Specific Culture Points - University of Florida



Specific Culture Points

Chinese immigration into the United States has occurred throughout the years, but can be classified primarily by three big waves of movement. The third wave encompasses recent immigrants from 1965 to the present. These individuals come from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and every part of Mainland China (Lu, 204). Most of these immigrants, unlike the past immigrants, are better educationally and financially. They also choose to settle in suburbs rather than Chinatowns like their predecessors (Lu, 204). This encourages them to interact with other cultures rather than being surrounded solely by other Chinese immigrants.

The more recent immigrants to the United States also choose to have their children attend Chinese schools in conjunction with their regular American school. Chinese schools are places where families, not just the children, can socialize with other Chinese. The schools teach Chinese language (speak, write, and read) and culture through various topics (Lu, 208). By bringing their children to the Chinese school, the parents know that they are encouraging their children to become bicultural and bilingual. Most of the children were born in the United States, but their parents, and grandparents especially, speak Chinese. This is a way for the parents to ensure that their children will be able to communicate with relatives back in China who only speak Chinese.

Another benefit of the Chinese schools over Chinatowns is the fact that these schools do not exclude American culture, but help the children embrace their Chinese culture as much as their American culture. The immigrants who reside in Chinatowns have never left these areas since moving to the United States. The more recent immigrants do not interact well with these people because there is a language barrier (older immigrants speak Cantonese whereas recent immigrants speak Mandarin) as well as other factors. “Early immigrants chose to live in Chinatowns for survival. We choose the Chinese school as our new community for better quality of life” (Lu, 213). This quote encompasses how many recent Chinese immigrants identify their lifestyle compared to earlier immigrants. The United States has become more understanding and open-minded to other cultures. This is evident in the way recent immigrants are choosing to live their lives.

Along with the recent Chinese immigrants teaching their children about Chinese culture, all of the immigrants have influenced American culture in many ways. There have been many Chinese influences on American culture since the Chinese first immigrated to the United States, ranging from the Chinese cuisine many Americans eat today to the study of martial arts and the practice of acupuncture in western medicine. Chinese food, with its many regional variations, is now one of the three most popular ethnic cuisines, along with Italian and Mexican.

The study of martial arts is also a recreational past time for over 100 million Americans, child and adult alike, as a means of self-defense, physical fitness, mental tranquility, and competition. In their development, many of the martial arts were influenced by Eastern philosophical and religious thought, particularly Buddhism and Daoism. While one emphasizes the role of individual seeking an effort to attain self-mastery, self-realization, and enlightenment, the other advocates the use of certain physical and breathing exercises. Studies have shown that many of those who practice the martial arts differ from the general public in that they have a lower level of anxiety, an increased sense of responsibility, and a higher level of self-esteem. (Encarta.)

Acupuncture is another Chinese influence in America. This ancient medical procedure involving insertion and manipulation of needles at any of more than 360 points in the human body has become widely accepted in today’s world of western medicine. It was developed in response to the theory that there are special meridian points on the body connected to the internal organs and that vital energy flows along the meridian lines. According to this theory, diseases are caused by interrupted energy flow and inserting and twirling needles restores normal flow. (Wiseman, 447-449) Chinese surgeons claim that acupuncture is superior to Western, drug-induced analgesia in that it does not disturb normal body physiology and therefore does not make the patient vulnerable to shock.

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