History Accounts

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Paper Son: Chinese American Citizen.

Chinese immigration to America was unique for various reasons.  All of this is the subject of my new series.

I begin with the historical account of early American naturalization and immigration events, politics, and jurisprudence.  From the early years I work through and discuss first the Gold Rush and then the construction of the intercontinental railroad to the onslaught of Chinese immigration into the United States. Eventually leading to violence, exclusion, and deportation of Chinese persons.  All this finally led to the United States Government’s acknowledgement and apology.  Including a recognition of Chinese American contributions.

The discussion about naturalization and immigration inevitably leads to the questions of (1) who should be an American; and (2) what is an American?

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Chinese immigration to America was unique for various reasons.  All of this is the subject of my new series. 

I begin with the historical account of early American naturalization and immigration events, politics, and jurisprudence.  From the early years I work through and discuss first the Gold Rush and then the construction of the intercontinental railroad to the onslaught of Chinese immigration into the United States. Eventually leading to violence, exclusion, and deportation of Chinese persons.  All this finally led to the United States Government’s acknowledgement and apology.  Including a recognition of Chinese American contributions. 

The discussion about naturalization and immigration inevitably leads to the questions of (1) who should be an American; and (2) what is an American?

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Paper Son: Chinese American Citizen.

Chinese immigration to America was unique for various reasons.  All of this is the subject of my new series. 

I begin with the historical account of early American naturalization and immigration events, politics, and jurisprudence.  From the early years I work through and discuss first the Gold Rush and then the construction of the intercontinental railroad to the onslaught of Chinese immigration into the United States. Eventually leading to violence, exclusion, and deportation of Chinese persons.  All this finally led to the United States Government’s acknowledgement and apology.  Including a recognition of Chinese American contributions. 

The discussion about naturalization and immigration inevitably leads to the questions of (1) who should be an American; and (2) what is an American?

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Paper Son: Chinese American Citizen.


Chinese immigration to America was unique for various reasons.  All of this is the subject of my new series. 

I begin with the historical account of early American naturalization and immigration events, politics, and jurisprudence.  From the early years I work through and discuss first the Gold Rush and then the construction of the intercontinental railroad to the onslaught of Chinese immigration into the United States. Eventually leading to violence, exclusion, and deportation of Chinese persons.  All this finally led to the United States Government’s acknowledgement and apology.  Including a recognition of Chinese American contributions. 

The discussion about naturalization and immigration inevitably leads to the questions of (1) who should be an American; and (2) what is an American?

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Send us Fan Mail

After the war, earnest efforts were made to form a coalition government with the Guomindang and the communists.  When that failed the civil war between the two rekindled. 

The roughly three-year extension of the civil war saw the collapse of the Nanjing government and the Nationalists’ control of China. Eventually leading to in 1949, the inauguration of the Peoples Republic of China, by the communists, and the Nationalists’ flight to Taiwan.   

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The war with Japan devastated the Nanjing Government, her military, and China.  The Nationalists had survived the war and still remained in power.  Their failures, however, particularly late in the war, and at the nation’s greatest time of need, were fateful.  

The open, unhealed wound of the issues with the Communist was one of the fateful consequences of the Nationalists’ failures.  Efforts failed to find a peaceful solution between the two, including a coalition-led government.  The war had settled one problem but created a myriad of others.  China was unsettled.  

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The Sino-Japanese War ends.  Japan’s surrender, a momentous event, also ended World War II.  A victory certainly for China and the Allied Powers.  It left, however, many geo-political questions and issues.  The war with Japan also exposed to the world the deteriorated condition of the Nationalist military forces, the Nanjing Government, and China. 

The victory also did not resolve the open, unhealed sore between the Chinese Nationalist and the Chinese Communist.  By 1945, the Americans began a series of efforts to mediate the two sides toward a coalition government.  Despite some early optimism, the formation of a coalition government evaporated.  Meanwhile the Soviet Union quickly turned to Manchuria and rushed in after the Japanese forces left.  

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China’s war against Japan eventually merged into the greater world war.  Particularly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan became a central concern to the Allies, especially the United States. 

Soon after the Japanese began their war against China, it had planned to pacify and consolidate the territory she had gained in China.  However, largely unsuccessful, by 1942, she had bigger issues with the Allies’ efforts against her in the Pacific. 

That did not deter her from successfully launching and completing her largest military campaign in China.  In the spring of 1944, Japan began Operation Ichigo.  A massive and impressive military offensive to link northern Asia and southern Asia and to rid China of the American airfields. 

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Did the second united front between the Nationalists and the Communists solidly meld the two sides together, or was that merely an illusion?  We find out in this episode.  

 By 1939, the United States was loaning money to the Nationalist government.  There was no appetite by the western nations to pursue appeasement with Japan as they had toward Germany. In 1940, Japan became part of the Axis Powers.  China joined in with the western Allied Powers.  The Sino-Japanese War merged with the greater conflict of World War II. 

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The second Sino-Japanese War began in July 1937.  Which side started it can be debated.  We do know it was an eight-year horror show.  It would overlap and influence the coming second world war.  The opening actions of the Japanese war saw terrible human casualties.  These portended what was coming. 

In this episode I focus on the opening phases of the war.  I end the episode with a question or thought.  What group benefited the most from the disastrous events of the Sino-Japanese War?

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