Chapter 13: Some sad news

In 2002, a Chinese man grabbed the headlines of every major newspaper in Massachusetts. The eye-catching headline was 'The Chinese Dragon Awakens', and Huang Yi was elected the first Chinese-American senator in Massachusetts.

In the interview room at the Brighton Broadcasting and Television Building, Huang Yi smiled as he casually threw the newspaper with his picture on it aside. The beautiful female host opposite him blinked her sapphire-like eyes and asked curiously, 'Today, the midterm elections are over, and Mr. Huang Yi was elected as the first Chinese-American senator in Massachusetts with a high number of votes. This should be a very happy thing, but please forgive me for saying so bluntly, but you don't seem very happy.'

In response to the hostess's question, Huang Yi smiled helplessly and said, 'It's true, I am the first Chinese-American senator in Massachusetts, and I should be happy. I should open a bottle of champagne or simply go to a bar and get drunk to properly thank all my supporters, but...'

At the end of his speech, Huang Yi sighed and continued, 'Since the first Chinese person set foot on American soil in 1785, more than three million Chinese people have come to settle in this new land. They have either gone into business or farming, and have even started banks and insurance companies, promoting the development of the American capital market. They have even helped many suffering Americans during several financial crises.'

'It's been 217 years since 1785. In these two hundred years, black slaves have been freed, black people have stood up against racial discrimination, Latinos have immigrated in droves, black people have broken with tradition and participated in politics, even running for president of the United States. But in Massachusetts, the New England region with the highest level of education and the most perfect democracy, it's only now that the first Chinese senator has been born. This is really helpless.'

Huang Yi let out a long breath and continued, 'In fact, we Chinese are not inferior to anyone in terms of intelligence, talent, hard work, bravery, and so on, but we lack the enthusiasm to participate in politics. Perhaps it is due to historical reasons. My compatriots are used to being silent and submissive, minding only their own business and not caring about others. Therefore, even though Chinese people are now playing an increasingly important role in American society, they still have no voice in politics and have always been discriminated against and bullied by American society.'

'But now Mr Huang Yi has been elected as our Massachusetts senator, just as you wished. Isn't this the beginning of your Chinese people's participation in politics?' the female host asked.

'Of course this is the beginning of Chinese participation in politics, but it's just that the road has been a bit long. Do you know when I started participating in politics? It was 1990, and it took exactly twelve years to reach the position of state senator,' Huang Yi looked up at the hostess and asked, 'Do you know what my first campaign was like?'

The hostess did not dare to look directly into Huang Yi's bright eyes, and she could only dodge and shake her head and say she didn't know.

Huang Yi did not care about the hostess's rudeness, but just recalled, 'That year, when I first ran for office, I went to the community where I was running to ask for voters' signatures. You know that this is a must. That community was one that I had carefully selected, a community with a relatively high concentration of Chinese people. But the result was absolutely unexpected. On that day, I didn't get many signatures from Chinese people, but I got quite a few from Hispanics and English people.'

Huang Yi bitterly laughed, 'What an irony, I came up with the slogan for the Chinese to run for Congress, but the Chinese themselves didn't support it, and instead it was supported by other people.'

...

Time rewound to May 15, 1990. At the main entrance to the Veda community in the northwest corner of the Fenway district, there was a sense of confusion and pessimism in Zhou Ming's ranks.

Ye Ning looked at the pessimistic expression on Zhou Ming's face and immediately targeted Huang Yi: 'Huang Yi, didn't you say that Chinese people in the United States are a race that is bullied and discriminated against, and that all Chinese people can hope in their dreams is to have a Chinese senator or even a Chinese president?'

'That's right. Ever since I immigrated to the United States seven years ago, I've heard my parents complain almost every day about how Americans and even American society discriminate against us, how we Chinese are bullied, and how the U.S. federal government even passed the Chinese Exclusion Act to blatantly discriminate against us. They dream of having their own congressmen and president, and of being able to make their voices heard in politics.' Huang Yi said, "And I... I also knew about this since I was young, which is why I joined this Chinese Students" Mutual Aid Association.'

'So now,' Ye Ning looked at Huang Yi seriously and asked him word by word, 'why are the Chinese people in this Vidda community so reluctant to support us, even if they are just willing to sign our name?'

Facing Ye Ning's questioning, Huang Yi stammered and didn't know how to answer. He wanted to prove that he hadn't lied, but the facts before him made him at a loss for an explanation.

Huang Yi's behaviour made the others unhappy too. Li Yang accused Huang Yi, 'You're not trying to trick us, are you? It's understandable if you're doing this to realise your political ambitions, but if the whole community is doing this, it's suspicious. Don't tell me it's the community's fault, but you were the one who helped us choose it.'

'I definitely didn't fool you!' Huang Yi almost jumped up in protest, 'but...I really don't know why this happened.'

'What do you mean you don't know why this happened? I think you did it on purpose. You've lived here for seven years, which is long enough for you to become an American, but it's not long enough to understand the basics of this place!'

In the face of the questions from his classmates in the finance class, Huang Yi gradually lost his courage. In the end, he lowered his head and muttered, 'I don't know, I really don't know!'

In the end, Zhou Ming stepped forward to save him: 'Okay, everyone, don't blame Huang Yi anymore. I believe he definitely didn't do it on purpose, and it's even more unlikely that he would fool us. Not only me, but you have also known him for a long time. Don't you know what kind of person he is?'

'Teacher, of course we understand what you're saying, but what about this current situation?' Li Yang asked, and the other students in the finance class also looked at Zhou Ming curiously.

'In fact, Huang Yi didn't lie to us. His parents must have complained about Chinese people being bullied and discriminated against in front of him more than once since he was a child, otherwise he wouldn't have such a deep memory of it. It's almost imprinted in the depths of his heart, and since we arrived in the United States, we've been able to see and hear it for ourselves.'

Zhou Ming continued, 'Of course, the Veda community where we are now is not an exception. They will not integrate well into American society even if they have yellow skin. Even if they live in a high-end neighbourhood and have a lot of money, they will still be discriminated against.'

'Teacher, you've got us all confused. Since they are being discriminated against, surely they would want someone to stand up for them and hope that a Chinese person would be elected as a member of parliament or even the president. But they don't seem willing to do so! Isn't that contradictory?' Ye Ning asked doubtfully. The other students in the finance class, including Huang Yi, nodded their heads desperately, obviously they also had the same doubts as Ye Ning.

Zhou Ming shook his head and said, 'In fact, it's not contradictory at all, because both Huang Yi's parents and the Chinese people in the Veda community are just complaining.'

Everyone fell silent at Ming's words. Although the students in the finance class, including Yi Huang, had not experienced the social life of cooking, cleaning, paying the bills, and raising a family, their clever minds could understand just the same.

'They do complain, they do hate being bullied and discriminated against, and they do hope that someone will stand up for them. But at the same time, they don't want to get involved, they don't have any political enthusiasm, or they are afraid that we will ask them for money if we run for office. What's more, they think that the time spent going to the polling station to vote takes up their working hours and delays them from earning money.'

Zhou Ming paused here and then continued with a bitter smile, 'Does that sound ridiculous? They clearly want to make a change, but they are unwilling to do anything about it, and as a result, they will just be bullied over and over again for generations.'

'It really is the case that the pitiful have something to be pitied about!' Chen Shu said with a steel-like voice.

Everyone agreed with Chen Shu's words, but at the same time, there was another problem in front of them: what should they do now?

'Teacher, why don't we change our strategy and go to other ethnic groups to ask for signatures? Since our compatriots don't support us, we'll have to find a way to win the election ourselves,' Li Yang suggested.

Ye Ning immediately objected, 'This is not acceptable! We are a Chinese group, and the purpose of our participation in the election is to speak for our Chinese compatriots. How can we just give up?'

'But our compatriots are like this now, they don't want our support and are unwilling to help us run for office. They gave up on us, not the other way around!' Li Yang emphasised.

'But our elector is Huang Yi, a Chinese American. We are already an ethnic group that is discriminated against, and there are even people ganging up on us behind our backs. Now if we give up on seeking help from other Chinese, what else can we do? We must remember that we didn't invite Omar...'

Ye Ning blurted out the name Omar in her haste, and the scene immediately fell silent again. Ye Ning immediately covered her small mouth and looked at Zhou Ming nervously with her big, beautiful eyes, afraid that she had touched a sore spot.

Zhou Ming glanced at Ye Ning and smiled, patting her little hand and saying, 'It's fine, it's all in the past, you don't need to be so nervous.'

'Teacher, maybe we should try to find a way with Omar?' Ye Ning asked tentatively.

Zhou Ming waved his hand and said, 'No need. We are not the kind of Chinese people we are looking for. For us, we still have to rely on ourselves! As for Omar, we'll just wait for him to come to us. Now, I agree with Li Yang's opinion. Since our compatriots don't support us, let's go find people who do. Anyway, let's just collect our signatures first.'

Zhou Ming then changed the subject and said, 'This is unfortunate news, but since the target of our support has changed, our rhetoric and policies may have to change as well. So let's stop here for today, go back and discuss it properly, and come back tomorrow. What do you say?'

In response to Zhou Ming's question, all the students in the finance class and Huang Yi shouted in unison, 'Yes!'

'Okay, everyone line up and let's go back.'

Zhou Ming finished and led everyone away together, but when they had just returned to the bus, an unexpected event occurred.

They saw several vehicles with state assembly license plates drive up and surround Zhou Ming and the others, and finally Lao Brook got out of the car.

'Good afternoon, my Chinese friends. I hope you're not surprised to see me, even though I have some very unfortunate news for you,' Lao Brook said.