Friday, March 15, 2013

Thoughts on "Forbidden Citizens"

Published in Chinese in "Pivot" Magazine: http://www.ipivot.cn/Enjoy/american/1744.aspx?page=2

The United States has a history of over 200 years based on the nation-building principles of freedom, democracy, and equality.  However, for a long period of time, it legislated continuously to forbid the Chinese from entry, remove the political rights of the Chinese who had already entered, and actively exclude all Chinese.  Few understand this shameful legislative history, including current legislators in Congress.

Martin Gold, nicknamed Lao Ma or Old Horse in Chinese, used his more than 40 years of rich legal experience to write a thorough 600-page book, Forbidden Citizens (
http://forbiddencitizens.com), about the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and related laws, filling a huge void in history.  It also has strong educational implications.

This is a very good book.  It describes vividly and in great detail the debate of then-current conditions and fundamental principles, placing you as if in the middle of the situation.  As early as 1868, the U.S. and China signed the Burlingame Treaty to establish friendly relations.  Peoples of either nation could travel freely at any time, even reside permanently.  China received a commitment that in the U.S. Chinese people would be granted the rights and privileges accorded to citizens from the most favored nation. This was a rare equal treaty for China at that time.  However, such a good scene did not endure; change began to occur less than two years after the signing of the treaty.  The Old Horse who knows his way, Lao Ma, started his book from 1870 Congressional debates that led to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act.  Finally, in 1943, more than 10 Chinese Exclusion statutes were repealed.  The book systematically and concisely describes the main characters involved, their motivations, and their inter-connections.

When you read the words of racial hatred from some legislators, you grind your teeth and want to join the debate.  When you read how a lonely legislator tried to defend justice and fairness, you wish you could move forward and give him a lift.  When you read the dire warnings of some legislators from more than a hundred years ago, you realize how applicable they are today.

During the more than 60 years of Chinese Exclusion laws, U.S. population increased 2.5 times from less than 50 million in 1880 to more than 132 million in 1940.  During the same period, Chinese in America dropped 25% from more than 105,000 to less than 78,000.

Lao Ma’s grandfather came from Tsarist Russia to the U.S. in 1908 during the peak period of immigration.  He and his grandfather had always been close.  He understands his grandfather’s passion for America’s freedom and equality, but also realizes the distinction had his grandfather been Chinese instead of European.  Lao Ma’s words and actions are in synchrony.  He joined the 1882 Project led by Asian American community organizations and Congresswoman Judy Chu, providing pro bono legal advice and service.  Together they successfully pursued the passage of Senate and House resolutions in 2011 and 2012 to express regret towards all Chinese Exclusion laws and their legislation, adding a huge exclamation mark to the bitter history of Chinese Americans.  The legal costs exceeded one million dollars, but Lao Ma insists that his action was “labor of love” and did not receive a cent for his services.  This book is the crystalized product of his “labor of love.”

The U.S. Constitution requires that Congress must keep and publish a journal of its proceedings except for security matters.  With information digitization, all Congressional records since the founding of the Republic may now be viewed and researched at the Library of Congress website and other websites.  Video records were added in recent years.  Lao Ma was able to make use of these resources and the nation’s transparency policies to write his book.  Effective use of “Big Data” to improve transparency and governance is an exemplary practice for other nations.

It is obvious that a monolithic government cannot create freedom, democracy, and equality for a diverse population.  Congress has already expressed apologies to the Native Americans, African Americans, Hawaiians, and Japanese Americans for its legislation and behavior in the past.  The U.S. government itself will not take initiative to review its mistakes in the past.  The success of the recent Chinese American initiative was a combination of the leadership of Congresswoman Judy Chu and fellow politicians, unified planning and actions by Asian American community organizations, and the help and support of true friends such as Lao Ma.

In the long run, we must educate, especially the younger generations, to remember and review the lessons of history in order to understand current affairs.  Lao Ma’s book and the web-based timeline application are applicable educational tools for both the U.S. and China.

The U.S. is not a perfect nation, but it learns and makes corrections from its past mistakes.  As such, it is an ever improving nation towards freedom, democracy, and equality.

NOTE: This reviewer used a combination of 37 small stories to compose a web-based timeline application about the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and related laws (http://www.jeremy-wu.com/Forbidden_Citizens) to assist you to browse through some of the contents in Chinese before acquiring Lao Ma’s book in English.


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《Forbidden Citizens》读后感


本文发表于《支奌月刊网站》: http://www.ipivot.cn/Enjoy/american/1744.aspx?page=2


美国以自由、民主、平等为立国原则,已有二百多年历史。但有一段很长的时期,它不断立法禁止华人入境,剥夺已入境华人的政治权利,积极排斥所有华人。了解这段可耻的立法历史的人不多,包括现任的美国国会议员。

Martin Gold昵称老马,擁有40多年的丰富法律经验,把1882年《排华法案》的前世今生㝍成了一本600页的书Forbidden Citizens》(http://forbiddencitizens.com 填补了一大历史空洞,亦有很大的教育意义。

这是一本很好的书。它详细而生动地描述当时时勢和原则的辩论,使你感同身受。早於1868年,中美两国签订《蒲安臣条约》建立友好关系,两国人民可随时自由往来、包括移民久居。美国中国承诺,在美华人会受到最优惠国家公民的特。这是当时中国稀有的平等条约。但好景不常,不到两年便开始发生变化。識途的老马从1870年讲起,1882年《排华法案》的通过,1943年所有十多条排华法律的废止,系统、简地讲解当的主要角色、出发奌和相关性。

当你看到老马书中一些议员的种族仇恨言论,你或许会咬牙切齿想加入辩论。当你看到一些议员孤立地为正义发言,你或许会想走上前去扶他一把。当你看到一些议员一百多年前的警世真言,你肯定会感受到今日它们的应验。

排华法律有效的
60多年期间,美国人口增加2.5倍,从1880年少于5千万升到1940年超过1320万。同期间,在美华人人口从超过10.5万降低至少于7.8, 减少了25%

老马的祖父在1908年美国移民高潮时从沙俄帝国迁到美国。他和祖父一直很接近,明白祖父对美国自由平等的响往,但也深深领会到如果祖父不是欧洲人而是华人的区别。老马言行一致,參加国会众议员赵美心和亜裔团体的1882计划,提供无償的法律谘询及援助,成功地爭取了美国參、众两议院在2011年和2012年的决议,对所有排华法案表示歉意,为130年来在美华人辛酸史上㝍上一个大句号。法律费用总值超过100万美元,老马这是他"爱的劳工",不收一分一,这本书是他"爱的劳工"的结晶品。

美国憲法规定,国会的研讯及决定都必须记录在案。随着信息电子化,所有二百多年立国以来的国会档案,除了机密事件,都可在国家图书馆及其他网站查看研究,近年来更增加了视频。老马能㝍这本书,就是利用这些资源和国家透明政策。善用"大数据"增强透明度治理,是值得其他国家借鉴的。

很明显,单元的政府不可能创造多元的自由、民主及平等。美国国会也曾对它过去的法律和行为向印地安人、非裔、夏威夷人、及日裔道歉。美国政府本身不会主动检讨它过去的錯误。这次在美华人行动的成功,有赖於赵美心众议员及参政人仕的领导,亜裔华人团体同心合力的计划,再加上老马这类朋友拔刀相助的仗义。

长远角度来说,我们还必须进行教育工作,特别是年青一代,吸取教训
温故才可知新。老马的书和《排华法案》时间轴都可采用为中国和美国的教育用材。

美国不是一个完美的国家,但知錯能改,就是一个不断向自由、民主、及平等前进的国家

笔者在网上http://www.jeremy-wu.com/1882CEA.html37个小故事编一个中文《排华法案》时间軸,可以更清晰简明地了解1882年排华法案的整个过程。



英文版可见:http://jeremyswu.blogspot.com/2013/03/thoughts-on-forbidden-citizens.html

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