PBS: Asian Americans Part 3
Episode three of PBS’s weekly series focuses on Chinese Americans and the communist fear in the 1950s.
After World War II ended, a lot of minority soldiers came back to the United States with one goal in mind: equality. Because they fought for their country, they believed that they earned the right to have equal rights.
World War II opened up this opportunity for some Asian Americans. The ones who served managed to become citizens. The GI Bill helped raise others into the middle class.
Not only that, but America had come to the point of embracing Asian Americans and viewed them as apart of the American family. They celebrated Japanese and Chinese strength in overcoming adversities in America.
This brought about what the model Asian American was supposed to look like. They were to be an American first. They were hard workers, Christians, never complained, never asked for handouts, and grateful for everything that the United States had given them.
“A good Asian American in the 1950s is someone who identifies first as American.” The Asian part could be celebrated once in a while, but they were to not identify themselves as Asian.
However, there was a façade that existed. Even though America claimed to celebrate Asian Americans, there was still persecution. Often times, Asians, Africans Americans, and other ethnic groups were barred from entering certain neighborhoods.
The big event that changed everything was when the Chinese Communist Party took control of China. Although they America was an ally to China in WWII, they strictly became an enemy. The Chinese Revolution lead to a huge scare in America that there would be a domino affect and communism would come to America.
Chinese American communities became a suspect for communists to live in. This led to outspoken Chinese families being investigated by the FBI. They would interview friends and neighbors to see if the family was communist.
“Being Chinese made you an automatic suspect,” one Chinese American woman said.
All of the government’s investigations did not produce any physical evidence; rather, it was merely seen as terrorism from the government. Furthermore, the consequences to these decisions lead to a generation of Chinese that did not get involved in politics.
“Their fear of the government keeps them silent.”
However, a lot began to change when Hawaii was colonized by America. Due to the sheer number of Asian Americans that lived in Hawaii, they had a voice. Through their frustration of feeling no political power, they were able to vote at the ballot. In turn, they voted in Democrats that represented the working class majority.
“It’s the first time Asians have a decisive voice in American politics.”
However, Asian Americans in Hawaii wanted a stronger voice, and they felt the best way for that would be to turn Hawaii into a state. They argued to the United States that by certifying them as the 50th State, that could help the U.S. win the Cold War.
Despite finally getting in as the 50th State, the Native Hawaiians were not given their right for self-rule over the island. This became problematic since Hawaii used to be a sovereign nation.
“From a Native Hawaiian point of view, it’s the beginning of a series of questions.” Philippines became independent and Puerto Rico remained a territory, but Native Hawaiians were not given the opportunity to be a sovereign nation again.
A major historical event of Asian American civil rights history was when the US Government repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1965. Although lawmakers were hoping that Asians immigrants would not come into America in droves, the opposite happened.
This is why when looking at Asian American civil rights, immigration and naturalization rights are two important aspects of Asia American history.
“Asians have been held up as the very best Americans; they’ve been condemned as the very worst. Now Asian Americans are ready to step out of shadows and celebrate who they truly are.”
