In Chinatown Family, Lin Yutang depicts the life of a family of Chinese immigrants living in New York City in the 1930s. Comment on the similarities and differences between Chinese and American culture, as they are portrayed in the book, with regard to a couple of the following: family, social hierarchy, wealth, religion, and confrontation. If you feel you have the perspective to do so, feel free to also comment on the extent to which Yutang’s portrayal remains true today, or even the degree to which it was ever completely true.
Also comment on what traits the book suggests, through its plot, are ultimately of the greatest value.
Chinatown Family focuses on the members of the Fong family and how they adapt and interact with American culture. As Chinese immigrants, they struggle with moral and cultural differences, especially family, wealth, religion, social hierarchy, and confrontation. The Fong family is tight-knit, consisting of a mother, a father, three sons, and one daughter. One of their sons, Yiko (also known as Freddie) does not lives with them. Their oldest son, Daiko, and his wife, Flora, lives with them. It may be a tight living situation, but all of them seem to get along fine, providing each other with love, advice, and support. Additionally, the entire family helps to run a laundry, and later, a Chinese restaurant. Yiko, on the other hand, tends to reflect American culture. Even though he loves his family and gives them some support, he isolates himself from them. Completely independent, he neither lives nor works with them. Next, there is wealth. The Fongs believe that money should be saved and spent on what is truly important. Up until the day he dies, father Fong saves fifty dollars a month to pay for the Chinese restaurant. After going shopping at Macy’s, mother Fong makes uses of every box, bag, and piece of tissue paper she receives. It seems that in Chinese culture, being frugal is seen as a positive attribute. Once again, Yiko and his Chinese-American wife, Sing Toy, demonstrate American cultural ideals. Yiko and Sing Toy spend a great deal of money on clothes. At one point, Yiko goes as far as lying to his mother for money so he can purchase a new car. Towards the end of their marriage, Sing Toy demands that Yiko buy her a fourteen-hundred-dollar mink coat. Following American consumer culture, he obliges. When it comes to religion, the Fong family seems very relaxed and open. Tom, for example, takes and interest in both Confucianism and Taoism. Mother and father Fong are respectful of Catholicism, going as far as thanking God in spite of not being part of the religion. Flora, Daiko’s wife, reflects the American outlook on religion. While she is respectful, she places her religion foremost in her life, passing it down to her child. For a while, she does try to convince mother Fong that Catholicism will be best for her son. Being open minded in regards to religion, mother Fong agrees. Social hierarchy plays a large role within the Fong family, especially for Tom. When Tom meets Elsie, he wants to marry her. Yet he is ashamed to ask, as her family descends from scholars; he just views himself as the son of a laundryman. It appears that in Chinese culture, one carries the social rank of their parents. Once again, Yiko’s view of caste reflects American ideals. While he, too, is an immigrant, he is an insurance salesman and makes a great deal of money. He may have started out low on the social ladder, but he was able to change that, as many Americans do. Lastly, there is confrontation. When both of their sons reveal their marriage plans to mother Fong, she listens without judgement. She does not give her full opinion, as she knows that she cannot change them. Yiko, following American culture, is always ready to defend his wrongdoings and argue, whether it be with his father, mother, or wife.
Overall, it appears that out of these qualities, which vary depending on culture, family and wealth are the most important. Regardless of how a culture views family and wealth, they will always be present. They are universal to all cultures.
As depicted in the novel, Chinatown Family, by Lin Yutang there are several differences that set Chinese immigrants apart from the American population in New York. For example, many of these immigrants came into the country poor and worked labor jobs with long hours. Tom’s father owns a laundromat. He works as long as he needed to in order to save enough money to bring his wife and two children to America to unite the family. Even family is another distinction that sets Chinese immigrants apart from Americans. Loy tells his wife, Flora, that he is adamant on allowing his parents to stay with him when they are old. “But while the parents are living we are one family. The when they are too old to work, we’ve got to take care of them because they took care of us when we were young,” (47). Unlike some modern-day Americans, immigrants keep a tight family bond. They rather take care of their elderly parents than to put them in a nursing home. Another difference noted in the story is the confrontations. The language barrier for Chinese immigrants was and still is an issue they deal with. Tom is bullied by Ziffy for being a Chinese immigrant because he immediately stands out by his appearance and language. After living in America for thirty-five years, Tom’s father develops a sense of pride in himself that he could finally pronounce words correctly. “The father could trill the r after more than thirty years stay in this country,” (22). In terms of wealth there was also a drastic difference. The fact that the mother would not pay five dollars to have her tooth removed shows that she rather save her money. She has Uncle Chan pull out her tooth for her instead. Even in the beginning when the father is saving every penny he has to bring his family to the United States, it shows that he is not wealthy enough to live the glamourous American life.
A similarity is the religious views. Flora, an Italian American, has her strong views on God, since she is a Catholic. When asked, Tom, Eva, and the mother all agree in their beliefs of a god. The mother may not be a catholic but as a family they celebrate Christmas by going to a Christian service.
The trait that is of the greatest value is family. Throughout the novel we see the family expanding. From when Tom, Eva, and Mother Fong arrive to when Flora brings the first grandson to the Fong family. It is clear that the Fong Family values family above anything. Tom Fong Senior sacrifices his savings to bring his family to America. Also the Chinese culture is another important aspect. The Fong’s immerse themselves in Chinatown frequently to keep in contact with their culture and society. Even reading up on Chinese news during the Chinese and Japanese war, shows that the Fong family value their culture and heritage.
In “Chinatown Family” by Lin Yutang, the value of wealth can be seen in Chinese and American culture through the Fong family. Both are similar in that they desire wealth. The main motivation for Fong family to migrate to America was the promise of riches. Tom Fong Sr. was drawn to America by the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896. The abundance of valuable metal just waiting to be found was motivation for many Chinese and Americans alike to seek it out. The Fong family also enters the country illegally in hopes that they all can benefit from the abundance of opportunities in America. By falsifying social status and jumping ship to the U.S, The Fongs took on major risks in order to reach the goal of wealth. The U.S citizens also shared the desire for wealth known as “The American Dream.” The concept is often pictured as one owning a shiny, new car parked outside a large home while accompanied by his or her family. With an emphasis on material goods, “The American Dream” represented the desire for wealth. However, the Fongs’ definition of wealth seems to be broader then that implied by “The American Dream.” Tom Fang Jr. finds wealth in the form of knowledge while reading the works of Laotse. The epiphany Tom has is seen on par or even above material gain. Freddie, who has largely conformed to American society, has adapted a restricted view of wealth limited to valuable items. He cares solely about his business image as seen when putting his father’s charitable donations in his name. Additionally, he buys a new car and mink coat, for the items are the only way of quantifying his wealth and success. Both American and Chinese cultures value wealth, yet each might define that term differently.
Chinese and American cultures can be viewed in the novel while looking at confrontations. In both cultures, they are apprehensive of embracing new things. When Loy marries Flora, Mrs. Fong is tentative to embrace her, for Flora’s Christian religion was hated in Chinese culture. Freddie also calls Flora by her first name instead of the Confucian way. The family continues to call her according to the Chinese tradition showing their resilience from adapting new conventions. The Chinese tend to be more accepting of circumstances when faced with new confrontations. When bullies confront Tom while delivering laundry, he decides on another route. Tom represents the larger Chinese culture that moves on when faced with challenges instead of staying and fighting. Mrs. Fong also eventually accepts Flora for her religion under the circumstances of her son’s love for her. While both cultures obstinate from new confrontations, Americans tend to fight these notions while the Chinese tend to accept the conditions.
The greatest value in the novel is one’s ability to balance the new and old. As seen with the three sons, only Tom and Loy enjoy happiness for they embrace the value. Tom adapts new Christian principles while maintain old Taoist thoughts. Loy embraces an American wife while keeping his Chinese identity. Both seem happy as Tom is engaged and Loy has a son Marco. However, Freddie completely forgets his old roots. His decision leads to his marriage ending and a seemingly empty life. Yutang thus shows how balancing both old and new influences is the greatest value through the character’s personal lives.
In his novel, Chinatown Family, Lin Yutang distinguishes American culture from Chinese culture in a variety of ways. He implies that there are differences in the value and treatment of family, wealth and religion.
Family seems to be one of the most important values to the Chinese culture. Tom Fong, the father in the novel, first comes to America to take part in the gold rush. Because of the financial burden of travel and anti-Chinese immigration laws he is unable to bring the rest of his family over. He works tirelessly in a laundromat hoping to save money to bring them over to the United States. Although he worked long and hard hours, he is unable to get enough money to help them emigrate over. Eventually, Freddie, before he becomes fully assimilated, dedicated a large sum of money to bring over the rest of his family. Finally, Tom resorts to falsify his social status by pretending to be part of the “merchant class” in order to bring his family over. Their actions represent the Chinese cultural dedication to family unity. However, after Freddy is assimilated, he seems to represent the American cultural values in the novel. As a symbol of the American culture, Freddie slowly begins to care less about family. He does not live with the rest of his family and upsets his parents by trying to sell them life insurance. He also goes against the his family tradition by refusing to address Flora by calling her “Daisow.” Later in the novel his marriage falls apart due to infidelity which shows further disrespect for the family unit. Then, he simply says “I let her have the baby” as if the baby was an object that he no longer cared about (230). Clearly, there is a startling difference in the treatment of family between these two cultures depicted in the novel.
In regards to wealth, the novel makes the argument that American culture is far more materialistic than Chinese culture. For instance, when Mother Fong received her Macy’s delivery, she exclaimed “To get such a box free along with the clock!” in delight and “the box became mother’s sewing case and did good service for almost two years”(29). However, just moments before, Flora, an American, was throwing the box out without a second thought. This suggests that individuals immersed in Chinese culture are more likely to spend carefully and make use of every item they receive as part of each purchase. In contrast, Americans tend to be more materialistic according to the novel. For instance, Freddie, the symbol of American assimilated culture, bought his second generation American wife a new car before marrying her. In doing this, he jeopardizes the money that was intended for his younger brother’s college education. This emphasizes the materialistic nature of American culture.
Furthermore, each culture addresses religion differently. When Flora discovers that she is pregnant she goes into her room and begins “offering thanks to God” (100). Flora’s reaction is characteristic of American culture and demonstrates a dedication to a particular religion. Immediately after, Mother Fong enters the room and says to Flora “I shall come to your church and offer thanks to God with you. Whenever you are ready, I shall come with you”(100). This suggest that Chinese culture allows more flexibility when it comes to religion because Mother Fong is offering to pray to a God that is not part of her own religion.
Perhaps the book suggests that the greatest trait an individual could have is a commitment to family. In the final scene, Mother Fong claims that she ought to have more grandchildren and that she’s depending on the Elise to give them to her. Together, they reminisce about the moment that they first arrived to the United States.
Lin Yutang’s Chinatown Family is a colorful representation of what it was like for an immigrant Chinese family to try to fit into America and its culture. The book draws a lot of similarities as well as differences between the American and Chinese way of life. It also highlights the clashes that occur in trying to reconcile the two different cultures. The first thing that was presented to us was the differences of wealth that was reflected by the Chinese and American culture. Freddy, the second eldest son, is an insurance agent and is the most “American” in the family and seems to be occupied the most by materialistic things. When Mother Fong, Tom and Eva first arrived to America, Freddy had hired a photographer to capture the moment so that he can publicize the fact that he had paid for his other half of his family to come to New York City. He represented the showy and flamboyance culture of what he thought America embraced. However, mother Fong was a frugal and prudent woman for many good reasons. Before she knew that water was “free” in America, she scolded Tom and Eva for wasting water, and even after finding out it didn’t cost them any money, she still stuck to her beliefs (18). This concept of not wasting anything is very embedded in the Chinese culture and mother Fong continued to exemplify this idea throughout the novel. Family is of the utmost importance in Chinese culture and it’s clear the book corresponds to that value as well. In the beginning when mother Fong, Tom and Eva were finally able to go to America to rejoin the rest of the family, the mother secretly preferred to stay in China. But the reason why she relented was that she wanted what was best for Tom and Eva and she made that sacrifice so that her children wouldn’t have to suffer when they were older. I can attest to this situation since I know my own grandparents and parents came to America for better opportunities they couldn’t get back in China so that their children can live better lives. Mother Fong didn’t want to go to New York City where the “language and customs were so strange” (9). But she did it anyways for the sake of her children and family. Upon arriving, instead of being sad about leaving her motherland and being disappointed about the laundry shop in New York City, she continued doing the duties of housewife and was efficient as ever. This is certainly a prominent aspect of Chinese culture in that Chinese moms tend to suppress their own emotions in order to attend to their duties as a wife and mom and do them as quickly as possible, just as if nothing has changed. An interesting part where I saw an American influence on father Fong was when he allowed Daiko, the oldest son, to marry an Italian-American girl. The father had “said in a characteristic American fashion, ‘Okay,’ which meant he couldn’t do a thing about it” (12). I found this part to be particularly shocking because in Chinese culture, the parents had the primary and last say in who their son or daughter would marry. But in American culture, the parents can’t really do anything to affect their son’s or daughter’s decision as demonstrated by father Fong’s helplessness. Father Fong has been in America long enough to have been influenced by its culture that it even affected the way he reacted to the marriage of his oldest son. But one similarity between the two cultures also related to marriage is the idea that who you marry is who you will become, especially for women. Father Fong says “if she marries a millionaire, she will be a millionaire. If she marries a grocer, she will be a grocer… this is so in China or America” (23). In both cultures, the social status of who a woman marries will ultimately determine the woman’s own social status. Overall, Lin Yutang did a great job portraying how a Chinese immigrant family struggles to make their place in America and does so by emphasizing key values such as familial attachments.
“Chinatown Family,” by Lin Yutang, portrays a Chinese immigrant family adjusting to life in the United States. From the depiction of the characters, it is clear that there are vast differences between the cultures of China and America, but there are also instances where our societal values overlap.
One of the most prominent differences that is shown through the novel, is the importance and treatment of family. In Chinese families, a great emphasis was placed on respecting one’s elders. For example, Eva and Tom Jr. were not allowed to call Daiko’s wife by her name, Flora, but rather they had to call her by the Cantonese word for elder sister in law, “Daisow.” This was a clear difference from American culture as Flora felt the tradition foreign and unnecessary, and she would have allowed the children to call her Flora if it were not against the wishes of her mother in law. Another point in which the respect for the elders was seen, was when the family was finally reunited in New York and began to live together. The mother was careful not to let her husband overwork himself, as he was elderly and had supported the family for so long. When she sent Eva to call her father up from his work with the laundry, she was not concerned about whether Daiko would continue to work. She explained that, “I would not have an old man work that late,” and enlisted the children to help arrange everything upstairs to ensure the father was properly cared for and allowed to rest after his long day of work. This is another clear difference from that of American culture, as it is was common for the parents to work tirelessly through the night to provide for the family, as the father did before the rest of the family came and joined him in America. The father had begun to assimilate into American culture and therefore did all that he must in order to provide for himself in America as well as his family back in China. There are ways in which familial values are very similar in American families as well. Flora also believed in the importance of the mother in law in a family, and pleasing her in any way possible. This aspect of respect in one’s family was not unique to Chinese families such as the one portrayed in the book.
Religion in Chinese culture differs from that of American culture, but the novel also portrayed some similarities. Flora was Christian and was often seen taking part in religious activities throughout the novel. She attended church regularly, and hung a picture of the Most Blessed Virgin in her and Daiko’s room. Despite not sharing the same beliefs as their daughter in law, the mother and father accepted Flora’s religion and respected her for her devotion to her religion. The family agreed with Flora’s religious views regarding the existence of God, and even accompanied her to church sometimes as a show of support. Despite differing religious values, the family shared her belief in religion as a whole. They attended services with Flora on occasion and appreciated the way in which it brought many people from different backgrounds together in a single place.
The way in which confrontation is addressed in the novel is one that brings forth many differences between American and Chinese culture as well. Tom is often put into a situation in which he is treated unfairly by others due to his culture and family. For example, when he helps with the laundry service and delivers clean laundry to customers, he often finds himself bullied by a group of young boys his age. They tease him, calling him a “Chink” and a “Laundryman” and dirty the clothing he tries to deliver. It is seen as common American behavior to confront others, as Toms older brother Yiko who has learned to blend in with Americans suggests that he stands up for himself and fights backs. This idea is completely different from that of the rest of the family, as they see fighting in a negative light. They order Tom to walk another way and avoid the conflict all together. As the mother stated, “My Tom is going to be a scholar not a hoodlum.”
Ultimately, the book suggests that one of the most important traits for any person to maintain is a dedication to family. The family was careful that the kids were always polite and dressed nicely, to leave a good impression of the entire family. Everyone worked together in the laundry business and helped to provide for themselves and one another. The family members did not judge on another, even when Daiko married an Italian girl who clearly had different cultural values from themselves. This commitment to the family proved to be one that was not as common for America families, but was important in the novel as the family becomes accustomed to life in America.
In “Chinatown Family”, Lin Yutang highlights the differences and similarities between American and Chinese culture through the perspective of an immigrant Chinese-American family during the 30s and 40s. The Fong family showcases the cultural differences mainly in social hierarchy, expression, and tradition.
Regard social hierarchy, Chinese culture seems to value it to a greater degree. This is evident in multiple relationships within the Fong family. For example, when Yiko hands his father the money to bring the rest of the family to America, Tom senior was speechless. Although he was extremely grateful, he could not muster the words to sincerely thank his son. “Something stirred very deep in Tom senior’s heart when he heard his son’s offer…He was so touched that he could not say a word” (9). Tom senior is the eldest and thus responsible for bringing the rest of his family overseas. But when Yiko offers assistance, it’s almost an insult that Tom senior cannot do it alone. It’s almost offensive to require assistance, especially monetary related assistance, from someone like your own son. You should not depend on your family, your family should depend on you since you are the father. Also, Yiko has a respective picture of his grandfather in his room, but Mother Fong found it offensive to include an elder in a room full of other Sunday snippets of pretty ladies. Finally when Tom wants to call Flora by her name rather than “elder sister in law”, his proposal is rejected by the entire Fong family. Flora being American, doesn’t mind being called by her name but the rest of the family scolded Tom and Tom himself is aware that he shouldn’t have asked Flora at all. However, there is a similarity of where inequality between genders is present in both cultures. Eva is excited to be in America, the lands of hopes and dreams. Yet, this is only true for males as Tom is told that he is able to study whatever he wants in school and take on any profession he desires whereas Eva is told she will only go as far as the type of husband she marries. Eva puts it perfectly in words herself, “‘It is like China then,’ she said, greatly disappointed, and fell asleep” (24). The inequality and degradation of women was prominent universally during the time period of the Fong family.
One of the earliest differences shown between American and Chinese culture is the amount of emotions expressed by both sides. Americans are not afraid to show their true colors and their everyday actions depict and symbolize their current emotion. Whereas in Chinese culture, many members of the Fong family do not express their actual emotions as freely as they would like and value that control over their emotions. On page 12, Tom senior discusses the “strength in reserve and dange in demonstratively in love” but also related to the government, where if you did not provoke the government, then they will not get on your case. The greatest contrast in demonstrative cultures is within the relationship between Loy and Flora. Tom senior witnesses how “Loy was annoyingly undemonstrative when Flora kissed him. But looking at his son…Loy would continue to love Flora always “ (12).
Overall, the most important trait throughout the book is tradition. No matter where the Fong family is located, they cannot disregard what is flowing within their veins. Mother Fong quickly rearranged Yiko’s room so that it was symmetrical, following feng shui, a philosophical system of arranging a room for peace and harmony before anything else when she first arrived in America to make it feel more like home. Even grown up Tom understands the importance to ask Elise’s hand in marriage to respect his elders and even writing an entire proposal letter in Chinese stresses the importance that in Chinese culture, one should never forgets one’s roots. Yutang depicts the Fong family loyal to their heritage and keeping tradition throughout the entire duration of their time on American soil.
Though Lin YuTang depicts the life of a family of Chinese immigrants living in New York City in the 1930s, I think many of Lin’s portrayal of the Chinese-American lifestyle still applies today. The clashes between the American and Chinese ways of life are similar even after almost a century has passed. This may be due to the unchanging culture of the Chinese people which has a history of more than 5,000 years and the continuance of American racism as a consequence of being a destination for religious freedom, financial stability, and the “American Dream.”
In the novel, Tom Fong, the father, first comes to America and works tirelessly in a laundromat business to bring the rest of his family to the New World for a better life. He works long and hard hours each day but the compensation is minimum. This directly resonated with me because my family had come to the United States at the turn of the century and started a laundry business as well. What’s different is that Fong had no one. There were very few before him who had taken the risk of traveling to the New World and starting a new life. My grandparents, on the other hand, had seen the different groups of people who had immigrated here and made a better life for themselves. It wasn’t as big of a risk Fong had to face because we’ve seen the successes.
Another aspect of the Chinese-American community that is prevalent throughout history and also displayed in the novel is this sense of close-knit family bond that the Chinese community has always valued. In the book, Loy constantly alludes to how they family must be close and how they have to take care of the parents when they are too old to work for themselves because the parents have taken care of them when they were young. This was extremely relatable because my family has always stuck together despite being a large group of people. Everyone, my grandfather, grandmother, three aunts, three uncles, and four cousins, have lived in the same house until my parents decided to move out of the house to a better school community. I’ve been repeatedly told that we have to take care of our elders and not be “Americanized” in the way where we lose connection to our parents when we find jobs. It has always been a part of the Chinese culture and one of the many ways throughout the novel that I felt were so real.
Lin Yutang’s Chinatown Family highlights several similarities and differences between what family, wealth, and religion means to Chinese and American cultures. This juxtaposition can be seen through certain plot events that revolve around the family’s Italian American daughter-in-law, Flora. The Fong family’s interactions with her throughout the novel make Flora a very meaningful character in the novel.
Perhaps the most obvious difference between the two cultures is evident in their family values. The Fong family relies on deep family ties to persevere through tough times, and is able to thrive in living conditions that others would consider insufficient for a family with children. On top of that, the family is also able to accommodate their oldest son, Daiko, and his wife in their home. This shows that Chinese culture places a degree of dependency on every member in the family; the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
This fundamental difference also comes up in a passage about wealth. The Fongs all shared the belief that money should be shared within their family. When asked about saving money for their own business, Daiko tells his wife that he cannot live separately from his family, and even if they did open a shop, the money they earned would be shared with Daiko’s parents and siblings. Clearly, there is a clash of cultures here. Flora was raised on capitalist ideals that preach individual risk and reward, whereas Daiko knows that his culture does not allow for the isolation of immediate family, even in business. As a matter of fact, money is further shared in the Chinese culture as a whole. Daiko’s father makes it a habit to save money to donate to Chinese soldiers. To him, they are family, and he shares his wealth to support their cause.
There is a similarity that exists between the two cultures when it comes to religion. Flora and the Fongs both believe in a higher being, a God that guides their lifestyles in some way. Even though Flora is Catholic, the whole family supports the Christian religion, especially after Flora gets pregnant. Daiko’s mother becomes especially supportive; she prays in church and donates in the hope that Flora will give birth to a healthy child.
The most valuable traits that Lin Yutang suggests through Chinatown Family are the ability to adapt to new cultures and love through sacrifice. Both are intertwined throughout the plot, and one cannot exist without the other. Daiko marries Flora, and is able to live together with his family and her. Flora understands that Daiko has fundamental beliefs he must hold true to, and Daiko’s family understands that they must make certain sacrifices to accommodate their son’s wife. By doing so, both parties ensure that they can live together in the same household.
In this response, we will be using the Fong family as our archetype for a Chinese-American family and Flora’s Italian-American family as the archetype of an American family. Restricting ourselves to these two families and keep in mind, the author doesn’t provide much information about Flora’s family, we come to a very interesting conclusion. Across the board, both families are not that different, chiefly because they are both immigrant families. Others before me have used the idea that “American” to be the nativist, 1800’s English-American but they do not include all of America. If we compare the two immigrant families with each other, we find that there are many overlaps. For one, family is very important to both families and indeed one of the reasons why Flora loves Loy because his family of his lovable siblings, hardworking father, and wise mother reminds her so much of her own family. Furthermore, the hierarchy of both families is mother centered. The Fong revolves around the mother and to a lesser degree Flora, who becomes an elder sister to both Tom jr. and Eva, because they in part keep the household in order, they cook, and in both working-class Italian and Chinese cultures the mother is the dominant figure in the family. Especially if the father is working as hard as Tom Fong sr. is. In wealth, both families rely on their own hard work, sweat, and determination to supply their wealth. But speaking about wealth, both families do not have much. Flora’s family is still living in the old tenements in Little Italy and though the Fong family was able to open up a large restaurant, they had to scrimp and struggle for it. In terms of religion, the Fong family was especially tolerant of others religions, for instance, allowing Flora to continue practicing her religion, baptize her child, and even going out of their way to go to church with her. Flora perhaps because of the strict doctrines of Christianity, was less willing to give up her religion but was tolerant of the Fong family’s prayer. Regarding confrontation, there is not enough information about Flora’s family but the Fong family practiced the Confucian values of non-violence. For example, they chastised Tom Jr. for allowing himself to get hurt protecting the laundry after he was attacked. To the Fong mother, her son should have just dropped the laundry because no amount of laundry is worth her son’s life.
In my opinion, YuTang’s depiction of Chinese values is incredibly accurate coming from a Chinese-American background. Two things, in particular, I found relatable. The first was our religion. For most the Chinese, we practice Buddhism but many of my generation do not, and Buddhism stresses the idea of religious acceptance and coexistence. I found the Fong’s family reaction to Flora’s religion accurate after all why would we have anything against her religion? The next point that I thought hit home was the fact that the mother, above all else, cared about the life of her son. My parents are the same way. To them, there is no dishonor, no shame for avoiding violence. My parents told me that there is nothing I could fight for, nothing I could lose that isn’t replaceable but if I lose my life, that is something they could never replace. My mother acts much the same way as Tom Fong’s mom.
The most important trait is the ability to remember where you come from. Loy and Tom jr, Old Tuck, Tom sr. all know who they are and where they come from and because of this, they were blessed with a wonderful family, children, and a happy life. Freddie, on the other hand, forgot his family, forgot his roots and fell into the grip of a vain prostitute. Had he remained truer to his roots, something like this might have been avoided.
In Lin Yutang’s Novel, Chinatown Family, Yutang writes and portrays of the many similarities and differences between Chinese and American through a series of events and family interactions.
One major difference in American and Chinese cultures discussed in the novel was the concept of family. For one, the American idea of family seems to be that eventually one will become independent from the family. Chinese families however, see family members as being dependent and supportive of each other. One particular scene that portrays this notion is when Flora asks Daiko about his opinion of saving some money to open up a shop of their own. Responding with a completely different view than what Flora expected, Daiko responds that they wouldn’t be living separately from the family. He believed that family and business should be united and that the family should be receiving earnings together. Another example where the concept of family is placed at a very high priority is when the father donates his money to Chinese soldiers against Japan. Because he is Chinese, he feels responsible for supporting his fellow Chinese soldiers even if it means giving them his hard earned money.
This leads to another difference in American and Chinese cultures. Tom’s father kept his money at home and did not trust the banks. This is consistent with the ideology of many other Chinese people when it came to money and where they stored it. Because many Chinese earned money through hard labor, they didn’t feel like banks were secure enough to store their hard earned money. Americans, however, had more trust in the bank and stored all their earnings with banks.
Despite the many differences between the two cultures, they both shared some concepts as well. One such similarity was religion. Both cultures believed that there is a God who looks after the family and both cultures prayed for that God’s blessing over them. When the news of Flora’s being pregnant is announced to the family, even Mother Fong becomes more accepting of the Western God if it meant safety for the mother and child. She becomes willing to donate and pray in the church.
One important value that the book tried to embody was the ability to adapt to a new environment while keeping one’s values. Even though a culture in a new environment may be overwhelming, values from a home country should still be carried on. Even though Tom and Eva were encouraged to adapt to a new culture and to assimilate in a new country, they were taught to do so while keeping old values like gender roles and family as a first priority.
The novel Chinatown Family by the renowned Lin Yutang revolves around the Fong Family, a family that has left their lifestyles in China and emigrated to the United States in hopes and aspirations of happiness and economic stability while also remaining in line with their traditional Chinese values. Due to emigrating into the United States, the melting pot of the world, it is inevitable that the family has to adapt and try to acculturate into the immense American culture. Ultimately, the Fong Family winds up retaining some of their traditional Chinese Values and also assimilating into the American Culture and having new values that are an amalgam of each culture.
A few prominent themes that are touched in this book are family, social hierarchy, wealth, religion, and confrontation. The Fong Family, following traditional Chinese values, have a “family comes first” mentality in which the life of an individual is centered around the family. Previously studying Confucius, I see the values of filial piety, or a virtue of respect for one’s parents, elders, and ancestors, are extremely prominent in the text. The story revolves around 2 generations of the Fong Family, or the nuclear family, consisting of the father, who first immigrated to the US in hopes of achieving fortune from the Klondike Gold Rush, his wife, and their children, three sons and one daughter. It is from the children of Tom that the split of Chinese and American values are apparent. Tom’s son Freddie, a life-insurance agent, could possibly be a symbolism for American values of family life because he leaves living with his parents in order to live by himself; Freddie lives his life on his own, separated from his family. In contrast, Tom’s oldest son Daiko reflects traditional Chinese values because he sustains the practice of filial piety and remains living and respecting his family along with his supportive wife Flora. Another prominent distinction between Chinese and American values is the handling of money. The Fong family practices a prudent lifestyle in which they save up money and buy the basic necessities needed. In particular, in order to move up from the laundromat store to owning a Chinese restaurant, Tom wisely saves $50 every month in order to accomplish his dreams. Similarly, the economical lifestyle is shown in the episode at Macy’s where the mother tries to use every single material received with the purchase. On the other hand, Freddie is seen to live a more profligate lifestyle in which he overspends on unnecessary items such as clothes and a car for his wife. Freddie is definitely a part of the materialistic lifestyle that is often a hallmark of American culture. Furthermore, the Fong family is seen to have a flexible attitude on religion by allowing their oldest son to marry a Catholic woman and by having their grandson be baptized. I believe that because the Chinese philosophies of Confucianism and Taoism are more of a philosophy and a way to live life rather than believing and praying to a supreme being. This allows the Fong family to be more open than those who came from a Catholic background in the text, such as Flora. Similarly to Confucian idea of filial piety, the social hierarchy is evident to respect your elders in the Chinese tradition. Rather, in America, the social hierarchy can be placed on one’s status in society through power, wealth or other quantifiable means.
I think the trait that is most respected in this novel is respect. Respect for one’s family, for one’s job, for one’s culture plays an important part for the Fong Family. Respect is a trait that is admired in any culture and it is no surprise it is emphasized in this text as well.
Lin Yutang depicts the differences and similarities between American and Chinese cultures through the Fong family and their adjustment to living in America.
In regards to wealth, Chines culture differs from American culture in that Chinese culture, according to Lin Yutang’s portrayal of it, treasure every little possession they have, whereas Americans can be relatively wasteful without even noticing that they are. This is made evident in the differing reactions of Flora and Mother Fong to the packaging of the deliveries from Macy’s. Flora like any American goes to throw out the cartons and boxes that the house supplies came in but Mother Fong is appalled and quickly takes the packaging back saying “It will shorten your life to waste things like that.” (pg29). The Fongs save every last tissue paper and thread used to pack their purchases. The following page however implies that over time Mother Fong realizes the impracticality of saving every can and box she comes across because they had limited space. She eventually threw out her coffee cans and such but she always felt guilt, especially because these cans and boxes were more durable than any they would get in China. This change in practice, if not in belief is evidence of the way the family is influenced by American culture and how it changes them.
Yutang also depicts the differences in the way the family unit and each member of the family is viewed in the lens of both American and Chinese cultures. Early on in the book the importance of family and the obligation one has to one’s family is established early on. The author discusses the way one is expected to take care of one’s parents until death until death. Also the reunion of the Fongs is in itself evidence of the strength of family, the father diligently paid money to the other half of the family for years. Yiko helped his father to bring their family over. The Mother did not want to leave China but did it for her children and her husband. Yutang specifically contrasts family in American culture and Chinese culture by highlighting the way children are expected to refer to anyone older than them, even by a few years, by their position in the family, rather than by name, in a show of respect. This is evident in the way Yiko who is supposed to call his older brother’s wife daisow like Tom and Eva do, but instead calls her by her first name, Flora (34). In this instance he is representative of American culture because he has taken on many American cultural values. His disregard for this staple of Chinese culture and respect in the family also influence Tom who wishes he could also call Flora by her first name.
Several of the significant themes throughout Lin Yutang’s Chinatown Family include those pertaining to family, social hierarchy, wealth, religion, and confrontation. These themes, although sufficiently noteworthy individually, seem to be closely intertwined in various forms all through the novel to illustrate social issues. The roles these themes play in Chinese and American culture is contrasted to further emphasize the Fong family’s unwillingness to abandon their values, in spite of the differing ones by which they are surrounded.
The concept of family and its implications are perhaps the most prominent values of the Chinese culture as portrayed by the Fong family. The Fong family is very closely-knit. Their family dynamic, which is characterized by their dependence on one another, becomes more than a set of values – it becomes a means of survival.
Next, wealth and how it is treated plays a major factor in juxtaposing the two cultures. The desire for wealth is, after all, the force which drove Tom Sr. to bring his family into the United States illegally. Tom Sr. idolized that with some degree of risk, and a much greater degree of hard work and determination, his family as a whole can benefit from the copious opportunities at their disposal. Tom Sr.’s attitude towards wealth remains consistent; he sees it as a very necessary commodity which must not be wasted. This idea of wealth is contrasted by the novel’s representation of what the common American desires. For example, Freddie, who serves as a portrayal of assimilation in its greater degree, desires extravagance and material possessions. Throughout the novel, Freddie acts the way a man who has something to prove would act.
When the family welcomes a new daughter-in-law, an Italian-American named Flora, she is told, “You are like a Chinese woman because you work hard all day and have no quarrels with your husband and the parents.” This mentality, which is built on preconceived notions that outline social hierarchy, is especially prevalent in terms of gender roles. In Chinese culture, Women are widely accepted to be subordinates of their male counterpart. Elders are treated with a greater respect and are generally regarded as being wiser. In America, however, social hierarchy is merely a measure of one’s income.
The representation of religion among the two cultures is also contrasted in the novel. Confucianism and Taoism are philosophies which promote peace and the ability to emphasize with those who are different from you. Perhaps this is the reason why the Fong family learns to appreciate Catholicism, and accept Flora for her belief in it, with a liberal attitude.
I think that one trait which is suggested to be of great value in the book is the ability to find a common ground in the intersection of assimilating to a new environment and not abandoning your roots. This is shown by the novel’s portrayal of the varying degrees in which a character has adapted to American culture, and the resulting consequences.
In Chinatown Family by Lin Yutang, the differences and similarities between Chinese and American culture are extremely evident. In a dialogue between Tom and Flora we learn many things. First off, considering religion, Flora is a religious Catholic women. What surprised me was that even though she was the American in the family, her religion and belief in God was accepted by the Fong family. They even supported her and went to Church with her at times. That goes to show that the concept of family is extremely important to Chinese culture. In fact, Tom goes out and says, “You are not like American women.” (82) I think when Yutang writes this he’s trying to portray that the perception of American marriages is a lot different than those in Chinese culture. Tom’s character thinks that American women don’t love their husbands because that is how they are portrayed in the movies he watches. When he asks Flora even she answers hesitantly, “I suppose so.” I then began to realize that although Flora is an American, her parents were Italian immigrants and Italians also have a big sense of family unity in their culture. When compared with other American women, Flora was able to mesh with the Fong family because she had similar family values and was a “good woman.” Tom even goes out to say that Flora is “like a Chinese woman” because she works hard all day and doesn’t quarrel with her husband. (83) I think this gives an insight as to how different the lives of Americans are compared to the Chinese or really any new immigrants like my own parents. As immigrants, we need to work twice as hard in order to make sure that we get some of the same opportunities for our children. When our own children grow up as American citizens, they won’t have that same problem. Tom was surprised at how hard Flora worked because he expected American women to have more mobility and be a bit more carefree. I think the reason Flora really isn’t like most American women is because of her immigrant parents who may have taught her the definition of hard work. Although I have to work hard to achieve my dreams and reach my potential, it was my parents who went out of their way to make sure that my brothers and I had these opportunities. And as a Pakistani family, my culture actually relates to the Chinese culture very much because the concept of family and depending on each other is very similar.
A similarity that we do see between American and Chinese culture is the idea of how the husbands treat their women. Again the perception that Tom had was that of divisiveness and negativity. He asks Flora if American men beat their wives and she horrifyingly answers no because the law would not permit it and American women “would not put up with it.” When Flora asks the same question to Tom, he answers by saying that Chinese men do not abuse their wives either. They’ll shout when they quarrel but that’s about it. Not only is that a similarity as to how men in both cultures treat their women, but it is a similarity in the idea of what respect is in both cultures. I think respect for family values and commitment to both religion and the family are some of the most important traits discussed and portrayed in the book.
Chinatown Family, by Lin Yutang, is an ideal novel to study when comparing and contrasting Chinese and American cultures in the first half of the 20th century. This is the case because the novel follows the story of the Fong family, who immigrated to the United States from China. Through the family’s perspective, the reader not only gains insight into American culture as seen and understood by them, but also comes to understand the Chinese culture from which they originates. Thus, it is through passively reading the novel that the reader learns about both cultures and how they relate to one another in the historical context.
The main clashes of Chinese and American culture in Chinatown Family involve materialism and consumerism, and family. When Tom Fong, the father of the Fong family, is finally able to bring his family to the United States, the biggest culture shock his wife experiences seems to be her encounter with Macy’s, as the book describes: “a heaven of goods.” Macy’s epitomizes the materialism and consumerism deeply imbedded in American culture through its wide assortment of products, present only because there is an obvious demand for them. Mrs. Fong, despite her deep roots in Chinese culture and it being her first time in a department store, finds herself biting right into the materialism and consumerism as “she could not resist buying a new…” teapot, saucers, and glasses. If that isn’t proof enough, just a few lines after, it reads “[Mrs. Fong] liked the feeling of having new things.” Thus, the book portrays materialism and consumerism as a staple of US culture, however, it is also a staple which the Fong family buys into. This portion also involves the topic of wealth in both cultures. The Fong family is primarily concerned with saving for important expenses (i.e. being able to reunite the family in the United States or paying for Tom Jr.’s college education). The American cultured is portrayed more as extravagance and impulse spending. Freddie, the most Americanized of the whole family, is also the flashiest of the family and has his wife wear a mink coat, to display an image of a financially successful family. However, that being said, we also do clearly see Mrs. Fong engaging in some impulse spending at Macy’s, despite her connection to Chinese culture. Perhaps there is a slight overlap of both cultures to satisfy a certain degree of indulgence that comes part of human nature. Now, in regards to the topic of family, there is a major rift between what the Fong family considers to be important and what is portrayed in the typical American life. As shown in the book, family unity is of the upmost importance. Tom works tirelessly to reunite his family in the United States. He even goes so far as to lie about being part of the merchant class, an exception/loophole in the American immigration policies at the time, allowing his family to immigrate over to the US, which would have otherwise been illegal. Once relatively settled in, the whole family, with the exception of Freddie who embodies American culture, pitches in to help the family businesses (a laundry at first, then a family restaurant). Flora, an American Italian who marries into the family through Loy (the eldest son), despite the initial prejudice for being Catholic, is accepted into the family as she reflects the same family values and ideals– she helps with the businesses (ironing clothes and manning the cash register), she gives birth to a child she deeply cares for, and she gets along well with the whole family. She seems to be just as concerned with family, as it is expected in Chinese culture. The opposite can be seen with Freddie and his wife, as they are not concerned with helping the family businesses, nor, surprisingly with their child. The similarity is the case of family is the overlap cultures share. In the specific case of the book, the Italians and Chinese share similar views on the importance of family.
On the topic on confrontation, there seems to be a disaccord. After bullies threaten Tom Jr. on his laundry delivery route, he decides to take an alternative route to avoid them. While his father agrees with his tactic, Freddie explains that he needs to fight back because “[Americans] don’t respect you if you don’t fight back,” a point reiterated later in the book when the Manchu Empire had been overthrown and Tom held his chin up as he walked through the streets because he knew “Americans applaud anyone who puts up a fight.” While the Chinese culture seems to place more emphasis on dealing with a confrontational issue in the easiest and simplest of manners (i.e. simply taking another route), the American way is portrayed very clearly: head on confrontation- a tactic which commands respect. The concession here is obviously the example of the Chinese overthrowing the Manchu Empire, illustrating the fact that they are not above fighting for their goals.
Since the book focuses on the Fong family, it is only right that the book, through its plot, suggests that family is ultimately of greatest value. The portrayed trait embodied by this ideal Chinese family is above all, respect- respect for family, respect for elders, respect for mingchiao (the religion of names), respect for the religion of other family members (mother Fong asks to go to Church and pray with Flora), and respect for all aspects of the family.
Reading the book, I think Chinatown Family is ultimately about the intersection of old cultural ideas and new cultural ideas. This is displayed in the Fong family’s immigration to America and their trails in retaining their unique Chinese identity while still assimilating into the American culture. The trait that the book seems to suggest the most, I believe, is the ability to balance the new and old culture in a harmonious manner.
One difference that was highlighted between Chinese culture and American culture was the attitude towards family and materialism. In the Chinese culture, as displayed through the Fong family we can see that materialism was very rare among the immigrants. Mrs. Fong, tries to save everything from grocery bags to the paper box that she receives chocolate from Macy’s because it is ingrained in her culture to save as much as she can. In contrast, American materialism is displayed through flora, for example, who throws out her box and frequently asks her husband Freddie (how had assimilated into the American materialistic culture) for shopping adventures and cars.
In Chinese culture, respect towards elder in ingrained into the minds of children at a young age by the compete of filial piety. In American culture, however, this is not the case. American culture is driven by the idea of personal independence and encourages individuals to strive for success Individually. In Chinese culture, family especially elders are respected as the highest form of authority and decisions are made with their consultations. Individuals also strive for the success of the family in situations rather than personal situations and adhere to the idea of filial piety when it comes to interactions with family members. This is displayed by the children except Freddie attitude towards their parent’s future as their aren’t get older. The children except to continue respecting and taking care of their parents when they become elderly. Freddie, however, has adopted the American attitude towards placing the elderly in nursing homes when they get older. The two cultures agree on the role of women as a homemaker in society and believe that women follow their husband’s success and social class.
Another contrasting point between the Chinese and American culture was the attitude towards religion. Flora, as an Italian- American is religious and is depicted as going to church on Sundays to participate in her social duties as an upright religious person. In contrast, the Fong family does not participate a lot in religious activity but the accept Christianity as the novel progresses and they begin to support Flora. They even attended church with her sometimes to show the unity of a family despite cultural differences