Reminder: The deadline for the 2023 Literary Arts Festival Writing Competition is March 20! All creative work is welcome!
To submit work, students should visit the City Tech Literary Arts Festival OpenLab Website:
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This week, I want to introduce a topic familiar to all Americans (the immigrant experience) and a less familiar one: the treatment of Native Americans at the turn of the 2oth century.
Enshrined on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor is one of the world’s most famous poems: “The New Colossus,” by Emma Lazarus.
The New Colossus (1882)
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
The poem is a sonnet by a gifted poet of Jewish descent. In it, memorable metaphors, similes, and images are used (“Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame” and the “air-bridged harbor” for example). Unlike the Colossus of Rhodes (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world), America has a statue that does not celebrate military conquest but welcomes all—even the “the homeless”—to its “teeming” shores (Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,/I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”)
Read the biography of Emma Lazarus: HERE.
Yet, even getting enough funding for erecting this statue (a gift from the French) was a challenge. The US government was unwilling to pay for the statue’s pedestal, so a campaign was started by the New York World newspaper, which raised the money, one penny at a time, from the contributions of everyday people. The reluctance to fund the statue on Ellis Island revealed a divided country at the time over whether or not to be an open asylum to the world.
To become an American citizen up until the 1920s (with one exception – see below), no papers were needed. Arriving at Ellis Island, newcomers just had to pass a health exam and were then ferried over to Manhattan (many would stay and live on the Lower East side). If you haven’t been, be sure to one day visit the Tenement House Museum that explores this history.
During the 1880s and 90s, there was also a reaction to open immigration polices. In 1882, the US government enacted our first law regulating (preventing really) immigration from certain countries. Most notorious was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Read about this law: HERE.
This law infuriated many including the gifted author Sui Sin Far. In response to this unfair law, she wrote the story “In the Land of the Free”
As this story shows, Far sought to challenge social and political discrimination against Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans. Her goal in writing was to encourage mutual understanding and respect between the Anglo and Asian communities.
Although she was born Edith Maud Eaton and spoke only English, Edith adopted the name Sui Sin Far to emphasize her Chinese heritage. The Chinese name translates as “fragrant water flower” and signifies “dignity and indestructible love for family and homeland.”
Another compelling read is the short autobiography “School Days of an Indian Girl” by Zitkala-Sa (1876-1938). Zitkala-Sa’s story tells the story of how a young Native American girl was forced to attend an “American” school, so that she would become fully assimilated, losing her Native American heritage in the process. It is a story both heart-breaking and filled with courage.
The works by Emma Lazarus, Sui Sin Far, and Zitkala-Sa speak to the challenges of living in “the land of the free” when one’s own culture and origins are not fully respected.
For this week’s post, I ask that you comment on ONE of these THREE OPTIONS:
- On a poem by Emma Lazarus (chose a poem other than the “New Colossus” and connect the poem to her bio HERE)
- On “In the Land of the Free” by Sui Sin Far
- “School Days of an Indian Girl”, the brief, moving autobiography of Zitkala-Sa.
Discuss a theme, the artistry, or a part of the work that is most meaningful to you. FEEL FREE TO FOLLOW UP ON A PREVIOUS STUDENT’S POINT BUT AVOID REPEATING SIMILAR IDEAS.
“The School Days of an Indian Girl” by Zitkala-Sa
Zitkala-Sa’s story is not just hers but those of many natives who suffered in the white residential school system. Her literacy and her famous oratory skills aid her in creating a powerful and moving text that speaks for many. The despondency and isolation Zitkala-Sa felt at the school as an outsider among white people and her urges of rebellion and revenge represent the despair and anger of all Native Americans under white oppression in her time. Through her trials, however, her spirit remains unbroken, and thus her story is also a proud representation of the resiliency and strength of her people. Zitkala-Sa’s autobiography informs her readers of the damaging and traumatizing effects of assimilation by utilizing her life experiences as a narrative, demonstrating how living under an oppressive and dominant culture was an internal struggle between society’s expectations and her own cultural identity. The despondency and isolation Zitkala-Sa felt at the school as an outsider among white people and her urges of rebellion and revenge represent the despair and anger of all Native Americans under white oppression in her time. The big idea in the text is that a young Native American is moved to a boarding school to receive an education and is forced to assimilate into the white man’s culture leading to the culminating event; the cutting of her long braided hair.
I think Eleonora does a great job showing the impact of Zitkala-Sa’s autobiography on Native American literature and history. Zitkala-Sa’s experiences were not unique but were shared by many Native Americans who suffered under the white residential school system. By using her literary skills, Zitkala-Sa was able to speak for her people and shed light on the damaging and traumatic effects of assimilation.I would like to expand the emotional struggle that Zitkala-Sa faced as she tried to reconcile her own cultural identity with society’s expectations. This internal conflict is a universal experience for many Native Americans who have been forced to assimilate into white culture.trauma and oppression, Zitkala-Sa’s spirit remained unbroken, representing the resiliency and strength of her people.
I’d also like to add One of the main themes explored in “The School Days of an Indian Girl” is the tension between Native American culture and white American culture. Throughout the story, the protagonist struggles to reconcile her own cultural identity with the expectations of the white people who run the boarding school she attends. When she is forced to have her hair cut, a symbol of her cultural identity, she feels extreme indignities and a loss of spirit: “I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit. Since the day I was taken from my mother I have suffered extreme indignities.” This traumatic experience serves as a powerful metaphor for the forced assimilation that Native American children experienced in boarding schools
The short story “In the Land of the Free” by Sui Sin Far (Edith Maude Eaton), describes the effects of the first American immigration laws and policies on a Chinese American family. Hom Hing and his wife Lae Choo immigrated and lived in the United States. Lae Choo had returned to China to bear their child and stayed there for an extended time caring for her sick in-laws. When she and her 2year old child tried to return to their San Francisco home, they are detained by customs officers. Eventually, the baby is forcibly taken away from the parents and held in a detention facility, as the family had no proof that it was their child. They are forced to wait for the papers to go through the government and that ends up taking a long time due to various Anti-Chinese laws and processes in effect.
After ten long months of efforts to secure his release “ten months since the sun had ceased to shine for Lae Choo,” selling the wife’s heirloom jewelry and paying to the unscrupulous white lawyer who took advantage of the family’s desperate situation, the family finally succeeds. Yet when Lae Choo reunites with her son, he “shrunk from her and tried to hide in the folds of the white woman’s skirt.” The story’s tragic final line is, “‘Go ‘way, go ‘way!’ he bade his mother.”
The title of “In the Land of the Free” is very ironic. In the early twentieth century, American ideals and patriotic rhetoric did not apply to the Chinese. The title, and thus the story, is a gentle protest against American injustices and racial discrimination. The story presents Chinese characters as human beings deserving the full rights of American citizenship, not as one-dimensional heathens whose goal is to overwhelm the United States with their numbers and take away job opportunities from the white laborers. Lae Choo and Hom Hing are at the mercy of a biased immigration system whose unequal laws penalize them. Sui Sin Far, in this brief story, tries to give a balanced view of the situations that many Chinese had faced, portraying their condition very truthfully. The immorality and corruption in the story come not from the Chinese, but from European American society. To protect American citizens, prejudice becomes illogical, values become distorted, and laws unjustly persecute the innocent Chinese. While Sui Sin Far avoids a preachy, aggressive tone in this story, the inhumanity of a repressive, biased bureaucracy that takes a child from its parents is credible and powerful.
Rebecca,
I like how you highlighted the irony in the title, “In the Land of the Free.” You’re absolutely right. How they treated the Chinese or even Chinese-Americans for that matter was very hypocritical. I guess times like these really serve to show America’s true colors. At least in my opinion.
-Jamil
This gives a very good point on how unfair things really are when it comes to the society of the Chinese and European Americans because most people see this world bright with colors but don’t realize that stereotypes still exist and racism as well. To add on, people treat others differently whether they want to accept it or not because to them it feels like the right thing to do while the others foreign countries are expecting them to treat them equally to be no confusion or problems between each other. Lastly, you made a very good point when it comes to the “Americans ideals and patriotic rhetoric did not apply to the Chinese.” it showed a lot from the US and many people don’t want to accept it.
I liked how you quoted In the Land of the Free” as very ironic. it represents how unfair things can be. also how they treated Chinese people how awful it was.
In The School Days of an Indian Girl by Zitkala-Sa, Sa recalls and reflects on her experience in a Native American boarding school when she was young. As I’m reading, I’m mindful of how this is reminiscent of a story all too familiar to indigenous peoples; this one to North America in particular. The recurring theme of this memoir seems to be about the effects of forced assimilation and the stripping of one’s own ethnic and cultural identity. This form of cultural genocide has a massive effect on an entire people and is vividly illustrated here. Early on in her experience at the boarding school she talks about how she was conditioned, slowly but surely, by this institution. Any mere semblance of her heritage or its outward appearance or expression were suppressed and ultimately erased overtime. Sa recounts an earlier incident in which her hair had been cut off by the white missionaries. She says, “Our mothers had taught us that only unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy.” She also remarks, “..and now my long hair is shingled like a coward’s.” From her early upbringing, she was taught that long hair was a sign of bravery, strength, and power. And that anyone in her culture who wore short hair was a coward and didn’t deserve to wear it long. Without question, the cutting of her hair had to have impacted her immensely. Instead of being allowed the space to identify with her own cultural norms and heritage, this was stolen from her and she now feels unrecognizable. As time went on, Sa no longer felt like she could identify with her indigenous roots any more. She felt as though she had been fully assimilated into that which had taken so much from her and her peers. She had been forced to leave her cultural identity during some of the most formidable moments of her life—and it now shows. This was most important to me throughout her recollection as so many indigenous people have been subjected to this sort of treatment for several hundred years and had their sovereignty taken from them as well. Something BIPOC should never forget in solidarity.
I agree with all this. A big point was about her hair because it had to do with her culture and how this had an impact on her.also how she had no choice and was forced to do all this.
Edith Maude Eaton or Sui Sin Far’s work “In the Land of the Free” captured my attention because I thought a Chinese author wrote it. As I read this work, I felt hurt because of the history regarding the difficulties it would take for the Chinese to immigrate to America. As a Chinese-born American, my parents told me about the American dream with its various opportunities. Although I did not experience the atrocities of being separated from my parents, I remember the struggles my family and I dealt with, such as not knowing English at first. The family’s struggles in the story were captivating because they provided a different picture of how America was not considered a dream place for the Chinese. Lae Choo was a caring mother who couldn’t stand not being able to see her child for a long time. This event does not make sense, as bonding is crucial for the little kid’s growth and development.
Besides the irony in the title, I want to emphasize the human cost portrayed by this sickening discriminatory law. As mentioned, Lae Choo was a mother who showed mother instincts: caring for and loving her children. Yet, this implemented law cost her time, money, and pain that could have been prevented if the law did not exist. This point leads me to ask the American audience: What would happen if your loved one separated from you? As a result, one would want not to let go of that loved one and stay by their side. Ultimately, the mom and the boy were mentally hurt because the bond they had with each other was gone. Although I appreciate America for what it provided me, I want to remind everyone that America has made many mistakes in history and that the purpose of history is to share and prevent us from damaging this land that we have a passion for. I appreciate the author’s powerful storytelling abilities and how the words allowed me to continue reading this work with a heart-throbbing feeling.
In the school days of an Indian girl, the theme I see is a feeling of change and isolation feeling. In the story, she feels like an outsider because she’s not used to the change in a new “environment”. She struggled with how to balance her ethnic identity and societal expectations. This was taken from her, and she no longer feels like she has the freedom to identify with her own cultural standards. She progressively lost the ability to connect with her native roots as time went on. She felt like she lost herself and couldn’t be herself anymore. She was forced to give up her ethnic background. She really liked her long hair it was kinda apart from her culture then it got cut too short. Which to her it meant a lot because it had to do with her culture.
I read, ‘School Days of an Indian Girl’ by Zitkala-sa. Her story was unfortunately an all too common tale about how Native Americans who lived among White Americans suffered from the two clashing cultures and their radical differences and was unfortunately caught in the middle of them, feeling like she does not belong with either.
One of the main themes explored is how alien and isolated Zitkala-sa feels she is to both her Native American family and the environment she finds herself in. She feels she does not fit with her family as her mother and her cousin are much too different to her as she feels her mother cannot comprehend the struggles of an ‘Indian girl who can read’ and feels her cousin is just much too older than her to truly comprehend her struggles. She does not want to abandon her culture and traditions to conform with the ‘palefaces’ yet any attempt at standing against them proves futile.
In the land of the free, a heart wrenching story is told of how an attempt at a better life is heavily compromised by common bureaucracies and technical considerations. A newborn infant is taken from a mother due to technicalities of paperwork verification. The separation of a mother and a child is a harsh punishment when the only crime committed was in trying to immigrate to a better life. The most heart wrenching part is when the mother is finally reunited with her child and because of the amount of time that has lapsed, the child no longer recognizes who his mother is and now feels content and secure with that of the surrogate.
If you however look at this from a different prospective you will also see shortcomings that could have been prevented. Many of the immigrants that come into local society do come with the belief and hope of a better life. The key is however, they come willingly and therefore should be prepared for what’s required. In stark contrast however, when my family was brought here, it was totally against their will and they were forced to work and build up this land for the benefit of someone else.
In any event disparities between various groups and classifications only serve to manifest hurt and impairment at getting simple things done. A better job has to be done all around at cohabiting this place we call Earth.
The article titled “The School Days of an Indian Girl” by Zitkala-Sa is a personal account of the author’s experiences at a Native American boarding school in the late 19th century. The author narrates her journey of leaving her reservation and being taken to the school where she was forced to cut her hair, wear unfamiliar clothes and abandon her native language and culture. She expresses her feelings of confusion, loneliness, and sadness as she struggles to adapt to her new surroundings and the strict rules and discipline imposed upon her. Despite her efforts to fit in, she continues to face discrimination and ridicule from the white teachers and students. The story highlights the devastating impact of forced assimilation on Native American communities and their cultural identity.
In the story “In the Land of the Free” by Sui Sin Far, a mother and child return to California from China. She had been in China to take care of sick relatives and had her child while abroad. She finally reunites with her husband, and he sees his child for the first time. Unfortunately, the customs agents tell them that they cannot let their child enter because he doesn’t have the paperwork to enter. The child is taken from them, but they have hope that they will see him soon. That hope soon turns to despair as they wait 10 months to be reunited with their child, and horribly, by that time he doesn’t even remember his mother’s face.
This story showcases how horrible and inhumane some border practices can be. Separating families due to paperwork reasons is a very sad reality. The story showcases how they were told over and over by letter that they would be helped soon, but nothing came of it until they paid someone to go look into it for them. At the end, she talks about walking through a sea of children, all separated from their families. It’s scary to think about how isolating and frightening that would be for a child.
Sui Sin Far’s poem “In the Land of the Free” discusses the experiences of Chinese immigrants in America. , and a lot of the same things. The poem serves as a striking reminder of the difficulties that immigrants encounter, as well as how they are often denied fundamental rights and liberties.
The poem opens by portraying the Chinese immigrants’ feelings of melancholy and despair upon their arrival in the United States. Because of prejudice and isolation from mainstream society, they feel helpless and unable to express their rights. Despite their hard work and commitment, their new nation treats them as second-class citizens. The term “in the land of the free” takes on new significance as it also serves as a reminder of the challenges that these immigrants confront as they are denied fundamental rights and liberties that many take for granted.
The poem also addresses the obscurity of Chinese immigrants in America. They are mostly unseen and unheard of since the general population does not recognize them. They stay in the shadows, unnoticed and unheard, while their rights are repeatedly infringed. This reflects the helplessness felt by many immigrants, who are often left wondering whether anybody else is listening or will come to their rescue.
The poem also addresses immigrants’ fortitude in the face of hardship. Despite the difficulties they endure, they remain hopeful for a brighter future for themselves and their family. This is apparent in the poem when Sui Sin Far states “but with bravery I move on”. It demonstrates their tenacity and drive in the face of adversity. It serves as an encouragement to all immigrants who face similar challenges.
Finally, Sui Sin Far’s “In the Land of the Free” is a strong reminder of the difficulties endured by Chinese immigrants in America. It alludes to their marginalization, maltreatment, and lack of acknowledgment in mainstream culture. It also reflects their tenacity in the face of hardship and resolve to overcome all barriers in order to build a brighter future for themselves and their family.
Sui Sin Far showcases Little One with Lae Choo on their way to San Francisco to pick up Hom Hing. San Francisco is an unknown land to little boy. Unbeknownst is the White customs officers abusing their authority by withholding Little One with them because of an excuse saying they lack the documentation proving he is the offspring of Lae Choo and Hom Hing. Lae Choo does not understand English so she’s confused. Hom Hing wants Little One to come with his parents, it’s just he should not get involved with those that do not look like him.
I feel sympathetic to Little One being away from his parents. The White customs officers, yes they were doing their duty, at least they should not intimidate them. Chinese culture is family-oriented which meant Whites are individualistic, not displaying empathy of separating loved ones. Even hiring an attorney does not make matters better. Attorneys are neutral when it comes to choosing either European or Chinese side, as long as they got the funds to pay them. European-American society was pervasive during its time as it only accepts their own kind and shuns outsiders from entering it. Hopefully, Chinese in America raise their voices so they are respected not only ethnic, but culture-sense. That means Whites will be a little more tolerable of being less selfish and become inclusive to Chinese culture. The theme for my discussion is racial insensitivity.
I read Zitkala-‘School sa’s Days of an Indian Girl’. Her experience was a tragically all-too-common one in which Native Americans who coexisted with White Americans suffered from the two cultures’ clashing and stark disparities and were unluckily trapped in the between, feeling as though she did not belong with either. One of the key issues investigated is Zitkala-sense sa’s of isolation and alienation from both her Native American relatives and the surroundings she finds herself in. She believes she does not belong in her family because her mother and cousin are too different from her. She believes her mother cannot understand the difficulties faced by a “Indian girl who can read,” and she believes her cousin is too privileged.
In Lazarus’ poem, Progress and Poverty, poverty is a meaningful theme emerging in the description. Lazarus described the earth as a ship carrying abundance and deprivation. Through the poem, Lazarus shows that the earth is filled with materials for the advantaged people, while viewing the earth from the underclass perspective makes the abundance untouched. The working class cannot view or enjoy the resources available to the rich. The poor are exposed to suffering through ways like exiles. Lazarus says, “Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows worldwide welcome; her mild eyes command.” This line shows that the poor are exposed to chronic suffering . Lazarus describes the ship as a tool that takes humanity into an untraveled sea. This description shows the loss of humanity, which paves the way for inhumane behaviors. When humanity is taken into deep areas, a huge gap separates the rich and the poor. Since society has become inhumane, people do not care about the plight of other people. As a result, the poor become poorer as the rich gather wealth. In the ship, workers undertake their duties below the decks and do not even differentiate day from night. The abuse of working class, which forms the largest part of the poor, is over-utilized and abused by the rich, who control the factors of production . According to the poem, the ship is managed by demigods who hold the workers as slaves. This description shows the power held by the rich people giving them the capacity to control and manipulate the poor. The condition of the poor is described as reeking hell enabling the reader to perceive the severe conditions experienced by the poor people. The theme of poverty is stipulated in the poem, and one can see the creation of a gap between the poor and the rich. Since the ship sails into the deep sea, the author creates an impression that poverty continues to grow over time.
In the short autobiography “ School Days of an Indian Girl” by Zitkala-Sa, She speaks about her experience of a native American girl who was a forced to attend an “American School” The way she refers to things is like she was no longer allowed to keep little things that created her identity, the simple day-to-day habits that made her who she was up to that point. The nature of the boarding schools was to transition Native Americans into American culture. As boning remembers the first night of her stay at the school, she says “ I was tucked into bed with one of the tall girls, because she talked to me in my mothers tongue and seemed to soothe me”. Even at the beginning of such a traumatic journey, Bonnin is signaling out how she sought out for something familiar. Even a girl who merely spoke in the same “tongue” as her. Many children like Bonnin had to say goodbye to their language, their religion, their traditional clothing, even things as trivial as their long hair. These things were markers of a different culture that was not the predominant culture they were expected to be a part of now. Recalling when Bonnins hair was sheared off abruptly she remarks” and now my long hair was shingled like a cowards … now I was only one of many little animals driven by a herder”. In her upbringing, long hair was a symbol of bravery and power. Someone with short hair was considered a coward. She no longer felt connected to her roots.
I read Zitkala-Sa’s short autobiography The School Days of an Indian Girl. I felt most connected to the how her culture played such a big role in her life. She got sent to an American boarding school for educational purposes. She went along with 7 other children and they all had high hopes and expectations for this new experience they will soon encounter. At this boarding school she spoke about feeling out of place and being baffled by how there were so many rules and strict formulas for the simplest things, like eating. She also felt so strongly on how she felt that her culture was being stripped from her and that truly gave me goosebumps. Indian women often are seen embracing long healthy hair. In this school she was told that they were going to cut their hair and so she tried hiding . She was found and got her hair cut anyway, “I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit.” she stated. Her hair meant so much to her that it being gone almost felt like losing her sprit. This stuck with me and I connected with it because as a cultured woman in America, I personally would hate to have my culture stripped from me. Aren’t we referred to as ” the melting pot”, ” the land of the free” ?: Why is it so easy for anyone to take away someone’s spirit? It isn’t and unfortunately this is something that we still deal with on a daily basis .