The Chinese community includes people of varying ethnic backgrounds who have ancestors from China. These individuals may share a language, dialect or cultural background.
Due to poverty, war and famine, many Chinese emigrated from their homeland seeking opportunity. As a result, Chinatowns developed in cities across America.
History
The first Chinese immigrants came to America during the 19th century. This wave was motivated by economic opportunity and social discontent. The Qing Dynasty was weakening, southern China was wracked by the Taiping Rebellion and many Chinese people sought to gain wealth to aid family back home.
Almost all of the early Chinese immigrants were men, traveling alone to a foreign land they knew nothing about. They formed benevolent societies and native place associations to provide a sense of community.
Despite exclusionary laws, Chinatowns emerged in cities across the country. These communities provided work for men who could not bring their families due to immigration restrictions. Often they opened restaurants and grocery stores, living behind the counter or in back rooms. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, grew up in Manhattan’s Chinatown and later became a writer, activist, and leader in women’s rights.
Language
Many myths surround the Chinese language, and not just its complex writing system. It is often said that it is a monosyllabic language (although the words aim, quick, work, crime and laugh are all multiple-syllable words in English).
Mandarin Chinese is the official language of China and the most common variety spoken overseas. Other major varieties include Cantonese in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia; Min dialects in Fujian, Hainan and areas of eastern Guangdong and the Leizhou Bandao Peninsula; Wu dialects in Shanghai and Jiangxi province; and Kejia (or Hakka) in northeastern Guangdong, southern Jiangxi and areas of southeastern China and Southeast Asia.
Because of the lack of a native phonetic transcription, several alphabetic systems have been developed to represent Chinese sounds. Two of the most popular are Zhuyin Fuhao and Hanyu Pinyin.
Culture
Chinese culture is incredibly diverse, with customs and traditions differing greatly between regions. China is a vast geographical region, and cultural differences between neighbouring provinces (and even within some counties) can be as great as those between European nations. Confucian values like modesty, obedience and loyalty are still deeply embedded in the culture.
The family is one of the most important institutions in Chinese society. A husband and wife are expected to show dominance and kindness towards each other, while parents encourage children to respect and obey them.
Traditional Chinese arts and crafts include carving, metalwork, embroidery and painting, as well as paper cuts, lanterns, kites and toys. Cloisonne and porcelain are also treasured as traditional Chinese jewellery. Traditional Chinese clothing includes the cheongsam and the Manchu-inspired qipao.
Religion
Although the word “religion” is not used in Chinese, a large share of Han Chinese engage in spiritual practices. This is especially true for ancestor worship and folk salvation movements, as well as many forms of divination (for weather, war, illness, administrative decisions, harvests, and royal births).
These practices are not formally organized as religions — for example, there are no canonical scriptures or unified clergy. Thus, their inclusion in a definition of religion is problematic. However, many of these traditions can be understood as Confucian, Taoist or folk religious, and there is considerable overlap among them. Moreover, some people say they believe in a Buddha or bodhisattva without being formally Buddhists. The same is true for beliefs in immortals and spirits. This makes obtaining accurate statistics about the number of religious believers in China difficult.
Education
For more than a century, Chinese immigrants have been making their homes in America. They have forged a distinct cultural identity despite enduring discrimination and economic hardships.
Despite the great distance between China and the United States, educators in both countries have shared pedagogical ideas over the past century. One such idea is Dewey’s concept of community education, which has been adapted in different ways by communities around the world.
The authors use two brief case studies to develop and test a conceptual framework for community education that incorporates ecological and empowerment principles. The case studies demonstrate that community education can be a powerful force for social change. Community education can promote civic engagement, and foster community self-reliance. Moreover, it can enhance learning opportunities for young people and adults.