Picture Bride

Picture Bride differs from the Chinese-American narrative in many ways. The main difference I noticed (simply between the films we have watched) is that Picture Bride is set much earlier in the Asian immigration movement and therefore had less emphasis on "assimilation" and "cultural hybridity." Because racial tension was still high during the setting of Picture Bride, Asian immigrants were not particularly interested in "blending in" with American culture and were more intentional about their own cultural identity.  As Takiki writes, "Japanese ethnic solidarity--a shared idea as countrymen and common cultural values--contributed to the establishment of Issei ethnic economy, which in turn provided an economic basis for ethnic cohesiveness" (180).  The "ethnic cohesiveness" is less evident in the Chinese-American films. The second-generation Chinese-Americans in Saving Face knew very little about their ancestry, and if they did, they were trying very hard to get away from it. While Mei Oi in Eat a Bowl of Tea was Chinese-born, she was eager leave China and "Americanize" herself. Riyo, on the other hand, is different from all these characters, because she was very intimately linked to her homeland and had few positive sentiments about her experiences in America. Her main objective throughout the film is not to fit in with America but to get back to Japan. Kanzaki, perhaps attempting to comfort her, does not tell her that she is an "American" now but tells her that Hawaii is "just like Japan."

Unlike first-wave Chinese, women were already immigrating to America during the Issei generation (Presentation 1/10). Japanese treatment of women was a little better than the Chinese during the late 1800's, and Kanzaki's character reflects this in the film. He gambles and drinks to vent his frustration with Riyo, but he tells his friend that he "doesn't deserve her" and doesn't lose his temper over his "reputation" simply because his wife is not behaving like all the other wives. He reacts negatively when he hears that Riyo's parents had tuberculosis, but he eventually overcomes this and the two of them both open up to each other in the end. Because the Japanese allowed women to immigrate early on in the process, it makes sense that Japanese identity was stronger than Chinese identity during this time period, and the Japanese were able to feel more "at home" in the new country.