美国舆论视野下的中国海员形象研究(1882-1931)

The Changing Image of Chinese Seamen in American Media(1882-1931)

中国海员作为近代美国商业航运发展的重要力量,受到美国媒体的关注。1882年《排华法案》颁布后,中国海员被贴上抢占美国工人工作机会、威胁美国海洋安全的“廉价劳工”的标签。随着中国海员自身权利意识的觉醒和对美国海员罢工的呼应,美国舆论界特别是劳工类媒体开始将中国海员视为相互支持的“罢工伙伴”。20世纪20年代初,随着国际工人运动的兴起和中国海员争取民族独立的罢工运动的开展,美国共产党的机关报《工人日报》呈现了中国海员与全世界无产者一起,共同反抗压迫,与世界共产主义运动紧密相连的革命者形象。美国媒体关于中国海员形象的变化,与其自身经济和政治的考量密切相关,也与中国海员自身的觉醒密不可分,体现了国际工人运动相互支持的本质属性。

Chinese seamen played a crucial role in the moderm American commercial shipping industry,drawing significant attention from the media.Following the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882,they were unfairly branded as"cheap labor,"accused of displacing American workers and jeopardizing maritime safety.However,as Chinese seamen began asserting their rights and joining American seamen's strikes,public opinion,particularly in labor media,gradually shifted.They came to be recognized as"strike partners"and allies in the labor struggle.By the early 1920s,as the international workers'movement gained momentum and Chinese seamen advocated for national independence,The Daily Worker,the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the United States,portrayed them as revolutionary proletarians united with workers worldwide in their fight against oppression.This shift in the American media's portrayal of Chinese seamen highlighted their profound connection to the global communist movement.The evolving image of Chinese seamen in the American media was influenced by economic and political factors in the US,the political awareness and assertiveness of Chinese seamen and the unity in the international workers'movement.