World War II was a watershed moment for Chinese Americans; the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act was finally repealed in 1943, allowing a restricted number(105) of Chinese to immigrate to the U.S. each year and granting foreign-born Chinese the right to become naturalized citizens.
During WWII, many second-generation Chinese Americans voluntarily enlisted in the Armed Services and fought for the U.S. abroad, including the 14th Air Service Group (part of General Claire Chennault’s famous Flying Tigers) and 987th Signal Company. These two groups were made up of strictly Chinese Americans, who responded to the need for men who spoke Chinese and had technical skills to serve in China during the war.
Why were Chinese American armed service groups organized? What was it like for the Chinese American soldiers to be in China, a place they only know through their parents or text books, for the first time? How did fighting for the U.S. in China shape their identities as “Chinese” or “Americans of Chinese descent”? Join MOCA for a moderated discussion with veterans of the 14th Air Service Group and 987th Signal Company on their wartime experiences.
RSVP REQUIRED to programs@mocanyc.org.
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