早年美国的华社善堂与华侨的落叶归根

早年旅美华侨的“落叶归根”多是通过各自乡邑的善堂进行的。善堂常资助乡侨在有生之年买棹归国,或将死者遗骨捡运回国。后者要经过埋葬遗体、捡拾遗骨和运送回国的细致过程和严密组织,有时还要做好代还债务等善后工作。本文以《旅美三邑总会馆史略》的记载为例,反映早年华侨社团在帮助华侨实现“落叶归根”愿望方面所起的重要作用以及这一过程的烦难和时间的旷日持久。作者认为,实现“落叶归根”愿望过程的烦难和时间的旷日持久,应该是后来华侨逐渐选择“落地生根”的原因之一。

Overseas Chinese's Shantang and Luoye Guigen of American Chinese in the Earlier Period

In the earlier period,the American Chinese preferred "Luoye Guigen"(fallen leaves return to the roots) through the assistance of "Shantang"(charitable institutions) of their own counties.They either took ticket boats to their home villages in the remaining years of their life,or after death,their bones were delivered back by their relatives and friends through a more complicated procedure.Firstly,their bodies were locally buried,and later,their bones were picked up and finally accompanied back home by relatives or friends.It was a meticulous process with a careful arrangement.Sometimes,the follow-up affairs,such as the debts of the dead,had to be tackled.The author argues that the tedious and long process of "Luoye Guigen" probably turned out to be one of the reasons why overseas Chinese gradually chose to "Luodi Shenggen"(settle down locally) later.