I bought a copy of this for the library at work. It combines literary criticism and social history. I must admit I was hoping for a bit more history aI bought a copy of this for the library at work. It combines literary criticism and social history. I must admit I was hoping for a bit more history about London and the details of the yellow peril hysteria and the actuality of life for a Chinese man living in London at that time. Almost the first half of the book was background which I felt was a bit unnecessary but still interesting. But what there was about Limehouse and race riots I found very interesting. ...more
I found this to be a very interesting social history about drug culture in the early 20th century. It focused on women drug users and the changing attI found this to be a very interesting social history about drug culture in the early 20th century. It focused on women drug users and the changing attitude of society towards drug taking. It was less about the legal or scientific study of drugs in culture and more about the way women were represented and the threat of the "coloured man". This is a period of history I don't know much about, but I thought that Kohn did a good job of analysing the changing roles and attitudes towards women, in particular women drug users in this period. Kohn also did a good job of analysing the racist fears of the time, how in many instances it was not the drugs that were seen as bad, but the idea that they led to white women having sex with Chinese or African men that was seen as the real threat. One of the most interesting chapters to me looked at the reputation of Chinese men as husbands and the views of them in the popular press versus actual accounts. The book also told the story of actresses who died of drug overdoses and the men who supplied drugs. It was an interesting look at agency, both in the women's choices as well as the legal ramifications. Kohn did a good job of comparing the inital problems with the more modern drug issues of the 80s and 90s. Indeed when discussing the Defense of the Realm act it reminded me a lot of the loss of freedoms that have come about as a result of the War on terror both in the UK and the US. In places the book fell a little short when simply "telling" what was known about the "notorious drug dealers" of the early 20s. But overall I found this very enjoyable and interesting reading. ...more
I have to say this was the only book that had anything in it that I found Actually disturbing rather than fun. I felt quite sorry for the lions and heI have to say this was the only book that had anything in it that I found Actually disturbing rather than fun. I felt quite sorry for the lions and hearing their woes was worse than hearing about the children's. I liked the fake fortune teller, I liked that it all got burned down at the end, and the lines between good and evil were being crossed. I liked how evil the visitors were....more
This book is a series of academic essays about different Chinatowns throughout the world. Because I am particularly interested in London's Chinatown aThis book is a series of academic essays about different Chinatowns throughout the world. Because I am particularly interested in London's Chinatown and Limehouse I read the three essays on that topic first.
Curious kisses the Chinatown fantasies of Thomas Burke. After reading Burke's other short story collections I wasn't so interseted in reading his Limehouse Nights about Chinatown and the relationships between English women and Chinese immigrants. But this article presented the stories as a much more balanced look into the relationships than I had imagined. While it is a short article it presents Burke as going against the inherant rascism of the time and talking about a subject that was largely ignored or reviled by people of the time. However, this attitude that Burke is going against is more assumed than proved. Still a very interesting and useful article.
Ruth Mayer - Greatest novelty of the age Fu Manchu Chinatown and the global city - looks at the creation of Chinatown in the imagination of the works of Sax Rohmer both as his novels and in the Hollywood re-interpretation of the 1930s. It has some great quotes to take into consideration. As Rohmer's books have so little to do with the actual Limehouse Chinatown it is quite interesting to see how much they have shaped people's views both at the time and today.
"the novels are clearly not an authentic Chinatown, and they are certainly not interested in representing the small Chinese dispora in London at this time. The stories fail dramatically in their effort at local colour effects and tend to represent Chineseness as one clear-cut and repetitive feature in the larger conglomerate of (almost invariably neagtive) 'oriental' characteristics - 117.
Evil, bohemians, The dreary docks countered with the glamourous oriental interiors. Says much more about orientalism than it does about any Chinese persons lives in Chinatown.
It is not London's Chinatown that calls forth Fu Manchu in this fictional universe, but that conversely Fu-Manchu manages to call forth Chinatown wherever he goes - 126
Movies 30s and later becomes imbeded in the yellow peril. "The setting of London's Chinatown is no longer central in these re-narrations. And indeed, what is London's Chinatown agaist the vastness of the world in terms of visual glamour?" - 128 Bela Legousi's movie where he is mixed and trying to create anarchism rather than a supreme Chinese race. Slightly less racist as "Pure chinese of chinatown by contrast, are made out as morally upright figures on the side of law and order, though clearly incapable of clearing up matters on their own. Their harmlessness is underlined at the very beginning of the film, when we see a group of tourists shopping in a chinatown store, engaged in a friendly conversation with a Chinese salesperson, well-versed in English. This scene of harmonious exchange will then be disrupted by a group of white gangsters in fake-Chinese makeup." 130
London's Chinatown and the changing shape of the Chinese diaspora Rosmary Sales et al. - focuses in on the current Chinatown in Soho. But it has quite interesting things to say on the nature of migration and the diasporia community.
"While Chinese people focus on their "yellow skin" as the physical indicator of difference, for Western people the shape of the eyes tends to be seen as a distinguishing feature" [though there is no reference to how they came up with this generalisation] "This illustrates how differences are socially constructed even when based on supposedly inherent physical characteristics" - 201
P. 202 has a great paragraph on space and place and how it relates to Chinatowns.
The essay seems to pay very little attention, beyond mentioning in passing, the plight of illegal Chinese immigrants and the huge difference in the perception of Chinatown to the new illegal immigrants and the established business owners and community organisations. Indeed most of the discussions seem to focus in on the "respectable" Chinese. This is empahsised in the quote
"I think we should organize classes to let these waiters and waitresses learn to behave properly in public... Foreigners don't understand Chinese people... if they see people in Chinatown who have bad manners, it will affect the image of Chinese people". 211
This seems to indicate some internal differences and struggles that would be considered class struggle in English society. But it is not something that the authors pick up on. Indeed they tend to ignore the divide altogether, focusing only on the divide between Chinese and foreigners (British). While they mention that Chinatown "provides a range of support for new migrants, particularly the more vulnerable, for whom Chinatown is an essential element in their daily lives". It neglects to mention how, by forging work permits, cheap labour, providing jobs for fees, and through bogus employment agencies. Rather it prefers to paint Chinatown as a place for established Chinese "for meeting, for socialising and for celebrating family occasions". 213
Ruth Mayer's introduction looks at different Chinatowns, the large San Fransisco Chinatown, brought about after anti-immigration laws and rebuilt as a tourist attraction after the earthquake of 1906. The sporadic German Chinatowns, that never wholly existed as purely Chinese, and the extent people went to to portray them as distinctivly Chinese and exotic. She then goes on to talk about London's Chinatown. Both the modern commercial district and Limehouse. She points out how the Chinese community in Limehouse was always a minority and how it's numbers were exaggerated. "By the 1910s, when, according to John Seed, no more than a hundred families of Chinese descent could possibly have lived in Limehouse, rumours had it that "The Chinese population had grown from 1000 to 8000 and a large number of Biriths seamen were pushed out by them" (East end News quoted in Seed 2006, 75" - 17
There are several references to Limehouse Chinatown, and in particular it's portrayal in ficiton.
witchard, anne 2007 a threepenny omnibus ticket to limey-housey-causey-way' comparative critical studies 4 (2) 225-40 case, shannon, 2002 lillied tongues and yellow claws, challenging modernism. new readings in literasture and culture seshagiri, urmilla, 2006 modernity's yellow perils, cultural critique 62 (winter) 162-94
It seems that more has been written about the fictional Limehouse Chinatown than the reality but as Mayer states "the obvious gap between myth and reality alwys tended to be negotiated throuh the mythical repotaire and it was assumed that Chinatown looked disappointingly drab and harmless (and empty), because the Chinese presence was sly, hidden and underground (Seed 2006, 79)".
Chinatowns in transition between ethnic enclave and global emblem - Flemming Christiansen This essay did address some of the inadequacies discussed earlier. It looked at the problem for illegal immigrants and the perception of them as well as the difficultites they faced. It looked at both the global and local level of London's Chinatown and how Chinatowns are changing. Christiansen discussed how many Chinese people complained how the Chinatown had become commercialised and was just for non-Chinese tourists.
Overall this was a very intersting series of essays about the nature of migration, disporia, Chinatowns and Chinese people living abroad. It covered a wide range of topics from historical perspectives, literary interpretations as well as looking at the reality today. It was also a great source of bibliographical references for further reading on the topics I was interested in. I would definitely recommend it to people interested in studying these topics. ...more
This has to be one of my all time favourite Doctor Who episodes. There are interesting aliens, lots of plot twists, the bad guys who aren't the bad guThis has to be one of my all time favourite Doctor Who episodes. There are interesting aliens, lots of plot twists, the bad guys who aren't the bad guys, diplomacy and the idea of freedom over religious superstion. There is also Patrick Troughton's son in tights. Jo being totally amazing, climbing mountains in high heels, attacking monsters with torches, brokering intergalactic peace, rescuing herself and not screaming or needing the doctor to save her once. The book must be based on an early script instead of the shooting script as it has some extra scenes and dialogues that aren't in the show. The good of these include Jo going to the King's champion and pleading her case for him to let the Doctor win their battle, and the Doctor discussing weapons with the Ice Warriors. The bad included Arcturus firing his laser when you first meet him, which makes him seem more like a bad guy and reveals too early his offensive capabilities. The description of Alpha Centauri is lovely, instead of an awkward penis type thing in a cloak s/he's a lovely shimmering octopus creature changing colour with moods although they don't have the line about him/her being gender neutral. Hayles also does a better job of getting inside the characters and their thoughts than Terrance Dicks usually does. All told a very nice adaptation of the story....more
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