The Lost Generation

The lost Generation
By Larry Chang 2012/12/10
Since Sino-Japanese War in 1937, it has been 75 years spreading over three generations. From Chinese history’s perspective, it is not long period of time. But during this period, civil wars, natural or man-made turmoil, and foreign invasions made this a most tormenting and agonizing time for all the Chinese.

It is said that one life time of a modern Chinese would have encountered more divert experiences than others did for several life times. He or she has had witnessed many excruciating human sufferings and life/death situations that had immense impact on whoever was involved, which could last for one’s entire life.

After 1949, the literatures come out Mainland China are mostly about what happened in that Continent, like the Cultural Revolution, class conflicts and peasant Vs landlord movements, etc., or about the rapid pace of modernization in terms of urbanization, industrial outputs, infrastructure, especially the transportation buildups. It is rare that any major literary works come out of the other side of the Taiwan Strait concerning that of millions who escaped to the Island during and after the Chinese Civil War.

From 1950s to 1970s, there were hundreds of thousands young students who used the Island as a step stone before they moved on to a new continent, the America.
They are mostly from high-echelon-family background and with good training in modern education system in China. It represented the first wave of “brain drain” after the World War II. Those who emigrated to U.S. except very small numbers were able to receive graduate degrees and could settle down to become members of middle or upper classes in the new land. After a few decades, their off-springs demonstrated even more vigorous attitude toward higher achievement. They excel themselves not only in the fields of scientific research and/or teaching posts in the universities, like their parents did, but also in politics, law, businesses and professionals.

However, no matter how successful they or their off-springs are, there is always a sense of “unsettling and being lost”. They left their broken and turbulent homeland

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and moved to a new and much advanced society, only to find racial discrimination and cultural alienation confront them all the time. It might leave an unshakable Ill mental impact on them or even their next generation.

This great migration of intellectuals is unprecedented in both Chinese history as well as America’s. The fact that those young students can settle in so smoothly and successfully in a new environment is also beyond many people’s expectations. They became one of the most competitive ethnic groups aside of the so called “WASP”, and no less successful than the Jewish group. How could they shake off the fate of coolies as their predecessors encountered in 18 and 19 centuries in America? The answer can be found in the fact that they are mostly from upper level families and due to the success of Chinese modern education system which had commenced since late in Chin Dynasty till the day of Communists’ takeover. In a sense they are so called “cream of the creams”. They were the best talents that China could produce at that time. Because of the defeat of KMT by the Communists, many well to do and elite Chinese families fled the Mainland to Taiwan or Hong Kong and then they made every effort to send their youngsters to the U.S. Therefore, in a sense they are political refugees. Up to this date, this social phenomenon is not drawing attention from the sociologists and historians.

Now after several decades, many of the original immigrants are approaching or past the retirement age. Their lives lead to the stage of so called “empty nest”. Most of the households have a couple of old folks and some of them are left only with single resident. Financially they are doing okay, but mentally they are becoming more and more isolated and “homesick”. They regret that they had missed the chance to be involved with the China’s modernization. Even some of them did go back to China or Taiwan and tried to make some contributions in terms of technology, commerce and professional services, many a time they found that they were treated as “aliens” even though with same “ethnic roots”, and yet there is nothing they can do about it.

However, there is something evolving that will affect all mankind, especially this group because of personal experiences and ethnic background. Over the past 34 years, China has become the “world factory” producing merchandises from kitchen
wares, garments, garden tools to iPad, iPhone, PC and many other electronic products as well as heavy industrial products. For example, China produces more than half the world total output of steel. On the other hand, America’s manufacture

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capacity has been constantly in decline since the end of World War II. According to some studies, only 15 % is manufacturing, 5% agriculture and as high as 80% is classified as service sector in terms of GDP. Furthermore, international trade of

America has been in deficit more than 20 years without any prospect of improvement. Therefore, the financial meltdown in 2008 was not just an episode of regular business cycle. It is deeply rooted in social, political as well as economical structure problems.

The rise of China’s manufacture power so out raced the West that the superiority of technology and industry has shifted to Asia. The era of Western supremacy, as we know it, is gone. The rise of Asian power makes the continent in equal footing in dealing with Europe and America.

This shift of industrial power and the unstoppable of Asian development, of course, will have tremendous impact on the group. It is not easy to face the role model change of which one is their adopted country and the other their homeland. Luckily, because their previous experiences and solid Chinese Culture background, they can handle the situation better than anybody else.

But the question is what about the second and third generations. Can those so called “bananas” (yellow outside, white inside) handle the situation well? Especially that in the near future while an all out war is impossible, there will be constant frictions between America and China out of economical, geopolitical and cultural competitions. Therefore, there is a danger that Chinese-Americans including those originally from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore will encounter more ethnic and social discrimination than ever before. The test of making choices in terms of loyalty to which country will be laid in front of them whether they like it or not. However, if all the 4 million “Chinese descendants” can unite at least spiritually using Jewish Group as a model, there is a lot they may achieve in terms of serving as a bridge that can connect America to China in a more harmonious way. Thus, the whole world can benefit from it.

In a great era like the one of World War II or the Chinese Civil War, it is not just what so called historians’ discourses and studies to reflect what was going on during the period. There are many “small guys’ stories” composed into a broader picture, which

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covers the overall situation. They are the first hand experiences that can deeply touch people’s hearts.

World Journal in L.A. started a literature project, called “Let’s Write a Book”, which
attracted many people to participate in. As a result, there were 38 books published.
One of them is authored by Paul Lu, who is one of my in-laws. His memoir is entitled: “Ten Notes in a Drifting Life—a Memoire of an Oversea Chinese Scholar” in which a vivid description of his life was presented and in the last chapters he devoted to his observations on American society and his personal advices. He also gave some very
intelligent and practical thoughts on personal hygiene and old age health care.

The book triggers me to put some deeply felt thoughts and personal feelings into this article. For this, I am very grateful for Mr. Lu’s sharing of his life story which can be very useful in the future as first hand material if some historian or novelist decides to write a book about this memorable period of time.