Riverdale was a closely-knit town composed of mostly white Americans in their population. Sure there were a few African Americans living in the town, but just like the White Man, they had mostly lived in the town for generations and got along very well. They basically did not see themselves as racist because they always shared the same interests, lifestyle, culture, and upbringing. They liked the normalcy and predictability that their small town of 1,995 enjoyed.
It gave them a sense of comfort and belonging. Then their population increased to 2,000 when the Lin family moved into town. They were a migrant family from China. The parents, Liu and Zhao moved to America to escape the harsh treatment that the Beijing government used to govern the population at the time. After the birth of their first child, a daughter, they knew that they wanted to and needed to escape from China if they wanted to escape the One Child Policy and have the happy family life they envisioned. So they moved heaven and earth in order to make their way to the land where they knew they could bank their hopes and dreams upon, America.
Choosing to settle in Riverdale after their arrival, they set about creating a family and social life for themselves in the small town. Unfortunately, the Lin’s were the only Chinese family living in the town. So without meaning to do so, the town put up an unseen barrier between themselves and the Lin clan. They did not know how to handle the new people nor did they understand the culture of the Chinese. For the first time in the history of Riverdale, racism existed among its population. Later on, their daughter Elizabeth was born and became the first generation Lin to be a real American citizen, her younger brother Edison also shared the honor later on.
The one thing the Lin’s did not let go of when they moved to America was their sense of Chinese family tradition. This was something that they did their best to instill in their children from youth and it was this strict adherence of the family to the old ways that caused problems for their children when they tried to mingle with the other children in their town. They were socially discriminated against by their peers for being too Chinese. But having grown up in America, They were also discriminated against by their own parents for being too American in their ways. Nobody felt the intense pressure of the dual racial discrimination more than Elizabeth.
“Elizabeth, you have been acting too much like your classmates these days. You are starting to forget your Chinese roots. This had to go out every Friday night, you are only thirteen, this would never be allowed in China. ” her mother complained while she helped the family clean up the restaurant at the end of the business day. They owned and ran the only Chinese restaurant in town.
“Mother, just because we are Chinese does not mean we have to live by the old ways. We live in America now. Everything is different.” the child tried to explain to her mother as she put up the chairs on the tables so she could mop the floor.
“I am just saying Elizabeth, that you are beginning to become like your friends. Not serious about life. You take everything too easy when we have worked so hard to provide a better future for you. All we ask is that you honor the old ways. You should be an example to Edison.”
“I try to be mother, but it is hard to be an example of the old ways to Edison when the old ways do not exist where we live.” she remarked.
“The old ways do exist my child, within our family. All you have to do is honor it. It is our tradition. It is who we are. We are of the Chinese race. ”
“I know mother, I know.” she beginning to feel pressured and lost again. She was in the in enviable position of having to find the perfect balance of being Chinese in an American society. The worst part of her life was that she faced discrimination from her peers and her family on a daily basis. Her family thought she was too westernized and her friends thought she was too Chinese. What was a teenager like her to do?
Since it was Friday night, she and Edison got together and went to the local movie house to catch a movie. As they passed the food court in the mall, they heard the derogatory remarks that the bullies often taunted them with.
“There go the slit eyes!” They heard one of the African American boys in the group call out.
“Yellow skin freaks!” another person, a white girl called out this time.
“Their family is so weird that my mom believes they practice some sort of Chinese witchcraft. Their restaurant reeks of incense.”
Elizabeth really could not understand where all their discrimination was stemming from. These people did not want to stand next to them in line at the school cafeteria, Did not speak to them in the school hall, all because they looked different from everyone else in their eyes. feeling her brother grip her hand tighter, she knew that he was being affected by what he was hearing and she knew she had to put a stop to it once and for all.
Turning around, she went back to the table where the hecklers were seated and looked each of them straight in the eyes.
“Will you please stop with the discrimination? We are no different from any of you. We are all just kids out to enjoy a Friday night. Why can’t we all just get along?” she pleaded with them.
“You are not like us. You are not Americans. Your family should go back where it came from!” said Alfred, the leader of the pack, he was about 15 years old and the son of the town mayor.
“Alfred, Alfred… my family is just as American as any of your families. Don’t you understand? Being American is not a matter of skin color country of origin. Look, my mom says that my brother and I, we are too American and not Chinese enough. Now you are telling me we are the exact opposite of that. Is there no end to racism? Do you even understand what you are saying?”
“Shut up chink! Your family will never be American enough to really be true Americans.” he said loudly, calling the attention of the kids at the other tables.
“What is an American Alfred? Do you know? Does anybody here really know? You are judging all of us because you do not understand us. But how can you if none of you will even take the time to try? Joey, Joey here is a second generation African American. His grandparents came here from Africa, does that mean he isn’t an American? Our race does not dictate who we can and cannot be. So my parents are Chinese, I am Chinese too. But I was born here, so I am a Chinese American. My brother is the same.”
“What you call yourself makes no difference. You are still a yellow skinned freak.” Alfred insisted.
“No Alfred. I am the best that my two races can be. I am a proud Chinese living in America, and I have successfully adapted the Chinese customs with my American life, even though my parents don’t see it that way. There is nothing for any of you to be racial about. Don’t you see? Don’t you understand? We are all Americans, living in this country that we all love. Regardless of where our families originated from, we are all Americans. ”
Elizabeth smiled as she explained her beliefs to the other kids. They seemed to understand what she was trying to say. Now she would go home and explain the same thing to her mother. Hopefully with even better results.