Comments on: Tale of Two Cultures and Two Countries – Part I http://www.dontow.com/2009/11/tale-of-two-cultures-and-two-countries-part-i/ Mon, 02 Sep 2013 04:19:18 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 By: Tale of Two Cultures and Two Countries – Part II | Don Tow's Website http://www.dontow.com/2009/11/tale-of-two-cultures-and-two-countries-part-i/#comment-240 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:01:54 +0000 http://dontow.com/wordpress/?p=455#comment-240 […] issue of this website, I wrote an article “Tale of Two Cultures and Two Countries – Part I” (http://www.dontow.com/2009/11/tale-of-two-cultures-and-two-countries-part-i/). This current article is a continuation of the previous article describing some of the experiences […]

]]> By: David http://www.dontow.com/2009/11/tale-of-two-cultures-and-two-countries-part-i/#comment-51 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:00:25 +0000 http://dontow.com/wordpress/?p=455#comment-51 Don, terriffic story about your family’s history. As a first generation Cuban-American, I can relate to the feelings of hope and opportunity that our parents had when deciding to move to the U.S. They also escaped communism and lost much in the move. My parents were members of the more affluent society in Cuba, only to come to the U.S. and start with nothing. Today, Cuban’s also experience unique laws governing immgration (Dry foot/Wet foot). I can go on and on about the similiarities between your story and mine. In the end, people come to this country for the same reason, a chance at a better life.

]]> By: YM Ho http://www.dontow.com/2009/11/tale-of-two-cultures-and-two-countries-part-i/#comment-49 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:27:01 +0000 http://dontow.com/wordpress/?p=455#comment-49 Don, what a moving account of your experiences as a young man in a foreign land! Your father was a brave man and indeed he did the right thing to move your family to America. Ten years ago I had the opportunity to publish a bilingual magazine ‘Brushstrokes’. Some of the articles were about British Born Chinese’s families experiences in the UK. Unlike your family, the immigrants to the UK were mostly sailors working on board ships owned by a shipping company that recruited sailors in Calcutta in the 1890’s. It was known as ‘Blue Funnels’ because of their blue chimneys. The earliest Chinese immigrants landed in Liverpool and London, and Liverpool Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in the country. There were boarding houses in Liverpool to give shelters to our Chinese sailors. Some stayed on and married local women.
We used to have Saturday gatherings then for the British born Chinese to discuss theirs and their families different experiences in Liverpool. We had a primary headmaster with the surname ‘Sing’ (a mistake that was not uncommon in those days), whose surname was given by the British registration officer, mistakenly using his father’s third (or second) of his name as his surname. Yes, we need to treasure and record our forefathers’ hardship, bitterness as well as their achievements in their pursue for better lives for us all. Thanks for sharing!

]]> By: Don http://www.dontow.com/2009/11/tale-of-two-cultures-and-two-countries-part-i/#comment-48 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:49:29 +0000 http://dontow.com/wordpress/?p=455#comment-48 Peter, I would love to read about your and your family’s experiences. Hope you will write them up soon. Thanks for your comments.

]]> By: Don http://www.dontow.com/2009/11/tale-of-two-cultures-and-two-countries-part-i/#comment-47 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:20:45 +0000 http://dontow.com/wordpress/?p=455#comment-47 Chung-shu, thanks for your comments. Regarding the new web format, I do plan to put back the banner photos as in the previous design. The reason they are not there yet is because I didn’t have time to include them in this release, but they will be put back before or by the time of the next release. Hopefully that will make the new website more personal and warm. When appropriate and available, I also plan to include more pictures in future articles.

]]> By: Corinne http://www.dontow.com/2009/11/tale-of-two-cultures-and-two-countries-part-i/#comment-45 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:37:12 +0000 http://dontow.com/wordpress/?p=455#comment-45 What a fascinating story, Don! I’m thinking–TV miniseries. The Chinese immigrant experience has yet to be told.

]]> By: Peter Li http://www.dontow.com/2009/11/tale-of-two-cultures-and-two-countries-part-i/#comment-43 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:49:49 +0000 http://dontow.com/wordpress/?p=455#comment-43 Read your experience with great interest. I’ll write mine one of these days. I came to the states in 1947 and lived in ignorant bliss for a number of years not knowing what discrimiation was. We lived for the first year in Cambridge MA when my father was teaching at Harvard and for the second year we were in Hamden CT where my father was teaching at Yale. Then we move to Seattle where I was a newspaper boy for a year and learned about exclusive districts in Seattle. etc. etc.

]]> By: leah http://www.dontow.com/2009/11/tale-of-two-cultures-and-two-countries-part-i/#comment-42 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:01:39 +0000 http://dontow.com/wordpress/?p=455#comment-42 Don, what a fascinating story about you and your family. I do not think most people of my generation (whose parents are American born) have any idea of the scope of these kinds of experiences. The bravery and foresight of your parents, especially, was most impressive.
I am so glad that, at least, you did not experience discrimination while you were young. That is a little something to be thankful for since there is so much hate and bigotry surrounding us.
I am looking forward to reading more of your memoirs. Sincerely, leah

]]> By: Chung-shu Yang http://www.dontow.com/2009/11/tale-of-two-cultures-and-two-countries-part-i/#comment-41 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:47:38 +0000 http://dontow.com/wordpress/?p=455#comment-41 “That and other incidents will be discussed in one or more future articles in this theme of “Tale of Two Cultures and Two Countries.” Look forward to more stories on this topic line. Your parents were resolute people, ready to uproot the family to bring them to “promise land” where the family can grow. Salute to your parents.

I must say this new web format is more engineering-like, very serious. Sorry to say that I personally prefer your earlier format where it feels more personal and warm. Would love to see you interweave into your article pictures of your days in Hangtown, your parents pictures, …… My 2 cents.

]]> By: Site Overview | Don Tow http://www.dontow.com/2009/11/tale-of-two-cultures-and-two-countries-part-i/#comment-31 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:59:23 +0000 http://dontow.com/wordpress/?p=455#comment-31 […] Tale of Two Cultures and Two Countries: During the winter of early 1956, a group of members from the El Dorado County Federal Church (a Methodist church) visited our house in Placerville, California to welcome our family as recent immigrants to the U.S. and new attendees of their church.  The outside temperature was in the 20’s or 30’s.  The inside temperature was in the 50’s, because we did not have a furnace in our house at that time and the house was poorly insulated.  Not being accustomed to such a cold house, our church visitors stayed for only a few minutes.  This article recollects selected incidents from a life involving two cultures and two countries. […]

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