journal 37

Nika Bogoslovsky
3/14/08
Sui Sin Far

Quote: “San Francisco’s waterfront was lined with ships and steamers, while other craft, large and small, including a couple of white transports the Philippines, lay at anchor here and there off shore.”

Summary: Lae Choo and her baby arrive from China in San Francisco, this quote describes what they can see.

Response: I thought this quote was important in setting not only the scene but also the mood of the story. It paints a really good picture but there’s a powerful punch in it when Sui Sin Far describes the boat from the Philippines. It’s ironic because Lae Choo is trying to come to America with her son but since the parents can’t legally prove that he is theirs the U.S.C won’t let the baby in, meanwhile there are boats full of products from Asian countries coming in and most likely being accepted in. We take Asian products for our use and benefit but we don’t accept the people from those countries. It seemed Sui Sin Far really emphasized that the transport was from the Philippines, she could have said it was from anywhere but she didn’t. She chose a country where Asian people live to show how the U.S. takes what it needs but won’t help out the people that provide for it.