"Paper Son: One Man’s Story”

“Paper Son: One Man’s Story” is the memoir of Tung Pok Chin, a “paper son” who immigrated to America with falsified documents alongside thousands of other Chinese men during the era of the Chinese Exclusion Act. When Tung arrived in America, he worked and lived in hand laundries and dedicated himself to learning English. He later became an active member of important organizations in his community, and wrote poetry about his struggles living in America that was frequently published in the China Daily News. His work, however, eventually caught the attention of the FBI, who were keen on ferreting out communists and illegal immigrants. This memoir brings the historical era of Chinese Exclusion to life, emphasizing the fears and struggles that came with being a “paper son.” Chin’s story speaks to both a specific and rarely published account of Chinese American life in addition to a more universal immigrant experience.