Wild Geese Sorrow: The Chinese Wall Inscriptions at Angel Island narrates the experience of Chinese Americans detained at the Angel Island Immigration Station near San Francisco, California, as told through poetry carved upon the men’s barrack walls. The book provides an ample selection of 70 poems from the 200 plus available, which tell of loneliness, anger and outrage of the detainees, some who were incarcerated for up to two years. Written by young men with a grade-school knowledge of T’ang Chinese poetry, the poems express their innermost thoughts as shared in their native tongue.
Over 160,000 Chinese immigrants passed through Angel Island, leaving behind poverty and political turmoil back home only to face immediate incarceration upon landing in America. Because of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, only handfuls of newcomers were permitted each year. But when the 1906 Earthquake and Fire destroyed all birth records at San Francisco’s City Hall, prospective immigrants seized the opportunity to claim native-born U.S. citizenship status by creating fictional personas and relations.
In response to these “paper sons” U.S. immigration officials created a grueling examination system designed to weed out questionable claims and enforce the exclusionary provisions of the Act. This process involved extensive interrogations, medical examination and treatment for communicable diseases, isolation from spouses and family, living in cramped quarters, eating poor quality food, filing of legal petitions, and long periods of inactivity and boredom. These harsh conditions could last for days, weeks, or even months and years.
In direct reaction the Chinese detainees ink-brushed, then later carved, poems onto the barrack walls, protesting their oppressive situation in the poetic style of ancient scholars. These poems have been translated with an eye towards the deep emotion expressed, mostly of sadness, frustration and anger for an unjust incarceration. The translations employ spare, vernacular diction, and rely upon imagery and juxtaposition, techniques so characteristic of the original T’ang literary form. When Angel Island officials discovered these poems, every attempt was made to erase them, from painting over, puttying or other means. Almost every poem was left unsigned because their authors feared disapproval of their own petitions.
This collection is structured chronologically then grouped by subject matter, proceeding from departure from China and arrival at Angel Island, detainee daily life, health exams, deportation, transnational politics, and an eventual acceptance of their fate. The multitudinous voices are a kind of variations upon a theme, as if the thoughts and feelings expressed were from a single everyman detainee. There is also included an introduction, detailed endnotes, and a bibliography. All poems are presented bilingually en face and have been numbered for reference.
Although written over 100 years ago, this seminal work of Chinese American literature is most relevant to contemporary American discourse on immigration policy. It is hoped that these translated lyrics will convey to the 21st century reader the whole of the Angel Island detainee experience.