Literature
When coming to America, Chinese, like most other immigrant ethnic groups, found new ways to express themselves and preserve their culture. Among the most influential form of Chinese American expression is Chinese American Literature. A separate genre from Chinese literature, Chinese American works explore the themes and life experiences of Chinese Americans living in the United States. The first of landmark in Chinese American literature was written in Chinese, but at the beginning of the 20th century, the switch was made to writing in English. Among one of the earlier Chinese American writers stands Lin Yutang, a Harvard graduate, with his first English work, My Country and My People, explaining China and it's culture to that of the West (Rev. of My Country and My People). Another of the most influential Chinese American authors is Amy Tan, who's best-selling novel The Joy Luck Club spent eight months on the New York Time's best seller list, a book about the bonds between families specifically between mothers and daughters, that eventually was made into a movie directed by Wayne Wang (Rev. of The Joy Luck Club). An important author in this genre is Maxine Kingston, who is best known for her first work, The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, a story about a girl's life in California as a Chinese American, speaking of family tales and Chinese myths (Rev. of The Woman Warrior). As any form of cultural writing, there are reoccurring themes of struggles through out the genre including difficulties assimilating into American culture and interactions between older generations and the young but as female authors, both Tan and Kingston explored the struggles Chinese American women faced in their treatment in the new country (Huang).
Chinese School
One major way in which many Chinese American families still preserve their culture is by sending their kids to Chinese Language schools. Since most U.S. schools don't offer courses in Chinese, parents chose to send their kids to Chinese Schools to be instructed in the basics of Chinese language and culture (Wang). Although Chinese American parents work very hard to make sure their children don't lose their culture, further generations are typically more westernized and don't practice Chinese tradition as much. Increasingly, many Chinese American children no longer speak Chinese.
Art
While many of the other forms of Chinese American expression took on their own forms, visual art stayed very similar to the style of traditional Chinese forms. One major Chinese American artist was Dong Kingman who studied both traditional Chinese and Western art (Famous Chinese-Americans). He painted in the traditional Chinese watercolor form, once describing his art as landscapes that are painted in the traditional Chinese way, with buildings and other objects in the Western way (Famous Chinese-Americans). He received many awards such as the Guggenheim fellowship and the American Watercolor Society's Dolphin Award (Famous Chinese-Americans).
A different form of visual art in which Chinese Americans had a large impact is architecture. One of the most influential Chinese American Artists is Maya Ying Lin, the creator of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. which is one of the most frequented memorials in the nation (Wang). She also went on to design the Civil Rights memorial in Atlanta as well as a memorial statue in the New York Pennsylvania Railroad Station (Wang). Another equally impressive Chinese American architect is I.M. Pei who designed the modern addition to the Louvre in Paris as well as the John F. Kennedy Library at Harvard University in addition to a handful of other amazing architectural pieces in the U.S. and China (Wang).
A different form of visual art in which Chinese Americans had a large impact is architecture. One of the most influential Chinese American Artists is Maya Ying Lin, the creator of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. which is one of the most frequented memorials in the nation (Wang). She also went on to design the Civil Rights memorial in Atlanta as well as a memorial statue in the New York Pennsylvania Railroad Station (Wang). Another equally impressive Chinese American architect is I.M. Pei who designed the modern addition to the Louvre in Paris as well as the John F. Kennedy Library at Harvard University in addition to a handful of other amazing architectural pieces in the U.S. and China (Wang).
Celebrations
Most Chinese American families still celebrate the three most important Chinese holidays. These holidays are the Chinese Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, August Moon Festival and National Day. The largest celebration in U.S. Chinatowns belong to the celebrations of the Chinese New Year. On this day, Chinese American families visit friends and family members along with bringing them gifts and food. In China, the holiday is largely focused on the family dynamic, while in Chinatown, new, more show oriented elements were added and highly popularized. Such elements are the Chinese New Year parades, dragon dances and vast firework displays (Wang). The second highly celebrated holiday is the August Moon Festival in which families gather together to admire the moon and eat moon cakes (Wang). The last important Chinese holiday still practiced by families in Chinese American communities is National Day on October 1st. This day is important to many Chinese immigrants because it is the day on which the People's Republic of China was founded (Wang). This day is celebrated as an honor to Chairman Mao Zedong for his victory in the foundation of the new, communist nation.
Another form of celebration still carried out by many Chinese Americans is traditional Chinese dancing. Many immigrant girls and boys take lessons to educate them in the styles of traditional Chinese forms of dance. Most dance as children and put on small recitals by Chinese American organizations, but some dancers go on to continue this into their adult hood dancing with larger companies such as the American Chinese Art Society (Home ACAS).
Another form of celebration still carried out by many Chinese Americans is traditional Chinese dancing. Many immigrant girls and boys take lessons to educate them in the styles of traditional Chinese forms of dance. Most dance as children and put on small recitals by Chinese American organizations, but some dancers go on to continue this into their adult hood dancing with larger companies such as the American Chinese Art Society (Home ACAS).