Discrimination Against the Chinese in America

August 30, 2010

The first major wave of Chinese immigrants came to the US after the California gold rush of 1849.

Then in 1882, The Chinese Exclusion Act formalized an ugly American prejudice.  In fact, there are still Americans who feel this way evidenced by a few comments left on this Blog. However, we are fortunate that more Americans appear open minded and accepting than those who do not feel that way.

This act stayed in effect de facto until 1965, when racist provisions of U.S. immigration law were removed during the Civil Rights era, liberalizing immigration by all non-European groups.

Most of these Chinese immigrants worked hard in industries like railroads, mines and canneries.  The Chinese were willing to work for lower wages than European immigrants were demanding.

When there were labor strikes, companies often used Chinese workers as strikebreakers.  This led to hate among European immigrants and demands that led to the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned Chinese laborers from entering the US.

This was the first time the US passed a law to bar a specific race or ethnicity from entering the country. Source: Tenement Museum

See Cultural Differences and the Ignorant American

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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of My Splendid Concubine [3rd edition]. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too. This is the love story Sir Robert Hart did not want the world to discover.

His latest novel is the multiple-award winning Running with the Enemy.

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4 Comments | America, American culture, China, Chinese Culture, cultural differences, history, politics | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse

Train to Tibet

August 26, 2010

Many know Tibet as the Roof of the World. For centuries, Tibet was isolated mostly because it was difficult for anyone to go there—even armies.

In 1903, the British Empire sent an army to Tibet to protect its interests, and it took a year for Sir Francis Younghusband’s invasion force to reach Lhasa in August 1904.

A book was written about that invasion, The British Empire & Tibet 1900-1922. Asian Affairs says, “The great value of Dr. Palace’s study is to highlight the much neglected China angle to the Tibetan issue … [this book is] helping to indicate the very important place of the Tibetan affair in the story of Western imperialism”

Today, the journey to Tibet is not as daunting.  Besides an airport, there is the train to Tibet that leaves Beijing and arrives in Lhasa forty-eight hours later. 

Tourists, both foreign and Chinese, take the train to Tibet to learn more about the people while others stay—changing the demographics.

The train sometimes reaches elevations over 5,000 meters (16,404 feet).

One Western tourist, who had been to Tibet twice, said that the ethnic groups in Tibet are not mixing together. She said there was a Chinese area and another where Tibetans lived.

Makes sense—in American cities emigrants tend to stay close to their kind. In the past, there have been Irish areas, Jewish, German and today there are Vietnamese or Latin or Chinatowns in the U.S.

See Traveling to Tibet

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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too.

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1 Comment | China, Chinese Culture, Chinese history, history, politics, Tibet, tourism | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse

Getting Out Sun Tzu’s Way

August 25, 2010

I have a suggestion for ending the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. 

Let Sun Tzu fight both wars his way.

That can be accomplished by telling China they may have all the oil in Iraq and the rare minerals recently discovered in Afghanistan.

Then the US pulls its troops out of both countries within six months leaving the door open for China to move in.

Why would China do this?  China needs oil and these rare minerals to keep its economy growing.

Why would it work?  Sun Tzu was Chinese. Who better to understand his rules for winning wars. China might even be able to pull it off without firing a shot.

This would work because China is not burdened with America’s affliction–Political Correctness, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, the Tea Bag People, liberal bleeding hearts and hawkish neoconservatives who scare American politicians so much that America’s generals are not allowed to fight as a war should be fought.

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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too. 

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Leave a Comment » | America, American culture, business, China, Chinese Culture, cultural differences, politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse

The China Daily

August 22, 2010

The China Daily is the English language edition for one of China’s state-run newspapers. The editorial office is in Beijing and there are branch offices in most major cities of China as well as several foreign capitals. The paper is published by satellite in Europe and the United States. You may also access it on-line (click above link).

The paper is regarded in the West as the English-language mouthpiece for China’s central government.

However, don’t see it as only a source for propaganda. It’s a serious newspaper and the people on the staff are professionals who see that the content of the paper fits the collective culture of China.

Any censorship usually does not come from the leadership of the central government but from the reporters and editors of the paper.

There have been times when the paper has been called from the central government and asked to cover a topic considered too sensitive by the staff.

Since China is changing at a rapid pace, any opinions you hold about China may be obsolete.  The country, culture, and lifestyles of the people are changing as fast as the economy. 

If you have trouble accepting that, discover China’s Sexual Revolution. Much of the behavior you will witness wouldn’t have been tolerated in the 1970s.


Hear Stephanie Griest

If you are interested in hearing from an insider who worked at the China Daily in 1997, I recommend reading “Around The Block” by Stephanie Elizondo Griest.

See The U.S. China Media Divide or The Collective Will

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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too.

If you want to subscribe to iLook China, there is a “Subscribe” button at the top of the screen in the menu bar.

1 Comment | China, Chinese Culture, cultural differences, media, politics | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse

Misconceptions of China – Chinese Currency

August 21, 2010

Larry talks about Chinese currency and how the Western media says it is too cheap and isn’t a fair price. The media says this exports American jobs to China.

Many Americans believe that having China revalue its currency is important to America.

However, experts say that if China’s currency were allowed to flow, it would be about 1 to 5 and maybe 1 to 4 instead of 1 to 6 or 1 to 7. 

What that means is that all goods manufactured in China would become more expensive in America and Europe. Prices for products from China could quickly go up 20%

Source: ShiWoLarry

Instead of jobs returning to the US, Western companies that manufacture in China would find cheaper labor elsewhere like in Vietnam. 

In addition, changing the way China values its currency will not cause most customers from other nations to buy from the US, because labor costs in America are too high due to unions.

Larry asks, “Will Chinese goods become more expensive and hurt the US?”  He says, “Yes.”

If anything, this currency issue is more political than economical.

See Doing Business in China or return to Misconceptions of China – Chinese Wealth and Poverty

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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too. 

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2 Comments | America, business, capitalism, China, economy, media, politics | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse

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