Analysis of an Angel Island poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of an Angel Island poem - Essay Example It is apparent the carvings and writings are remaining evidence demonstrating the experiences of Chinese immigrants and occurrences at Angel station in San Francisco. The poems discovered at the station are the most dramatic discoveries in American literature. Today, at least scholars are translating and interpreting poems across the world (Lai, Lim, and Yung 12). Carved on wooden buildings by Chinese immigrants who never became laborers in America following Exclusion Act, the poems expose the unusual detention of immigrants for weeks and months on the island awaiting clearance by American immigration officials (Lai, Lim, and Yung 20). In addition, these poems exposed the labor conditions and economic conditions in California in the 20th century. By providing a detailed account of the plight of Chinese immigrants in San Francisco, the collection of poems questioned American ideologies of unlimited and equal opportunity floated in the 20th century. It is apparent the poems expose various themes not limited to immigration, alienation, race, and labor in America. An immigrant from Heungshan wrote a prominent poem that fuses the experiences and occur rences in San Francisco to demonstrate several themes. The poem was translated into English by Lai, Lim and Yung (1991) and organized into prose. According to the poem, Angel Island Immigration Station was a place of suffering and sadness. The Chinese immigrants were seeking labor opportunities in order to earn a living in America. The Exclusion Act in late 20th century that prohibited increased Chinese migration led to sufferings and problems. Many immigrants stayed in unhygienic and deplorable conditions awaiting clearance from immigration officials, and the carvings and writings demonstrate the bitterness and resentment among immigrants. However, many Chinese immigrants endured and withstood conditions at Angel Island Immigration