Essay - Sociology Flora Belle Jan the Purpose of This Paper is...

Sociology

***** Belle Jan

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, d*****cuss, and analyze the article "The Life and Times of Flora Belle Jan" by Judy Yung. Specifically, it will discuss the article ***** ********** particular value in sociological perspectives. This is a very poignant and compelling story ***** a young Chinese-American girl who was first interviewed about her life in 1924, at the age of seventeen. Her story has much implic*****ion for the Asian American Pacific Islander today, as it shows the struggles immigrants have faced in their new homeland.

The ***** calls Flora ***** a "flapper" of the 1920s, "a woman who defied social control and conventions, who ***** modern, independent, sophisticated, and frank in speech, dress, morals, ***** lifestyle" (***** 11). Thus, ***** Belle was a unique *****, as most Ch*****ese did not rebel as she ***** - especially Chinese women. While in the U.S., ***** wrote on ***** women's issues, but she married and went to China in 1932, w*****e her health deteriorated, and her life was never ***** same. She died in 1950, a short time after she returned to the United States. ***** essay follows her life s*****ry, but more, it gives insight into how ***** remarkable woman lived and thought, and through her life, it gives ***** into what it was like to be a Chinese*****American in China, and in the Un*****ed States at a crucial ***** ***** world history.

The essay ***** her ***** story, and paints a picture ***** this young ***** growing into a woman ***** her letters, interviews with ***** family mem*****rs, and copious research ***** Flora ********** life. Her letters sound ***** any other teenaged girl of the time, and if she did not menti***** culture and family problems, it would be nearly impossible to tell she was a Chinese-Americ*****n. Her letters remove all race, ***** simply reveal a bright girl ***** her *****, enjoying l*****e ********** growing up. ***** short s*****ries and *****s indic*****e a vivid imagination ***** a talent for writing and creating stories.

***** married life in China was far different from ***** ***** in the United States. She ***** not acclimate well to life in Ch*****a, did not speak ***** language, and felt it was dirty, unhealthful, and she stubbornly hung on ***** her American ways. While she ***** there, the Japanese attacked, and war broke out. Her health ***** after giving birth to her third child, and she longed to return home to America. She discovered real racism for ***** first time, and made less money at her jobs in Ch*****a, even though ***** had more qualifications than the others did in her office. She wrote to her friend, "It is hard to be born a ***** but hopeless to be born ***** Ch*****ese" (Yung 26). She finally returned to the United States with ***** two daughters in 1949, ***** died just a year later of high blood pressure and kidney disease, her health had never recovered ***** the hardships marriage placed