In addition, the prevention of immigration created a
Chinese-American population comprised mostly of
men, leading to lower numbers in subsequent genera-
tions. This act was not repealed until 1943 and had
extreme influences on both the physical and psycho-
logical well being of Chinese Americans. Such prac-
tices had an effect on the children of these Chinese
immigrants as well, as feelings of shame and the re-
sults of discrimination and poverty were passed on
from previous generations. Good education is often
a main focus for these families and is a key reason for
their immigration to the United States. Thus, educa-
tional achievement remains an immensely important
goal for Chinese-American children.
Korean individuals arrived in America about a
century later than the Chinese and also served as la-
borers. Again, attainment of better education was a
major goal of these first Korean immigrants. The
anti-Asian sentiments that continued to effect all
Asian-American populations at this time in the Unit-
ed States caused many Korean and Korean-American
families to settle close to one another, forming tightly
knit communities. It is important for those working
with Korean-American children to respect these com-
munities and to try to work within them, making at-
tempts to involve parents as much as possible.
Though most Korean-American parents are highly
respectful of teachers and educational administrators,
they may not see it as their place to enter into the edu-
cational forum, deferring instead to teachers. Using
material in the language of the parent is one way of
ensuring more involvement.
Japanese individuals first immigrated to the
United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with
a desire for better education and financial opportuni-
ties as the primary force behind their immigration.
While welcomed at first, anti-Asian sentiments result-
ed in the halting of immigration practices from 1931
to 1940. Whereas immigration was prevented quickly
for the Chinese, this process took longer with the Jap-
anese, allowing time for both males and females to
immigrate to America. Thus, the Japanese-American
population was not affected by the same setbacks suf-
fered by the Chinese-American population. As a re-
sult, the Japanese-American population continued to
thrive with two-thirds of the Japanese population
being American-born by the 1940s. The discrimina-
tions directed against the Japanese-American popula-
tion during World War II affected the acculturation
of these citizens drastically, however, leading to less
identification with America in some and highly overt
identification, to the destruction of some of their own
customs and practices, on the parts of others. World
War II’s relative recentness means that many
Japanese-American children might come from fami-
lies directly affected by its events.
The central roles of family and culture are common tenets in most
Asian populations. A young girl wearing traditional Southeast
Asian clothing holds an American flag for Independence Day
festivities in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. (Kevin Fleming/Corbis)The Effect of Historical Experiences on Asian-
American Children
Historical experiences also differ for the various
groups of Asian Americans. As mentioned before,
during World War II, more than 100,000 Japanese
Americans were interned in concentration camps in
the United States, an event that continues to affect
many Japanese-American families. Though two-
thirds of these individuals were Nisei, or second-
generation individuals who had been born in Ameri-
ca, the U.S. government viewed them as a danger to
their country following the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor. This indignation resulted in most Japanese-
American families losing all that they owned, leading
to a step backward in their solidification as productive
landowners and business owners. Because of the em-
phasis placed on the tenet of honor in Japanese socie-
ties, many of these families did not speak of the
internment for many years afterwards, and Japanese-
American children might be just beginning toASIAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN 29