Soc 428: Contemporary China Lecture 24: Chinese diaspora and global influence Yu Xie The University of Michigan

Outline  I. Continuation of the last lecture; Inequality on the Global Scale  II. Chinese Americans.  III. Assimilation and Segmented Assimilation.  IV. Law and Order in China  V. Environment  VI. Popular culture  VII. Open Discussion

Different Views of the State  China primarily sees the role of the state as economic.  It strives to protect “national (economic) interest.”  Chinese nationalism will rise, as the Chinese identify their economic well being with a strong Chinese state.  The U.S. still tries to protect its cultural interest (say democracy).

I. Chinese View of National Conflicts  National conflicts are driven by divergent economic interests, which may be disguised as cultural differences.  This interpretation is consistent with Chinese culture, Marxism, and China’s recent history.

II. Chinese Americans  The literature on Chinese Americans is imbedded in the literature on Asian Americans.

Table 1: Asian American Population: 1980, 1990, 2000 Data source: 1980, 1990, U.S. Censuses

Immigration History of Asian Americans  Beginning in 1850s, Chinese workers were imported to replace slave labor.  They were first attracted by the California gold rush (1850s) and then mobilized to build transcontinental railroads (1880s).  Chinese workers lived in mostly male communities—“bachelor societies”

Immigration Laws Restricting Asians  The Chinese Exclusion Act in  Japanese came as farm laborers in Hawaii and California.  Japanese immigration was curtailed by the Immigration Act of 1907 (“Gentleman’s Agreement”).  In 1924, all Asians were denied immigration to the U.S.  Filipinos had unique legal status and were recruited as laborers.  Filipino immigration was later restricted  Situation changed as a result of WWII.

1965 Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments  Landmark immigration law.  It relaxed restriction on immigration from Asia by eliminating national origin, race, or ancestry.  It emphasized family reunification.  It reflected the civil rights era.  Most Asian Americans today are beneficiaries of the 1965 law.

Discriminations Against Chinese Workers  No right to join unions.  Could not own land.  Could not form families by marrying local women.  Could not bring women to marry from home.  Could not live outside ethnic ghettos.  Racial conflicts between Chinese and working-class whites (i.e., riots) were frequent.

The Asian American Paradox  While Asian Americans have experienced discrimination historically, on average they have achieved socioeconomic status equal to or greater than whites’.  There is also a great deal of heterogeneity among Asian Americans: the poverty rates are higher among Asian Americans than among whites.

Explanatory Models of Asian American Success  Culture: Confucian Values  Structure: Selective Immigration  Marginality: Blocked Opportunities  Strategic Adaptation: The interaction of culture, structure, and marginality

Educational Expectation by Race Percentages do not add to 100 because of missing values. N’s for each group are: Asian Americans 1,558; Hispanic Origin 3,184; African American 3,034; White 16,419; and Native American 318. Data Source: 1988 NELS

Educational Expectation by Asian Ethnicity Percentages do not add to 100 because of missing values. N’s for each group are: Chinese 309; Filipino 301; Japanese 92; Korean 189; Pacific Islander 105; Southeast Asian 241; South Asian 126; Other Asian 166; and Ethnicity Unreported 29. Data Source: 1988 NELS

A Stylized Model Linking Education and Occupation Occupational Expectation Occupational Attainment Educational Attainment Educational Expectation A B C D E

“Qualitative” Evidence  “We know we are a minority in this society, and we have to do better than other Americans. … That’s the only way we’ll get ahead” (quoted by Hsia 1988, p. 92).  I don't think that Asians prefer the sciences. Sometimes it is the only avenue open to them. In the sciences, empirical results matter more than in the esoteric discussion of humanities. So that at least as an engineer, you know how to put machines in, and you can be a useful bolt and nut. And I think the job opportunities for us lie in this field (quoted by Lee 1991, p.53).

Table 7: Percent Asian in Occupation

Table 7: Percent Asian in Occupation (Continued)

Table 10: Intermarriage Rates by Gender

III. Assimilation and Segmented Assimilation  Classic assimilation theory: assimilation == narrow gap between immigrants and natives == higher SES  Segmented assimilation theory: assimilation may lead to bad outcomes – downward assimilation, because American society is diverse; thus immigrants may be better off not fully assimilated to American culture.

IV. Law and Order in China  In traditional China, law and order were closely related.  Judicial matters were handled by administrators-officials.  Special considerations were given to: Impact on others in society. “Fairness” in consequences, not necessarily in procedure.  For example, a long tradition of capital punishment.

Today’s Legal System in China  Hard to make legal system to be independent from politics or government.  Professionalization of lawyers is on the way.

V. Environment

 A principal-agency problem.  Central government represents all Chinese and their long-term interests. It wants to protect the environment.  However, it cannot do any work without agents -- cadres, who may profit from abuse of their power.  Government can only control them through bureaucracy –> large, bureaucratic, and authoritarian state.

VI. Popular Culture  I don’t really know about it.  I offer three characterizations: Very important, particularly to youth. (Think of Tocqueville.) Diverse (mixture of East and West; mixture of modern and ancient). Fast-paced and competitive (generational gaps).

VII. Open Discussion  Your turn now.