Makaila Young English 201 Prof Nwizu 3/21/24 In The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer Lee, she tells a compelling story about her life growing up as a Chinese immigrant in America. Throughout most of the story, she discusses the racial discrimination that many immigrants face but also how her life was being in America, assimilating to the culture. Specifically, we will be discussing Chapter 4 and the racism that Chinese immigrants face in America. Lee contrasts the cultural differences between white Americans and Chinese immigrants. Lee also symbolizes chop sueys to show the assimilating and adapting to American through cultural spread of Chinese restaurants. Within the beginning of Chapter 4, Lee introduces us to the rumors and jokes that were
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Lee uses historical context to contextualize the experiences that Chinese immigrants faced and how misunderstandings were spread. Posters of Chinese immigrants eating vermin were spread throughout America to create a false narrative that they would eat anything. Americans constantly create false rumors to make Chinese immigrants an outcast. The famous Mark Twain was also wary of a Chinese host offering him a sausage from her restaurant (Lee 43). Lee was able to evoke sympathy from the audience because many immigrants can relate to being judged based on the rumors that are spread about them. They were also judged for their differences in food culture because of how they used chopsticks instead of a fork, knife, or spoon. Although they faced a lot of discrimination, they were still able to open up restaurants that attracted a lot of miners. As more Chinese immigrants came to America, they took up jobs like mining, agriculture, railroads, and manufacturing (Lee 45). Lee provides facts on how white Americans were threatened by Chinese Americans coming to work and began committing hate crimes against
Lee uses historical context to contextualize the experiences that Chinese immigrants faced and how misunderstandings were spread. Posters of Chinese immigrants eating vermin were spread throughout America to create a false narrative that they would eat anything. Americans constantly create false rumors to make Chinese immigrants an outcast. The famous Mark Twain was also wary of a Chinese host offering him a sausage from her restaurant (Lee 43). Lee was able to evoke sympathy from the audience because many immigrants can relate to being judged based on the rumors that are spread about them. They were also judged for their differences in food culture because of how they used chopsticks instead of a fork, knife, or spoon. Although they faced a lot of discrimination, they were still able to open up restaurants that attracted a lot of miners. As more Chinese immigrants came to America, they took up jobs like mining, agriculture, railroads, and manufacturing (Lee 45). Lee provides facts on how white Americans were threatened by Chinese Americans coming to work and began committing hate crimes against