The Chinese Face of Jesus: Phenomenology of Truth in Sui Sin Far’s Short Fiction

Abstract

As first writer of descent to be published in North America, Edith Eaton, better known as Sui Sin Far, is today considered one of most significant voices in American literary history, mainly because of her non-racialized approach to race in representing early twentieth-century diaspora. Born to an English father and a mother, Sui Sin often spoke about her burden of growing up as a Eurasian amidst racial injustice in North America. The unique space she occupied between two races also became basis of her constant pursuit to reconcile racial difference. According to her critics, her egalitarian view on race was established by her biracial experience and intense desire to forge a true understanding between and white Americans. As Elizabeth Ammons observes, Sui Sin invented herself--created her own voice--out of such deep silencing and systematic racist repression was one of triumphs of American literature at turn of (105). Many of Sui Sin Far's critics attributed her distinctive perspective to her biracial heritage by birth and her identity by choice. She identified with her mother's race not only by advocating for rights of in her writing, but also by choosing to publish under pseudonym Sui Sin Far, which means water lily in Chinese. At an early age, Sui Sin had already learned that the true fathers and mothers of world were those who battled through great trials and hardships to leave to future generations noble and inspiring truths (Sui Sin Far 290). History inevitably imposed a burden on Sui Sin Far, which was transformed into a mission to perpetuate a redemptive legacy for coming generations. During last decades of nineteenth century and a good part of twentieth century, in America suffered blatant racial discrimination and sociopolitical trauma. In 1877, during a time of economic crisis and social strife, Congress passed Exclusion Act to make it unlawful for laborers to enter United States for next ten years and denied citizenship to already there. The prohibition was broadened in 1888 to include persons of race; exemptions were provided for Chinese officials, students, tourists, and merchants (Takaki 111). Only two years before Exclusion Act, Page Law was enacted to prohibit wives and children of laborers from entering America. Upon completion of transcontinental railroad, western states launched violent raids on a broad scale to drive out population; called these raids pai hua, literally meaning to expel Chinese. One account states: At nine o'clock on morning of November 3,1885, steam whistles blew at foundries and mills across Tacoma, to announce start of purge of all people from town. Saloons closed and police stood by as five hundred men, brandishing clubs and pistols, went from house to house in downtown quarter and through tenements along city's wharf.... At midday, mob began to drag laborers from their homes, pillage their laundries, and throw their furniture into streets ... mob marched through heavy rain to a muddy railroad crossing nine miles from town. The merchants' wives, unable to walk on their bound feet, were tossed into wagons.... Two days later, Tacoma's Chinatown was destroyed by fire. (Pfaelzer xv-xvi) The Tacoma roundup was only one out of a hundred ethnic purging programs across Pacific Northwest in late nineteenth century. News about violent raids made its way into local newspapers as well as national publications such as The New York Times and Harper's Weekly. It was not uncommon knowledge among white Americans that purges were raging in California, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Nevada, and Colorado (Pfaelzer xix). …