从历史的角度来看美国近年的排华种族主义

Anti⁃Chinese Racism in the United States in Recent Years:A Historical Perspective

近年来,人们目睹了美国对亚裔的种族偏见激增,美国华人首当其冲。华裔美国人在历史上遭受各种形式的种族歧视,通过分析反华偏见的根源,可以揭示美国反华情绪的历史连续性及其种族思维本质。从几项关键法院判决和法律可以看到“白种人”这一概念如何长期在法律、政治和社会经济层面成为美国公民定义的本质。这一种族观念在法律上不断得到肯定并被蓄意广泛援用,以限制甚至禁止华人移民美国并将华裔排除在政治参与的过程之外。1943年的《马格努森法案》(Magnuson Act)废除了所有排华法案后,华人移民获得了归化入籍权。自1965年种族主义的国籍移民配额制度被废除以来,美国华人人口大幅增长,并在经济和教育等诸多方面都取得了长足发展。但美国的华裔在种族政治中仍然处于弱势地位,甚至被边缘化,包括媒体和政治家在内的主流社会继续从种族的角度来看待美国华人。随着中美地缘政治紧张局势的加剧,这一将华人种族化的思潮助长了仇华情绪,对华裔尤其是华裔知识分子,造成了极大伤害。

We have witnessed an alarming surge in racial prejudice again Asian Americans in recent years.Much of this prejudice targets Chinese Americans.This paper takes a look at the roots of anti⁃Chinese bigotry in an effort to understand the historical continuity and racial nature of anti⁃Chinese sentiments.It will begin with a brief review of the racial discrimination Chinese Americans suffered in the past.An analysis of key court cases and legislation demonstrates how the notion of whiteness served for a long time as the essence of American citizenship,legally,politically,and socioeconomically.This racial notion was deliberately and repeatedly invoked to exclude the Chinese from immigration to the US and from participation in the political process.After the repeal of all Chinese exclusion acts in 1943 under the Magnuson Act,Chinese immigrants gained the right to naturalization.Since 1965,when the racist national origins quota system was abolished,the Chinese American community has grown significantly in both population size and economic and education attainment.But Chinese Americans have remained vulnerable and even marginalized in the racial politics.Race or the racialization of Chinese Americans has harmed Chinese Americans,especially Chinese American intellectuals,fanning anti⁃Chinese sentiments as the geopolitical tension between China and the United States increases.