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.