Chapter Nine: Chinatown (M. Osborn)
Introduction:
The chapter begins with “It is doubtful if there is anything he does not turn to a paying account, from his religion down, or up, as one prefers…. All attempts to make an effective Christian of John Chinaman will remain abortive in this generation; of the next I have, if anything, less hope.” Chapter Nine examines and explores the lives of those in Chinatown; of a Chinaman’s life as pretending to be everything that America stands for. Riis shows the intricacies of the city’s state: how it is clean, yet dirty; religious, yet scandalous; and American… but not quite.
Summary:
Jacob Riis goes into the chapter with a description of the average Chinaman. He says that despite the cliché that a Chinaman is a thousand years behind the age of his own shores, he’s very successful at scheming to “make it pay.” He takes everything in his life into account on whether or not he can make a decent pay of it. He lacks strong faith in anything and everything; there isn’t anything strong about him except for his passions when aroused. He does, however, put on a face of Christianity when he thinks he can get something out of the American aspect of life. He ends this beginning explanation with the hope that he may find others unlike what he just described, but that his hope is not backed by faith.
"Chinatown as a spectacle is disappointing." It is extremely clean on the exterior, but when given a closer look, you can see all of the dirtiness, so to say, that goes on inside. There are small details that hint at bad-doings inside what seem like simple and innocent businesses. When a stranger arrives, they're greeted with annoyance and distrust. The happy and clean that shines on the outside is layered with a fine dusting of dirt, of uneasiness. "Trust not him who trusts no one, is as safe a rule in Chinatown as out of it." Isolation keeps those around it safe. Chinamen have a habit of gambling and drugs, sometimes choosing one of those two options over food or safety. In deceptiveness, the Chinaman has adopted Caucasion wives, rather than those of their own decsent, in more hopes of blending in. This isn't seen as bad either; a second glance isn't given to a white wife as one to a Chinese wife. These young girls are often disheartening, as Riis describes it, with no more a want than hitting a joint with their "husbands" and dealers, often one in the same.
We then come back to the description of neatness. "He is in nature as clean as a cat, which he resembles in his traits of cruel cunning and savage fury when aroused." They give the deception of the wives having power, though it's clearly seen that they actually hold none of it despite their independence. They often are chosen after being lost and/or corrupted. "Her tyrant knows well that she will come, and patiently bides his time." They're often beaten when out of place. Riis ends the chapter with the hopes that this truth to the city will end soon, though it's unlikely, and that all he can see in their future is pain.
"Chinatown as a spectacle is disappointing." It is extremely clean on the exterior, but when given a closer look, you can see all of the dirtiness, so to say, that goes on inside. There are small details that hint at bad-doings inside what seem like simple and innocent businesses. When a stranger arrives, they're greeted with annoyance and distrust. The happy and clean that shines on the outside is layered with a fine dusting of dirt, of uneasiness. "Trust not him who trusts no one, is as safe a rule in Chinatown as out of it." Isolation keeps those around it safe. Chinamen have a habit of gambling and drugs, sometimes choosing one of those two options over food or safety. In deceptiveness, the Chinaman has adopted Caucasion wives, rather than those of their own decsent, in more hopes of blending in. This isn't seen as bad either; a second glance isn't given to a white wife as one to a Chinese wife. These young girls are often disheartening, as Riis describes it, with no more a want than hitting a joint with their "husbands" and dealers, often one in the same.
We then come back to the description of neatness. "He is in nature as clean as a cat, which he resembles in his traits of cruel cunning and savage fury when aroused." They give the deception of the wives having power, though it's clearly seen that they actually hold none of it despite their independence. They often are chosen after being lost and/or corrupted. "Her tyrant knows well that she will come, and patiently bides his time." They're often beaten when out of place. Riis ends the chapter with the hopes that this truth to the city will end soon, though it's unlikely, and that all he can see in their future is pain.
Key Terms:
Bric-a-brac: items of low value often sold in street markets; in the Victorian age, items kept in a curio cabinet for display
Bric-a-brac: items of low value often sold in street markets; in the Victorian age, items kept in a curio cabinet for display
Bibliography:
Riis, Jacob. How the Other Half Lives. New York: Penquin Books Ltd., 1890.