As civil war and famine ravaged Southern China in the mid-19th century, word of the California Gold Rush reached the port of Canton. The prospect of making a fortune in America proved an irresistible lure to young Chinese men. They set sail across the Pacific hoping for a better life.
Part Two tells the story of hostile years when Chinese Americans existed in a kind of limbo, denied the rights of their new country and no longer at home in their former one. They found refuge in Chinatowns, insular worlds that provided a sense of security and the companionship of kinsmen.
World War II ushered in major changes for Chinese Americans. In an abrupt about face, they were suddenly embraced by America's political establishment. The exclusion laws were quickly repealed and Chinese Americans began their rise to the pinnacle of U.S. life
A complement to Becoming American: The Chinese Experience, these interviews by Bill Moyers amplify the larger themes of the documentary through an intimate look at the lives and work of five prominent Chinese Americans. Moyers talks with author Gish Jen, Nobel prize-winning physicist Samuel Ting, AIDS researcher Dr. David Ho, businesswoman Shirley Young, and artist and architect Maya Lin.