The life of the immigrant is rarely easy. Immigrants abandon their life in order to seek out a vague promise of a better one in a foreign land. Usually what immigrants find in their new land is not a rosy as the stories made them out to be. Both Hawaii and China Men are tales of immigration and hardship. In both novels the asian/polynesian community are exploited to build the infrastructure of the land they live in. As well, both novels show how hard it is to be accepted by the white community they are seeking to join. There are differences within the hardships though. The presence of white people within the lives of the asian/polynesian are starkly different in Hawaii and China Men. The parallels and dissonances between the two novels highlight …show more content…
In China Men (and historically accurate), the immigration quotas restrict the number of Chinese people allowed to enter the country to one hundred per year when the Narrator's father tries to come into America. The chance of being chosen as one of the one hundred is nearly impossible since so many individuals tried to come into the United States from China at that time. The immigration officers have to specifically allow you in and you must pass a series of interrogations and have all the correct paperwork. Likewise in Hawaii, membership to the Christian Church is controlled exclusively by Abner Hale, who has incredibly high standards for Hawaiians unfamiliar with his Old World Christian rules. Even if they are lucky enough to get chosen to become a member of the church, the individuals selected must go through a, “six month trial period. If they prove good Christians, they will be admitted into the Church” (318). Gaining access to the world controlled by white people was incredibly strenuous for both the Chinese immigrants entering a majority white society and polynesian natives in Hawaii when the religious culture was hijacked by White …show more content…
In China Men, white people are more a constant threat hanging over the heads of the Chinese but white people are rarely a physical presence in their lives. When the asian workers go on strike in “The Grandfather of the Sierra Nevada Mountains” Ah Goong only hears about the strike negotiations and dealings with the railroad executives. He never interacts or handles any of that. The threat of deportation is a constant fear throughout the novel. When the narrator’s father works at the gambling house the threat of police coming is often fretted because it could get the family deported. When the narrator’s mother comes to America from China and has to get through immigration, deportation is again a major concern. The majority of the characters in China Men only interact with other Chinese immigrants, especially their family members. This is not the case in Hawaii. In Hawaii, white people are actively involved and present in the lives of the polynesian community. Abner Hale is the minister in the community. He directly teaches Malama and her daughters about the Bible and Christianity. Jerusha, Abner’s wife teaches girls on the island daily about, “how to sew, to cook better, and to raise their own babies“ (298). Abner Hale is constantly telling Malama about