Mostoftoday'sChineseAmericansaredescendantsofsomeoftheearlyminersandrailroadworkers.
ThoseimmigrantshadcomefromthevicinityofCantoninSoutheastChina,wheretheyhadbeenuneducatedfarmlaborers.
Thesamekindofyoungmen,fromthesameareaandfromsimilarhumbleorigins,migratedtoHawaiiinthosedays.
Theretheyfaredfarbetter,mainlybecausetheydidnotencounterhostility.
SomemarriednativeHawaiians,andothersbroughttheirwivesandchildrenover.
TheywerenotrestrictedtoChinatowns,andmanyofthemsoonbecamesuccessfulmerchantsandactiveparticipantsingeneralcommunityaffairs.
ChineseAmericansretainmanyaspectsoftheirancientculture,evenafterhavinglivedhereforseveralgenerations.
Forexample,theirfamilytiescontinuetoberemarkablystrong.
Membersofthefamilylendeachothermoralsupportandalsopracticalhelpwhennecessary.
Fromaveryyoungagechildrenareimbuedwiththeoldvaluesandattitudes,includingrespectfortheireldersandafeelingofresponsibilitytothefamily.
Thishelpstoexplainwhythereissolittlejuveniledelinquencyamongthem.
ThehighregardforeducationwhichisdeeplyrootedinChineseculture,andthewillingnesstoworkveryhardtogainadvancement,areothernoteworthycharacteristicsoftheirs.
Thisexplainswhysomanydescendantsofuneducatedlaborershavesucceededinbecomingdoctors,lawyers,andotherprofessionals.
ChineseAmericansmakeuponlyatinyfractionofourpopulation;therearefewerthanhalfamillion,livingchieflyinCalifornia,NewYork,andHawaii.
AsAmericanattitudestowardminoritiesandtowardethnicdifferenceshavechangedinrecentyears,thelong-reviledChinesehavegainedwideacceptance.
Today,theyaregenerallyadmiredfortheirmanyremarkablecharacteristics,andareoftenheldupasanexampleworthfollowing.
Andtheirnumerouscontributionstotheiradoptedlandaremuchappreciated.