Dragonwings, by Laurence Yep is a novel describing how immigrant’s early life in America. The novel begins in the first years of the twentieth century; an 8-year-old boy Moon Shadow leaves China, “Middle Kingdom” to join his father, Windrider, in San Francisco. Moon Shadow had never seen him in his life before but soon learns that his father was a worker in a laundry with other Chinese man in Chinatown; he’s also a master kitemaker, dreams of building and flying his own airplane. Chinese tradition and culture come vividly to life as father and son face the challenges of living in America. They experience discrimination, but also make valued friends special with some “white demand”. In 1906, San Francisco earthquake and fire bring destruction but new opportunities for the boy and his father. In the dramatic conclusion, Moon Shadow and Windrider execute a dangerous attempt at flight.
After finishes reading this book, I had a deep feeling for Moon Shadow and Windrider. As immigrate, Windrider can easily learn their language, making friends, working with White Demand, and also to success his flying dream. Inspired by the account of a Chinese immigrant who made a flying machine in 1909, Laurence Yep's historical novel beautifully portrays the rich traditions of the Chinese community as it made its way in a hostile new world.
Another feeling was for Moon Shadow, as a fake legal immigration; (because Windrider lied to the government said he earns that laundry company and thousands of dollars so Moon Shadow can came.) he works so hard to learn the culture, language, also went to white school for education. Can you imagine a little boy who don’t know anything and arrive to a new country with out his mother but a father whom he never meets in his life before? I know how it feels; I think most of Chinese family kids right now have the same feeling as Moon shadow and I.
Usually the father came to American first, illegal or legal, work so hard to send money home, then few years later, they will registrar their family and children to come. Planning future for their children by sending them to school and so on until they all become citizen of this country...
My DREAM>>>>>>
1 comment:
about your dream, i think that is the dream of all immigrants. Get the citizenship in America, it's very important though. But have you even think about that, once you get the use passport, people who live in China would not consider you as a real Chinese any more because you have become Chinese-American. But in America, you would still in a special group because you are immigrant...
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