The Legendary Chinese: A Transnational Perspective of Immigrants' Mobility in Nineteenth Century

The lives of Chinese immigrants Hong Neck Woo, Marshall Tsao, and Chang and Eng Bunker offer an important case study to enhance the understanding of transnationalism in the nineteenth century. These men, who devoted themselves to the American Civil War, became agents of the cultural exchange between China and the United States and challenged the stereotyped images of Chinese Americans. As a result of their transnational activities throughout their lives, they made essential contributions to both the United States and China in the fields of economy, politics, military service, education, medicine, and culture. They came to identify themselves with multiple societies and their interpretations of their identities changed over time. Their hybrid identities as Chinese and American reflect and are complicated by their roles in society. This thesis uses the stories of these four families to interpret immigrants’ mobility in the nineteenth century with a transnational approach.History, Department o