This dissertation is a study of Chinese American literature from the 1850s to the early 1960s with a focus on socio-historical interpretations. It is an attempt to trace the origins and development of Chinese American literature, to discuss its broader social implications and cultural context, and to examine the diversity of styles and subject matter which make up the literary scene of the Chinese American community during this period. Although the early Chinese American authors were affected by the important currents of their time, they share with today's Chinese American writers the same thematic concerns such as interracial love, the generation gap, cultural conflicts, desires for personal freedom, efforts to win acceptance, and the struggle against prejudice and injustice. Studying the works by early Chinese American authors allows us to understand and appreciate in depth an important part of the Chinese American cultural heritage. As their writing reflects both how different and how similar the experience of earlier Chinese Americans is from that of their descendants today, it helps us see more clearly the progress and problems of the Chinese American community over the past one hundred and forty years.
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