ABSTRACT

The 1930s and 1950s are two historically significant periods for U.S.-born and -raised children of Chinese immigrants. Prior to World War II, the Chinese in America were a largely ignored and forgotten people. Legally excluded and racially segregated from the larger society, the majority of Chinese were confined to life in inner-city Chinatowns. Children were forced to attend “Oriental” schools designated for Chinese pupils, and the few who attended white schools were prevented from participating in extracurricular activities with white students. Chinese youth were also barred from public swimming pools, recreational facilities, and social clubs, so those who desired to play sports, dance, or debate had to form clubs of their own (Lam, 1987).1 During this period, legal restrictions forbade the marriage between Chinese and whites, and social boundaries kept Chinese out of white social and recreational institutions such as restaurants, cafés, and hotels.