Chinese American Culture Research Paper

Although the Chinese were a hated minority, the aerial attack on Pearl Harbor created a significant shift. American culture became more tolerant and accepting of Chinese Americans as “over 13,000 Chinese Americans were serving in all branches of the Army Ground Forces and Army Air Forces.”, which made it the highest percentage of any other American ethnic community (McNaughton). One of these men was Captain Francis B. Wai. During the recapture of the Philippines from the Japanese, American troops found themselves without leadership and vulnerable on the open beach. Captain Wai heroically assumed command, found the enemy’s weak points, and lead an attack on the last Japanese pillbox in the area. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross,
Many Chinese Americans answered the call to fight; however, the fight was different than any other war fought before. In 1948, President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order No. 9981 and declared “equality of treatment and opportunity” for all military branches without regard to race, religion, or national origin (Feng). Military units were now integrated. The United States Marine Corps even commissioned their first Chinese American officer, First Lieutenant Kurt Chew-Een Lee. First Lieutenant Lee was the Commanding Officer of Company B, 1st Battalion 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. During the Battle of Inchon, he highlighted the value of Chinese American soldiers when he shouted orders to the enemy in Mandarin Chinese to cause confusion (Sorenson). The tactic worked. In their confusion, the enemy revealed their position, allowing Lee’s unit to drive them back. He received the Navy Cross and Silver Star as “he boldly exposed himself to intense hostile automatic weapons, grenade and sniper small-arms fire to carry out a personal reconnaissance, well in advance of his own lines, in order to re-deploy the machine-gun posts within the defensive perimeter.” (Miller). Lee retired as a Major, and forever changed the treatment of Chinese Americans in the military. Chinese Americans were more welcomed and treated with respect as they showed fortitude and courage in
Though they arrived to the United States with the same intentions as European immigrants, they were faced with intense forms of discrimination. From the railroad construction to the mistreatment during the Red Scare, Chinese Americans have been seen as perpetual foreigners. They were seen as individuals who could never be fully accepted in American society. As a result, they formed close-knit Chinatowns and tried to adapt their traditions. They refuse to accept their place on the low tier of the social hierarchy, and began to take strides to become more accepted in American society. Many Chinese Americans swore the same oath as their White counterparts to fight in every war the United States entered during the twentieth century. Chinese Americans have proven their resilience to resist oppression and to not only survive, but