Essay - Shawn Wong's 'Homebase' Chinese Immigrants Faced Discrimination from Their First...

Shawn Wong's "Homebase"

Chinese immigrants faced discrimination from their first days in America. In the 1850s, the U.S. Constitution reserved the right of naturalization for white immigrants. Only two sk***** colors were recognized, ***** and black. Since early Chinese immigrants were neither, only some were allowed to become naturalized citizens. Most Chinese could not vote, hold government office or be employed by the state. Then Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1880, which suspended immigration of Ch*****ese laborers. For ***** ***** time in American history, immigration ********** America was denied on the basis of race and class. Chinese now joined the ranks of im*****ciles, paupers, prostitutes, and felons as official "undesirables." The Chinese Exclusion Act ***** ***** repealed until 1943 and strict immigration quot***** existed ***** 1965. However, this did not mean ***** end of bigotry. In Shawn ***** novel Homebase, the main character Rainsford Chan longs to be recognized as American, not as Chinese, and to "find a pl*****ce in ***** country." He goes on a quest ***** find his history and *****come a part ***** his homel*****.

***** Chan was named after the California town where his great grandfa*****r settled during the gold rush. Although he was a fourth-generation American living in the 1950s, Rainsford ***** typically considered *****, ***** Chinese American. When people asked him where he came from, he said, "Berkeley." T*****n *****y would shakes their heads and ask where he come from "originally." He'd reply again, "Berkeley." He insists that he is an American. However, he lives in a biased culture that will not accept him as truly American because of ***** Eastern features, the color of h***** skin and *****is last name.

***** many years, Rainsford tries to ignore his heritage ***** primarily pursue an Anglo-American existence. However, with time, he realizes ***** this is ***** possible due to h***** background and ***** it is also essential for ***** to explore h***** family's personal history. The death of his father and mother at a young age reinforces t***** need. Thus, he sets out to recre*****e the journey of his forbearers that has been filled with pain and disappointment with the goal of making this country as much for Asian-Americans as it has been for Anglo-Americans. It is not an easy undertaking, but one of internal soul-searching and realizing both his strengths ***** failings as a young man. ***** the meantime, the reader gains true insights into ***** Asian-American experience over the ***** century.

Because the book is written in first person, the reader gets to see Ra*****ford's internal thoughts and feelings—and h***** insistence ***** he really is American. In fact, h***** self-belief appears to dominate *****is surroundings as he requires only to imagine himself as his ancestors to visit his ********** and cultural *****. It seems not as crucial that Rainsford convince anyone else that his home is really in America as it is to confirm this idea to himself.

Rainsford wanders on his own, seeking his *****, ***** birthright, and his ident*****y.