Post by: Casey Young
This part 3 of a multi-part series that talks about cultural identity and cultural redemption within the Chinese American Church. This is something that is near and dear to me. I often speak with a dose of sarcasm that may sound like frustration, but I do so with a deep humble love for the Church. I know that there is no perfect church, but the Chinese American Church is where I have found myself in and where God has called me to. I write this as a product of the Chinese American Church and as an honest critic of her. I am by no means an expert, but I hope to offer some insight, opinion, critique, thoughts, and if nothing else, at least some laughs and some humor.
Elephants, Donkeys, Yellow Umbrellas, Red Stars, Oh my!
In the previous article, we discussed the linguistic challenges that are within the Chinese American Church (CAC). In this article, I hope to give a brief survey of the geopolitical issues within the CAC. The geopolitical issues within the CAC do not simply boil down to Democrats versus Republicans, or Conservatives versus Liberals as we commonly seen in the American political system. Even now, as the 2016 election approaches, the discussion isn’t necessarily centered around whether we plan on voting for Hillary or Trump or even withhold from voting altogether.
There’s an added layer of complexity within the CAC with regards to these issues, due to the cultural ties of its members and congregations. These ties are rooted in the geographical regions where the members come from, and the political affiliations of those particular regions. One of the reasons that many in the CAC might even seem impartial to the state of the government in the USA is that many still hold deep affiliations with political climates of their motherlands. These long-standing affiliations are much better maintained in this day and age thanks to technology and social media, which allow these members to better keep in touch with their roots. But because these ties and affiliations are often so deeply seated, they create certain overt and often unintentional tensions within the CAC.
Geographical Regions
As addressed in the previous article, language differences are the primary factors for determining how the congregations and the various ministries in the CAC are to be set up. To get a better understanding of these linguistic differences, we must look at the geographical regions and locales that the Chinese people hail from. In general, the Cantonese-speaking members are mainly from the areas of Hong Kong and the province of Canton (officially known as Guangdong Province), which is the predominate region in China that speaks the dialect of Cantonese. The Mandarin-speaking congregants in the CAC are largely from Mainland China (including the Canton region) and the island of Taiwan.
To be noted however, is that although Cantonese speakers make up only a small minority within the whole of the population of China, they are the predominate language group among the Chinese population in the United States. This is because Cantonese speakers had an earlier foothold in the immigration process that ultimately allowed for a greater and far more expansive establishment and presence in the US. This is therefore reflected within the CAC, where the Cantonese-speaking congregants again make up the majority, and are usually from the regions of Canton and Hong Kong.
Apart from the geographic differences between Cantonese and Mandarin speakers, we must also look to the cultural differences that come as a result of them. For starters, the Cantonese culture is one that is unique in terms of their food, music, and foreign influence. This is primarily due to the fact that Cantonese culture (especially in Hong Kong) was heavily influenced by the British occupation. This also accounts for the large amount of English vocabulary in the Cantonese spoken communication and even in food culture. In other words, the Cantonese-speaking congregants tend to be more open to western thinking, educated in the American/Western system, and assimilate more quickly to western culture as a whole.
Once again, the Mandarin-speaking congregants in the CAC are largely from Mainland China and Taiwan. Culturally, Mainland China is largely influenced by the Communist Party, which has most of its geographical influence in the northern region of China. This includes the city of Beijing, which is the seat of power in the Chinese government and where the Communist Party primarily had the most influence. The Mandarin-speaking congregants from Taiwan on the other hand, are heavily influenced by Japanese culture as a result of decades of Japanese occupation. Culturally, the Taiwanese congregants have a long history of viewing themselves as distinct from Mainland China. For instance, Taiwan (and Hong Kong) maintain the use of Traditional Characters, rather than Simplified Characters (refer to previous article). This is both a cultural statement and a political one. But in terms of their immigration to the US, the Mandarin-speaking congregants came much later in comparison to the Cantonese-speaking congregants. As a result of this delay, there is a dissonance, due in part to the political turmoil that many grew up with in Mainland China, which caused their society to be relatively closed off from the outside world and foreign influence. In other words, the Mandarin-speaking congregants (especially from Mainland China) tend to be less assimilated and no longer feel the pressure or need to assimilate thanks to social media, which connects these congregants to a China that has grown in its economy and as a world power.
Political Affiliation
Some of the most difficult conversations to have in the CAC are ones about politics and governmental authorities. I have experienced this difficulty in my own household, having heard about several different experiences with the Communist Party and the ups and downs of democracy from family members. My great grandfather wrote avidly against the Communist Party, as a newspaper journalist and editor, and eventually fled as a political refugee. While my own grandmother (his daughter) renounced her family and pledged her allegiance to the Communist Party, but they were later reunited in the US. Furthermore, China has been one that has always had political unrest throughout its history. From the very early days of the warring feudal lords, to provincial kingdoms, emperors and dynasties, until the rise and fall of the Kuomintang, and now the rise and reign of the Communist Party in China, political upheavals and fears of instability have deeply scarred many Chinese immigrants.
These scars compel many to look to the United States as a shining beacon of hope and liberty. At the same time however, a deep distrust for the government and authority still exists and has manifested itself in various forms of skepticism and fear. The political baggage of both Mandarin and Cantonese speakers alike has therefore affected the way many view church leadership, decision-making (such as congregational vote, elder board, etc.), and how they operate within the American political system.
And yet even among these differences, we can find commonalities. For the Cantonese-speaking population, there is pride and difference coming from Hong Kong, a once British colony that was begrudgingly returned to China. For the Mandarin-speaking, the difference of coming from Taiwan or Mainland China is not only a difference of region or culture, but a distinction of political affiliation and pains of historical distress. Although they are two different groups, we can see that regional independence and casting the Communist Party as overreaching are common themes shared between the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Hong Kong and Taiwan. (Note: The SEZ is a region within China that is given relative independence and autonomy, both politically and economically.)
Ultimately, the Chinese government seeks to maintain the peace in the region, in hopes for greater economic gain. Hence, Taiwan has its own election process, judicial system, and even president. The same is true for Hong Kong, because of their political history in Chinese history. Therefore it can be argued that, politically, many of the Taiwanese and Hong Kong citizens see eye to eye thanks to a “common enemy.” So whether one bears the Yellow Umbrella, Green Party, Red Star, these politically rooted tensions within the CAC are conflicts that can be resolved if approached from a different perspective. Certainly redemption and reconciliation from the Gospel of Jesus Christ are what bridges these groups and unites us.
Conclusion
As we have discussed in this article, the geopolitical issues in the CAC play a large role in the interactions of the congregations and the standing within the American society. Many people in the CAC hold dual citizenships in both the US and the motherland for the purpose of sustained interaction with family and friends back home, and for many, this cultural pride and identity are as important as having American citizenships. The divide and the distrust in governmental authority that arises out of this cultural pride and identity often translates to distrust in church leadership, and even in our Sovereign God. Something as simple as region and local cuisines become a talking point and a point of contention when it comes to lunch selections and catering to one’s taste.
These underlying tensions can, and often do, manifest themselves by creating categories of “us” and “them” within the walls of the Church and the family of God. For many, coming to the United States was a move to find political stability and better opportunities. Therefore, the CAC emphasizes the theme of family and the importance of being the family of God. The unity that the Gospel of Jesus brings to us is central to why we exist and worship. As the Apostle Paul reminded the Early Church, the unity in Christ is what is primary. Although our cultural distinctions are often areas in need of redemption and reconciliation by the blood of Christ, our culture is also what is ordained and created by God. In this racially tense moment of American history, may we, the CAC, be a conduit of change, a beacon of hope, and champion of unity in diversity!
Next up, the immigration patterns and the impact of the Chinese in the American society and the CAC!
Casey Young is currently a graduate student pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at the Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. Casey desires to help people understand how they can redeem and reconcile cultural identities and challenge their faith, through the gospel of Jesus Christ. He grew up in the Chinese American church and currently serves as a pastoral intern at First Chinese Baptist Church, San Gabriel Valley. With the passion of bringing theology and cultural relevance to the table, he has the wants to see the Asian American church grow and shift to better reach this generation and those to come.