interview

1.您什么时候来到了美国？是什么原因驱使您来美呢?
我好像是93年来的。 因为我老公在那边所以我移民来了。

2. 到目前为止，您在美国已经生活了有多久？
生活了14年了，有三年回了中国。

3。在您安顿到威州之前，您都居住过哪些地方？
还没有来wisconsin之前我住在广州。

4。您最初抵美后，在文化上您都经历了哪些挑战？您觉得这些文化上的挑战哪些容易克服？哪些难以克服呢？为什么？
当初来的时候要学英文，英文是我的第二个语言所以有点困难。还有这边吃的也跟中国不同，不过吃的比学英文比较容易克服。

> 5。您愿意跟我们分享一些您生活中的一些有趣的经历吗？
我生活中没有什么特别有趣的事因为一来到美国就要工作。

中文阅读讨论题 - 寻找另一个中美关系：华人在美国的历史

一。 请在读了第一章之后回答：早期中国移民对美国的历史性的贡献都有哪些？ 早期“华工”来美的目的和特征有哪些？与欧洲的劳工相比，有哪些不同？

二。请在读了第二章之后回答：清政府对早期出国的劳工的态度和措施？在鸦片战争以来第一个具有对等内容的中外条约是什么？是由谁签订的？和约的内容是什么？在1882年，美国国会通过了排华法，请阐述以下排华法的意义和影响有哪些？当你读到这段文章时的感受是什么？

三。请在读了第三章之后回答：在1888年推出的“排华法案”的主要针对内容有哪些？俗话说“上有政策，下有对策，” 当时的人们采取了那些措施后来被一些史学家们誉为“正当的欺骗”？结果如何？

四：请在读了第四章之后回答：在1902年，美国国会无限延期了“排华法案。”当时他们给予的理由和现今关于移民和劳工的理由很是相似。那么，都有哪些相似之处？ 什么标志着中国现代民族主义的第一次觉醒？结果怎样？

五：请在读了第五章之后回答： 什么时候美国终于终止了美国历史上臭名昭著的“排华法案”？

六：请在读了第六章之后回答：新一代的移民到美国的性质和特征有哪些？

Yingdi's interview

1。您什么时候来到了美国？是什么原因驱使您来美呢?

I came to the US in 2006 for my Ph.D study.

2. 到目前为止，您在美国已经生活了有多久？

I've been living in the US for 4 years.
 3。在您安顿到威州之前，您都居住过哪些地方？

Before I came to Wisconsin, I had lived in Hunan, Shenzhen, and Beijing in China.

4。您最初抵美后，在文化上您都经历了哪些挑战？您觉得这些文化上的挑战哪些容易克服？哪些难以克服呢？为什么？

When I first came to the US, you may not believe it, the largest challenge is food! I couldn't stand eating Sandwiches as a meal. From a Chinese point of few, it's not "real" food, just some kind of snacks. For me, having a meal means there's rice, some meat and vegetables. Another challenge is language, not that I don't understand the individual words that Americans speak, it is the way the talk with idioms and specific stories that I have no background knowledge about them. Finally, one thing I wanna share is the way of communication. I realized little by little that Americans, especially mid-westerners are very polite and really nice. They talk in a very nice and praising way, and at the same time, they like to be constantly praised. As a Chinese, I'm used to the way of straight forward when I see there's a problem and what is the better solution, but some Americans cannot accept different opinions or the way that the other person tell them directly there's something wrong. I think the language and eating habit are easier to overcome, but the way how to behave as myself and at the same time being the same as the Americans is difficult.

> 5。您愿意跟我们分享一些您生活中的一些有趣的经历吗？

One thing I think it's very interesting and is related to the communication challenged I mentioned above is a little conflict I had with an American young guy. This happened the first year when I came to Madison. I lived in a house with a bunch of housemates and the house manager would take care of the house maintenance such as fixing the toilets. One day the flush of the toilet didn't work and the house manage sent a guy to fix it. We knew each other - he was a undergraduate student of UW-Madison and he is a really tall guy. So in the past every time he fixed any tiny problems of the house, we would praise him like "awesome, super...". But that day, after he thought he fixed the toilet, I found that it didn't work. So I pointed it out to him and suggested where the problem was, he became very unhappy and finally angry. He yelled at me that he was a professional and he knew what he was doing. He also said I was defensive. I didn't know what to say but wanted to laugh: how could I be defensive for such a tiny issue in front of a 6.3 feet tall guy? Anyways, I just thought it's an interesting experience and also I learned from it how people like to be praised no matter what they did.

> Part II
 1。为什么美国被称为文化的大熔炉？你觉得这个表达确切吗？为什么？

I'm not quite sure if it is the right description. If the US is really a culture oven, then all the different cultures and peoples are supposed to be in the same oven (the same social stage) and receive the same importance and respect. But it's certain not the reality: minorities such as African Americans, Latinos, Asia Americans are still marginalized.
2。美国是一个移民的国家，但是移民现象在中国和台湾却还是比较少见。你觉得“移民现象”对于一个国家大文化有着什么样的定位和冲击？

I think immigrants really help bring in different cultures and valuable knowledge and skills from the other part of the world.
 3。随着时间的推移，中国和台湾在这方面可能会有哪些变化？

It's actually happening now in China that more and more foreign faces showing in China. It's going to change the social structures of the country and have lots of challenges as well. For example, immigrants and their children's education, culture adaption ect.
4。如果你是一个汉族的话，你的移民经历将你变成了一个少数民族，这种改变对于你自身有什么意义或者冲击？

I haven't immigrated to the US yet. So I'm not quite sure if I did, how it would change my identity as a Chinese.

Kitchen Chinese

1. My parents have thought about moving back to china many times. The reason for that is because, we have many family members over there, and culture difference here.  I personally have thought about moving back to China couple times, but the only reason for that is because of my family there. I've been in the America since I was 7 so, I've lived here for most of my life.
2. I think the author use the title Kitchen Chinese is because, many Chinese people that came to America from China that works/owns a restaurant only knows the basic English like what the food is called.
3. No. I do not think that the younger have to live up to the perfection of the elder nor do I think that the younger have to do what the elder wishes she could do. Yes, I personally do think that Chinese parents have different expectations for their children then most American parents. For an example most of the Chinese parents don't want their kids to date anyone until they are out of school however, most of the American parents don't really care if their kids are dating or not.
4. In my opinion, the best way to learn about or understand a foreign place or culture is to go to that country and live there. That way you can see how people live day to day basses
5.Yes I have felt like a fish out of water socially, culturally. Like many Americans celebrate Christmas and my family don't celebrate it. I adapt by telling myself that everyone is different and just because, some of my friends do something don't mean I have to do it and many people also don't do it.
6. Yes I in my experience this is a widespread stereotype of American people. I form my opinion of other people by first getting to know who they are and being their friend.

Asian American X

Imagine you are writing your blog to one or both of these authors. What did you identify with and disagree with in their writing?

I agree with her “What They Taught Me” list because this is what my parents taught me. They taught me those virtues since I was little. I also agree with her second list because those are taught in American culture. My friends taught me those virtues.
However I don’t agree with the categories of Asian Americans. I have never heard any of those terms until I read this. All of the Asian Americans I have met are proud to be Asian and they don’t fit in any of the three categories.

American Born Chinese

The Monkey King chooses to be stuck in the mountain of rocks for 500 years, to escape he must return to his "true form." How do the other characters experience this in American Born Chinese? Have you experienced a similar situation in your life?

Jin Wang experiences this by changing from Danny, back to himself. I predict that Wei-Chen will change back to a monkey because this is the theme, returning back ones true form. And no, I have not experienced a similar situation in my life.

Interview Homework no1.MP4

Interview by Austine 容榕

There wasn't any special or surprising answer when in was interview her. Her answer is basically the same as what i will answer too since we've move to here about the same time...
Here is the interview video of my friend Jiawei from 福建.