Michael Luo profiles the complex history of Chinese immigrants in the United States * Oregon ArtsWatch

"Luo began the idea of a book on the Chinese in 2016 when he and his family were subjected to racial discrimination and verbal abuse by a woman on the streets of New York City. Shortly afterward, he began researching the archives of various libraries to find out more on Chinese history in the United States."

"In a spirited presentation, Luo began his talk by quoting from the 2020 National Book Award winning novel Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu, whose main protagonist is Willis Wu. Wu is unable to rise in a television program because he is Asian rather than Black or white. Yu believes that Chinese "keep falling out of the story." Luo asked the question: "Who gets to be an American?""

"Gold was discovered in 1848 in the Sacramento Valley. This discovery set off an unprecedented mass movement of people from around the world who came to the United States. One of the first places that new Chinese migrants went when they first came to the United States was the Sam Yup Company in San Francisco. It was a benevolent society that looked after the interests of Chinese immigrants."

Michael Luo, a New Yorker journalist, presented his book Strangers in the Land at the Oregon Historical Society's Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series. Luo's research began in 2016 after experiencing racial discrimination in New York City. His book documents Chinese migrant experiences in America, addressing the question of who gets to be considered American. Luo traces Chinese immigration history from the 1840s Gold Rush era, when Chinese migrants arrived seeking opportunity. He highlights how Chinese immigrants were systematically excluded from American narratives and society, citing Charles Yu's novel Interior Chinatown as an example of this ongoing marginalization. The presentation examines early Chinese settlement patterns, including the role of benevolent societies like the Sam Yup Company in San Francisco that supported new arrivals.

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