Constructing Childhood in Early Chinatown Image Versus Reality

Abstract

This book begins by showing how scholars of Chinese American history have focused primarily on the story of male Chinese immigrants. Only within the last two decades have significant studies examining the stories of Chinese American females emerged. The book challenges prevailing scholarly notions of early Chinatown by positioning Chinese children and their families at the center of efforts to combat American anti-Chinese policies. The author's research reveals the heretofore untold story of child life in early Chinatown while also unraveling the various myths surrounding Chinese American childhood. This volume has two objectives. First, it examines how various groups constructed contrasting images of childhood and family life in Chinatown that significantly influenced the debate over Chinese immigration and the future of the Chinese American community. Second, and most importantly, it recovers the voices and experiences of Chinese American children in early Chinatown and reveals their efforts to circumvent policies of exclusion and segregation in American society.