Zhao’s New Chinese America

Chapter 5 of the New Chinese America article, there are different warrants exhibited. One of the warrants that are portrayed is the warrant of search. This was evident when the police raided a family motel in Los Angeles and “found that the 1,500-square-foot, three-bedroom, and one-bath residence was partitioned into six rooms. Besides the kitchen and the bath, every room was filled with mattresses and bunks. In a complaint filed with the city government, the neighbors said that a few dozen people lived in the house and their cars took up all the parking spaces on the street” (pg. 162). It is not clear whether the police were issued with a search operation after complaints from the neighbors close to the family motels. Warrant of arrest is also portrayed in this article. In the case where the credibility of an immigrant is (petitioner) is under questioning, the person can be arrested and deported. This calls for a warrant of arrest from a court of law (pg. 177). A bench warrant can also be seen in the article. There are cases where immigrants can be arrested or appear in court without a warrant. The individual can be ordered to appear in court for a trial. But if the person fails to appear, the judge can offer a bench warrant with court contempt if the person fails to appear on the scheduled date. Alias warrant can be issued when the subject fails to appear in court on the scheduled date before any plea is provided. At the same time, a civil capias warrant can be issued in civil courts in cases where the defendant fails to comply with the orders of the judge. It is given to individuals found guilty but fails to pay the fines or set conditions set by the court within the required timeframe.

Zhao used different cases of acknowledgment in the article. The state of residence in the country is a form of acknowledgment. You can be identified as a US citizen or immigrant. Zhao uses the case of Baoshan Li, a self-employed construction worker who got permanent resident status under the 1992 Chinese Student Protection Act. He has however not bothered to apply for the citizenship of the US for fear of being questioned by non-Chinese immigrant officials. Zhao also uses the aspect of language as a form of acknowledgment. He says that Li knows little English but speaks Mandarin with a robust Cantonese accent. This makes him not wholly independent. This portrays that one can be acknowledged by the language he/she speaks. Zhao also represents that acknowledgment can be based on one’s skills. Li is known for his skills in the wood floor and ceramic tile installations. He also describes the case of Bob who acquired American education and is proficient in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, giving him the versatility lacked by Li.

Rewriting introduction to the Chapter

This chapter is mainly concerned about the role of an ethnic economy in social mobility. It looks into whether Chinese Americans of different socio-economic and legal backgrounds are accorded the same opportunities to work within the system. The chapter will tend to establish whether economy instead determines the prospects for Chinese Americans and encourage social hierarchy. Unconditional dependencies of laborers on their co-ethnic middle-class employers isolate immigrants from the mainstream job market. It instead promotes mobility for everyone and narrows the class differences. The ethnic Chinese economy is working to polarize community members further.

 

 

References

Zhao, X. (2010). The new Chinese America: class, economy, and social hierarchy. Rutgers University Press.