BECOMING AMERICAN: THE CHINESE EXPERIENCE: NO TURNING BACK {EPISODE 3} (TV)
Summary
Part three of three. This documentary series, hosted by Bill Moyers, explores the saga of Chinese immigration to America. This episode examines the life of Chinese-Americans in the last half-century, in the words of those who experienced it. This program begins with footage from October 3, 1965 at Liberty Island, with Press Secretary Moyers present as President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a new Immigration Act into law. Moyers notes how this made immigration less of a legal drama but more of a "human" drama. First, Moyers begins by discussing the Chinese-American "success story," Maya Lin, who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1981, though she received considerable racially based feedback. Going back fifty years, Moyers discusses the exclusionary nature of that era in "white" American suburbs, meeting some of the Chinese-Americans who survived it. Helen Zia recalls moving with her parents in the early '50s into Levittown, New Jersey, as its first Asian citizens and always being looked at as if they had "come from Mars." Then, the program examines how the Korean War affected Chinese-Americans, as China had aligned itself with North Korea against America and South Korea. In addition, U.S. policies caused federal agents to attempt to "root out" Communist sympathizers from "Red China." Then, Moyers talks about how, at the time, Chinese-Americans were making a move to "the mainstream." The program notes how Pete Domoto, the Chinese-American left guard for the Rose Bowl-bound California Bears, was a source of inspiration for Shawn Wong, who attended an American elementary school in Taiwan and was ridiculed by white students for his heritage. Next, Benjamin "Benny" Pan -- "just like Peter Pan" -- begins to detail his "half-a-lifetime" journey to Queens, New York. The program looks at January 1961 when President John F. Kennedy was inaugurated, giving a "wind of hope" to people of color. Chinese-American Charlie Chin talks about playing the banjo to earn money in Greenwich Village -- his being "exotic" having proved an advantage -- as footage shows him in clips from 1963. Chin further talks about attending the famous "March on Washington" with African-Americans in 1963. Moyers details how the 1960s were a halcyon time for Asian-Americans. Wong recalls visiting the former Angel Island detention center during the time and getting a "sense of place" in America. Zia tells of being in the graduating class of Princeton's first class of women. Chin talks about how the face of Chinatown began changing after 1968, with a raft of recent arrivals. Then, the program looks at the significance of President Richard Nixon visiting China in 1972. Pan talks about his struggles in China during that time. Then, Moyers discusses the cultural revolution China began going through in the late-1970s, a period during which Pan remained under house arrest. Next, the program looks at an incident in Detroit, Michigan, in 1982, when Chinese-American Vincent Chin was killed by angry white autoworkers who mistook him for being Japanese. Zia, who was living in Detroit at the time, was laid off from her work at an auto factory plant as anti-Asian resentment became "palpable." When Chin's killers received probation and fines, the Asian-American community was galvanized and started an advocacy group. The American Citizens for Justice began fighting for Asians' "identity." Next, the program looks at Jerry Yang, a co-founder of Yahoo!, who left Taiwan in 1978. Yang talks about "belonging" in America. Then, the program looks at Jean Tang's family coming to America. Michelle Ling details growing up "comfortably middle class" in America, yet still having to work hard to succeed. Tang drives to Arcadia in Southern California, where her family moved when she was a girl. Yang details the dedicated study habits of Chinese-Americans. Tang talks about how happiness was secondary, studying was the most important thing as Asians became the "model minority." Ling talks about the prominence of Asians at U.C. Berkeley, detailing the different kinds of Asians on campus -- FOBs ("fresh off the boat"), ABCs ("American-born Chinese"), and "twinkies" ("yellow on the outside, white on the inside.") Then, Pan discusses his exhilaration at finally getting to immigrate to America and reuniting with his sister, Deanna Chan, and his daughter. Moyers details the role of Chinese-Americans such as Yang on the internet revolution, then reveals the careers which were ultimately pursued by Tang and Ling. Summing up her philosophy, Ling discusses why eating Chinese chicken feet makes her part of the American dream. Zia tells of a recent journey she took to her father's home town, Suzhou City in Jiangau Province, and how she imagined walking where generations before her had walked. Offering his final thoughts, Wong details the time he got an unexpected phone call from his boyhood ideal, Domoto, and how he got to meet him. Lastly, Moyers discusses what now "defines" the Chinese in America. This program is closed-captioned.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: March 27, 2003 Thursday 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:26:57
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:81954
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: China - Foreign relations - US; Emigration and immigration; Asian American Pacific Islanders Collection
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 2003
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Felice Firestone … Executive Producer
- Judy Doctoroff O'Neill … Executive Producer
- Steve Cheng … Producer
- Na Eng … Associate Producer
- Todd Leong … Associate Producer
- Rob Rapley … Associate Producer
- Hilary Klotz … Associate Producer
- Thomas Lennon … Series Producer, Writer
- Bill Moyers … Writer
- Brian Keane … Music by
- George Gao … Music by
- Bill Moyers … Host
- Deanna Chan
- Charlie Chin
- Vincent Chin
- Pete Domoto
- Lyndon B. Johnson
- John F. Kennedy
- Maya Lin
- Michelle Ling
- Richard Nixon
- Pan, Benjamin "Benny"
- Jean Tang
- Shawn Wong
- Jerry Yang
- Helen Zia