Los Angeles Times: Taishan’s U.S. Well Runs Dry. Down a narrow red dirt road past rice paddies, water buffaloes and abandoned farmhouses is the dab-sized town of Wo Hing. Locals know it as Lop Cham Kee village, or Los Angeles village.
The LA Times ran an interesting article about Toisan (Taishan) that deals with the nexus between the Overseas Chinese and those left behind. I remember my first visit to the place where my ancestors came from. In my case, it was a village in Xinhui, instead of Taishan. My first thought was that I should be deeply grateful that those that came before me had left the Chinese countryside long ago. Leaving your ancestral home is never an easy decision. Fortunately, all the difficult decisions and heavy lifting were done by others.
For recent immigrants, if you still have a brother or sister in China, what will become of them or their offspring. In 50 years, when you become a grandparent, what impressions will your grandchildren have when they go to China and visit their granduncle or grandaunt.
As a child, Chinese New Year was a time to receive red envelopes (红包) and eat sticky rice cake (年糕) or nian gao. It is quite easy to be a child during Chinese New Year. However, what about the adults? Whatever customs we picked up, if any, from our parents, one day, each of us will have to decide what customs and traditions we pass on to our sons and daughters.
How appropriate it was then for the San Francisco Chronicle to cover a program called In Search of Roots, run by the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco. The program is open to Chinese Americans from 16–25 years of age with families originating in the counties of the Pearl River Delta region in Guangdong province. The program offers interns an opportunity research their ancestry and complete a pilgrimage to Guangdong to visit their ancestral village.
The Chronicle also featured a companion video to the article. And, of course, you can find program highlights on YouTube as well.
In Search of Roots 2004 Trailer:
From Guangzhou TV (in Cantonese):
Considering all the resources that Chinese Americans have today, I hope that 2–3 generations down the line, our descendants will have more materials to trace their lineage if they choose to do so. So, if you are spending time with family during this Chinese New Year, please take some time to note down or record their stories.
Has e-mail replaced
the intimate face-to-face,
Do online chats end
with a paternal embrace,
Will our children learn
if they are not within sight,
Can we really know
whether their mood’s dark or bright.
Every time I visit China, I always see Western families in the hotel lobby with their Chinese adopted children in tow. If you ever wonder what exactly become of them, how they are doing, and what struggles and challenges they face, here’s an interesting essay I found by Elizabeth Holmes, a Chinese adoptee, who won second prize in the Celebrate Diversity! Essay Contest. Read Elizabeth Holmes’ Essay on Culture, Identity and Heritage.
As if seeing Chinese furniture at Target wasn’t enough, i head to Costco and find the same. However, they were passing these off as bar stools. I’m sure that’s not what these types of chairs are called in China though. Where next? Crate and Barrel?
So, how do these chairs compare with the museum-quality one. Good from afar, but far from good? I couldn’t quite decipher the symbol carved on the back of the chair. Definitely did not appear to be anything I’ve seen before on any antique Chinese furniture. Oh, I found those chairs at Target. I also saw terracotta soldier replicas as well.
I love antique Chinese furniture. A great place to view antique Chinese furniture is along Hollywood Road in Hong Kong, which is packed with shops selling furniture, jades, fossils and other assorted antiques. Recently, I came across a couple stores in the United States selling “Chinese” furniture. I was surprised, as you will be, when I tell you where I came across a piece of Chinese heritage.
The United States requires applicants for naturalization to be able to read, write, speak, and understand English. However, the U.S. exempts older applicants who have resided in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for a long duration or those with a medical impairment that affects their ability to learn English. While green card holders that qualify for one of the above exceptions do not have to learn English to become a U.S. citizen, they should not view the exception as an excuse not to learn English. Being a U.S. citizen and being able to fully partake in the benefits of American society are two separate issues. The advantages of being able to communicate in English are numerous:
America the Beautiful. You need to learn English if you want to travel outside of Chinatown. Though, many Chinese old timers may sniff at America the Beautiful. China has more history. The Grand Canyon can’t even compare to Guilin. They’ll even tell you all the great things about living in China while their two feet are firmly planted in U.S. soil. Learn English. Be adventurous. Visit the national parks and soak in the grandeur of America.
Cold Hard Cash. Sure, there are jobs available to those who can only speak Chinese. So, technically, you don’t even have to speak English to find a job in America. But, why limit yourself to only seeking Chinese-speaking jobs? A little investment in education, pays dividends.
Good Health, Long Life. Even when you visit your Chinese-speaking doctor, the prescription will be written in English. Learning English lets you understand what medicine was prescribed. You need to understand the proper dosage and side effects of all medicines you take.
Law and Order. If you ever get into an accident or are a victim of a crime, you need to be able to communicate clearly with the police or fire department. Sure, some departments may have Chinese-speaking interpreters available. But, the unavailability of an interpreter during a critical situation could jeopardize of you or a loved one.
Education. Education is a bedrock of the Chinese culture. To properly communicate with your children’s teachers, you need to understand English.
Descendents. Your children were dutiful enough to continue your family line. But, these young rascals speak English! If your grandchildren grow up in the United States, they will face a challenging time holding onto their Chinese language. If you wish to communicate with them, teach them Chinese but also learn English on your own so you can meet them half way.
Chinatown Has Moved. The Chinese American population has dispersed all across America. Life in the suburbs means all the stores and services usually are not within walking distance anymore. The further you have to travel, the more likely you will need English to read road signs or interact with others. Oh. Make that another reasons to complain about the United States. Back in China, I can just go downstairs and…
Learning for Learning’s Sake. Sometimes, you shouldn’t need a reason to learn something. As a human being, you are blessed with a brain that is designed to learn new skills. If you start refusing to learn new skills just because there’s no reason to, well, then America probably isn’t the place for you.
This week, Google launched Google Patent Search, which lets you search the entire collection of patents made available by the USPTO. As of the launch date, Google Patent Search covered patents issued from the 1790s to the middle of 2006. Now, this is not the first patent search engine, so let’s take a look and compare them.
I ran a search for “chinaman” on the USPTO website (4 matches), on the Patent Storm web site (3 matches) and on the Google Patent Search website (17 matches).
Aside from the fact that Google found more matches than these other two services, I was also surprised that there were any matches at all. Now, you may be curious to see what types of patents will invoke the term “chinaman.” After all, when we think about patents and intellectual property, our minds naturally gravitate towards cutting edge inventions and not racial slurs.
But, sure enough, Patent Number D12733 for a Design for a Toy for Exploding Caps and Fulminates shows a “Chinaman walking or running along the said barrel-like portion of the hand-piece” and an Irishman with a leg acting as the hammer “which operates with a kicking movement.” The inventor also asserted, “My design . . . makes the toy a source of great amusement to children using it.” On the handle of the toy gun are the words: “The Chinese Must Go.” Presumably, this won’t be a great source of amusement to Chinese children.
Los Angeles Times: California Rolls Drive Them to Distraction. Ever wonder whether the negi toro you ordered at that sushi place on Wilshire was the real deal? Well, the Japanese government does. Officials in Tokyo, concerned that diners around the globe are getting a less-than-genuine taste of their nation’s cuisine, are devising a sort of bureaucratic Zagat guide that will confer a stamp of authenticity on restaurants that meet the government’s standards.
Some bureaucrats with too much time on their hands? Actually, I’m a bit jealous. Some government worker will probably get to travel the world on the taxpayer’s dime trying out different restaurants. However, the true test of a restaurant isn’t whether it is authentic or not, but whether the food appeals enough to their clientele’s tastes. That’s why you won’t find “authentic” Chinese restaurants in some parts of America. If the customers want sweet and sour pork instead of braised chicken feet, you prepare the dishes that pays the bills. It’s that simple.
As much as I like “authentic” Chinese food, I’ll take orange chicken any day from Panda Express over stinky tofu at your local Chinese diner.
As a child, Chinese New Year was a time to receive red envelopes (红包) and eat sticky rice cake (年糕) or nian gao. It is quite easy to be a child during Chinese New Year. However, what about the adults? Whatever customs we picked up, if any, from our parents, one day, each of us will have to decide what customs and traditions we pass on to our sons and daughters.
