Chloe Peng, Writer
Facts:
In light of AAPI month, let’s discuss Asian-American history unknown. Ellis Island was not the only immigration center that welcomed thousands of foreigners; there was Angel Island, the Ellis Island of the American West. Between the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, the prevalence of Asian hate and xenophobia was catalysed by the effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act and the increasing number of Asian foreigners that wished to enter the nation. Just as European immigrants met in Ellis Island, migrants to the west coast (mostly Chinese and Japanese) were met by the isolated wooden buildings of Angel Island between 1910 and 1940. During this time, the processing that took place in Angel Island was brutal and indisputingly baleful - different from the reception at Ellis Island. Firstly, communication and escape would be deprived from the immigrants. Men were separated from women and children. They then faced humiliating medical exams before the eyes of strangers that included being probed by metal calipers and uniquely tested for parasitic infections. Failure of these tests would be severe as deportation and hospitalization at their own expense. After these examinations, they were detained in wooden barracks for extreme periods of time, sometimes indefinitely.
In these barracks, many resorted to writing on the wall:
Dwelling in the wooden building, I give vent to despair
Searching for a living while perching on a mountain -- it's hard to earn glory
Letters do not arrive, my thoughts in vain
In bitterness and sadness, I watch for my early release.
- Poem found on the walls of the Angel Island Men’s Detention Barracks (describes hopeless despair and injustice of American “barbarians”)
Why is this history so rarely discussed?
Asian history is historically “not as important” as European history. That is the attitude American society inherently instills into our lives. This experience was silently traumatic for thousands of Asian migrants, who only ever wanted to live a good life. It is extremely important to make unknown history known, as suppressing the voices of those who suffered constant humiliation and oppression will only make the behavior seem okay in the eyes of history.
Photos:
Picture of Asians at Angel Island
Engraved poetry on the walls of barracks at Angel Island
Source:
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