“Escaping” Angel Island:Immigration Detention And Response Of Chinese Immigrants In Angel Island (1910-1940)

With the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882,the wave of Chinese exclusion in the United States reached a new peak.In order to better implement the United States’ Chinese exclusion policies,from 1910 to 1940,the United States government established an immigration station named the Angel Island Immigration Station on Angel Island,an island in San Francisco Bay,California.Unlike Ellis Island Immigration Station,Angel Island Immigration Station is a veritable gateway to Chinese exclusion in the United States.Chinese immigrants suffered many humiliating treatment in Angel Island Immigration Station,during which the suffering not only included physical torture,but also included psychological blow.At Angel Island,as in other parts of American society,racial discrimination plays a big role.Strict quarantine policies are in place at all facilities at the Angel Island Immigration Station,whether they are quarantine,dining,accommodation or free movement areas.Here,they initially felt the American mainstream society’s hostile attitude towards Chinese immigrants.The quality of life of Chinese immigrants on Angel Island was also vastly different from that of other immigrants.Their accommodation and food conditions were very bad compared with those of other white immigrants,and the dull detention life also tortured Chinese immigrants.Therefore,Chinese immigrants derived a series of coping methods.They rebelled against the accommodation and food conditions on the island,formed autonomous organizations to fight with immigration authorities,and tried to relieve their depression in the detention life by means of various activities.In addition,it is worth mentioning that the “paper son”system,which was born due to the Chinese exclusion measures of the United States,was also expanded in Angel Island Immigration Station,which greatly improved the chances of Chinese immigrants entering the United States.The exclusion of Chinese immigrants by Angel Island Immigration Station is the epitome of the exclusion of Chinese in the whole American society,causing great harm to Chinese immigrants and isolating them from the mainstream society of the United States.This isolation is two-fold.Not only does the mainstream American society deliberately isolate Chinese immigrants,but Chinese immigrants themselves are also unwilling to integrate into the American society,thus forming a vicious circle.