Fusing History and Family: David H.T. Wong's Escape to Gold Mountain - Essay Sample

Introduction

David H.T. Wong fuses his graphic novel Escape to Gold Mountain in an extricable way that it may be impossible to tell whether its family history or a historical event. The choice for this prompt question emanates from Chapter seven: "The Chinese must go." In this analysis, I will discuss how the surge of hatred towards Wong's ancestors forced Canada to persecute them through violence after denying them passage return to China since it was said to be too costly.

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Prompt One

Based on Wong's narration in chapter seven, Storms Cloud of Hatred, upon which insurmountable atrocities were meted on his ancestors, there had been a discovery of gold in British Columbia. Wong mentions that after the discovery of gold deep in the lower Fraser valley, Wong Ah Gin and Wong Ah Sam, alongside thousands of other Chinese miners, were entrenched into the pursuit with the first group anchoring by boat in June 1858. As such, the Chinese laborers coming from Hong Kong and those that had been evicted in Canada rushed to the 'Gold Mountain,' also known as Gum Shan. The yeas preceding 1865 can be said to be successful for the Chinese laborers, which leads to resentment from whites against their willingness to work with the low wage at more extended hours. Wong notes that from 1869 his ancestors Wong Ah Gin and Wong Ah Sam and other Chinese people were segregated, but they never minded (Wong 94). Wong narrates that the disdain towards the Chinese people, as seen through Wong Ah Gin and Wong Ah Sam, led to the segregation of a "china town.

`Moreover, Wong Ah Gin and Wong Ah Sam saw the enlisting of different graves for whites and "aborigines and Mongolians" or the Chinese. Therefore, when the first Chinese was interred in ross bay cemetery, it was labeled "China man one" two and so forth. Wong mentions that while the Anti-Chinese Association was against "Mongolian Labor" in 1879, the railways' construction was a big fete. Therefore, by 1882, close to 6500 chinse workers made up the 9000 laborers required for the construction. Seen through the eyes of Wong's ancestors Wong Ah Gin and Wong Ah Sam, Chinese laborers died of starvation, accident, illness, and malnutrition (wong 95).

The eventuality of the events concerning my ancestor, as would in the above seems sketch. However, my ancestors and family in Ireland suffered intense hunger and malnutrition, which resulted in about 1.5 million deaths. The only escape way was immigration towards northern America. Therefore, my ancestors, in a striking way, share a chord with the ailments that took upon Wong's ancestors. Both were in the pursuit of a better life after suffering a lack of food and jobs. Moreover, both were recruited as laborers, although the contexts differ significantly.

Prompt Two

One historical figure that was significant to the lives of the Chinese was Denis Kearney. He was born in Ireland in the period around 1846 or 1848 in a perilous drought-stricken Ireland where no records were kept due to mass deaths. Kearney was a California labor leader, but he was particularly famous for his racist remarks and perception towards Chinese immigrants. Besides, he is the reason why Wong must have chosen to use the topic for chapter seven since he always concluded his hate speeches about the Chinese by stating, "And whatever happens, the Chinese must go" (Wong 94). The reason, however, Kearney hated the Chinese and had so much contempt is that the Chinese could accept low paying jobs than white workers with economic struggles (Wong 94).

Kearney was a gifted orator and laborer though he did not have any formal education. He used to read and engage in debates. Moreover, his ability to naturally pull and stir up crowd crowned him as a natural orator who could incite the audience to his ideals and opinions. He had a customary way of raising his volume so high to the level of fever pitch than in dramatic to remove his court and unbutton coll. Such actions always led to applause and ululations from the crowd. When the Wong's ancestors and family were suffering persecution, violence, and segregation, in 1878, Kearney took many journeys to places such as Boston, where he sought to incite the audiences to alienate the Chinese. However, his communistic principles no longer appealed to the crowds who were so appalled for such levels of intolerance.

Kearney was significant to the life of my family and ancestors, given that there were no jobs for white people. He campaigned for the economic woes of the white people but at the unfortunate cost of the Chinese. When the Irish began mass immigrants to the US, companies preferred Chinese workers who could toil for many hours with little wages. As such, when Kearney noticed such a trend, he took up labor leadership and with contempt for the press and disdain for Chinese led on crowds. The actions of Denis Kearney are synonymous with the suffering and persecution of the Chinese due to my family and ancestors were unable to secure jobs. Therefore, as Kearney pressed on to fight for the "rights" of my ancestors and family to have jobs, he was doing it at the expense of the atrocities meted on Chinese and at the same time Wong's families underwent suffering during the times of escaping to the "Gold Mountain."

Work Cited

Wong, David HT. Escape to gold mountain: A graphic history of the Chinese in North America. Arsenal pulp press, 2012.