华人社区的冲突、控制与自治——"二战"前美国城市中的中国传统社会组织

在第二次世界大战以前,来到美国的中国移民基本上被华人社区中的中国传统的社会组织所控制。华人社区有四种基本的社会组织,即宗族、会馆、秘密社会和行会,这些组织的扩张是由于社区生活的需要和外部的压力。它们也强烈影响到华人社会的形成和发展,并在延缓中国移民的同化过程中扮演了一个重要角色。排华运动、组织的束缚和内部的争斗使中国移民与主流社会隔离了几十年,宗族的条规、方言的区别、利益的冲突等又破坏了中国移民的内部团结,这也导致了处于相对封闭状态的中国移民的同化过程非常缓慢。

Conflicts,Control,and Autonomy in Chinese Communities:Traditional Chinese Social Organizations in Pre-War American Cities

Before WWII,Chinese immigrants in America were basically controlled by the traditional Chinese organizations of Chinese communities. There were four types of such organizations, including clans, native-place associations, secret societies, and guilds. The expansion of their power was a result of needs of community life and external pressure. They had a great influence on the formation and development of Chinese community in the United States, which also played an important role in preventing Chinese immigrants from assimilation of the main stream. Caused by the Anti-Chinese Movement, control of these organizations, and internal power struggles, Chinese immigrants were separated from the main society for several decades. Rules of clans, differences of dialects, and disputes over interests also damaged internal solidarity of Chinese immigrants. All these factors resulted in a slow process of cultural assimilation among Chinese immigrants,who stayed in the state of relative isolation.