avoiding trouble whenever possible and failing to stand up when faced with issues. In the subconscious of some, they even view themselves as "second-class citizens" living under someone else's roof, believing that some unfair treatment is inevitable. This is evident in the many cases where Chinese people have been attacked but failed to report it to the police. This sends a wrong message, leading some to view the Chinese community as "lambs" that can be slaughtered at will. In places like New York and Los Angeles, dozens of violent incidents targeting Chinese people have occurred recently.
Furthermore, there is a lack of necessary unity among some Chinese Americans. Some adopt a "not my business" attitude, focusing only on their own affairs, which gives criminals an opportunity. Even in broad daylight in Chinese neighborhoods, they are subjected to violence and robbery, after which the perpetrators walk away freely. On the evening of May 16, 23-year-old Chinese international student Yao Yu, who had been in the U.S. for only two months, was raped by a Mexican-American man in New York and struck in the head with a metal pipe, leading to brain death. Police reviewing street surveillance footage discovered that when the suspect dragged Yao Yu into an alley in public, two or three Chinese people were standing by watching, but they turned and walked away immediately.
It is heartening to see that the situation is changing. Through the efforts of Chinese organizations, the California State Legislature unanimously passed a resolution last year, formally acknowledging the persecution of Chinese immigrants 150 years ago and apologizing for the unfair acts of persecution. Today, Chinese community organizations across the U.S. have joined forces for the first time to demand that Congress apologize to the Chinese people for the Chinese Exclusion Act. Happiness and rights must be fought for, and for Chinese Americans, this is certainly true.
