May 2, 2016
Asian Heritage Issue
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 13
Timely, relevant exhibit on display at OHS
Chinese Historical Society of America
T
perusing the collection — seeing the
stories come to life with photos and arti-
facts, listening to audio of a re-creation of
an immigration interview, viewing art-
work, watching an excerpt of the black-
and-white film Stage Door Canteen (1943)
— visitors may consider their own story.
Are you an immigrant or related to one?
Have you been welcoming to newcomers?
Accepting of the natural migration of
humans?
A nice thing about “Chinese American:
Exclusion/Inclusion” is its interactivity;
museum-goers can pull out file-cabinet
drawers to read a case history as well as sit
on a cot and feel the roughness of the
blanket that lonely travellers would curl
National Archives, Washington, D.C. (90-G-124-45)
he Oregon Historical Society
(OHS), an Oregon institution since
1898, is currently hosting an
exhibit on loan from the New-York
Historical Society. “Chinese American:
Exclusion/Inclusion”
chronicles
the
complex history of the Chinese in America,
including the early days of China trade,
the history of Chinese immigration, the
life of Chinese Americans, and more. With
immigration continuing to be a hot topic,
the collection addresses issues that are as
pertinent now as they were more than a
century ago.
Visitors entering the exhibit are greeted
with the sounds of water as well as images
of ships and boats of all kinds. You can
almost smell the ocean. The jumble of
emotions immigrants must experience —
fear, adrenaline, hope, sadness —
permeate the area. Leaving one’s home
and country for the unknown can be a
terrifying decision and ordeal.
Walking through the display brought
home how extensive and extreme
prejudice can be. It points out how unfair
double standards exist and persist and
highlights the incredible amount of
strength and resilience needed to
persevere in the face of such hatred.
“Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion”
tells the stories of people who left their
families behind to try to make a better life
in America. And it clearly illustrates what
it means to be excluded.
The U.S. claims to welcome all, but for
many, access to the American Dream is
denied and kept from reach. While
National Archives at San Francisco (54099)
By Kate Hubbard
The Asian Reporter
CHINESE-AMERICAN HISTORY. “Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion,” a travelling exhibit that
chronicles the complex history of the Chinese in America, from the early days of China trade to the history of Chi-
nese immigration and the life of Chinese Americans, is on view at the Oregon Historical Society Museum through
June 1. Pictured are (clockwise from top left) a 1943 advertisement in the Chinese Press, the Certificate of Iden-
tity of movie star Anna May Wong, and an image of young Chinese men undergoing a medical examination at
Angel Island. (Photos courtesy of the New-York Historical Society and the Oregon Historical Society)
up under. One can see a glimpse of the coast equivalent of Ellis Island.
experience of the approximately 100,000
Chinese Americans have fought for a
people of Chinese descent who, between long time to be included in the American
1910 and 1940, passed through the Angel demographic. Immigration restrictions
Continued on page 15
Island Immigration Station — the west