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Article: Chinese in Texas Crossed Many Borders
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- June 3, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1995 Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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During World War II, because of the rabid anti-Japanese sentiment
infecting the nation, Jackson Eng's elementary school teachers in his
native San Antonio, Texas, used to introduce him to the rest of the
students by announcing, "Jackson is Chinese."
This was during that shameful period in our nation's history
when more than 100,000 Japanese Americans were interned in detention
camps.
Back then, says Eng, a retired counselor and sociology
instructor from Tarrant County Junior College in Fort Worth, Texas,
and a second-generation Chinese American, "The Chinese were allies
and the Japanese were enemies."
As a result, Eng got into his share of fights because he was
mistaken for Japanese. ...