Plot
Falling Action
Buildings are repainted. War happens, then the barracks become deserted for years.
Memento
An object kept as a reminder or souvenir of a person or event. This is important to the story because it shows that even though he is far away from home he is still connected to his home.
What does it mean to be American?
Being American means having the freedom to work, live, and believe as you choose
Why were Chinese immigrants sent to Angel Island?
As a result of the Chinese Exclusion act, Chinese immigrants were sent to the Angel Island Detention Center if their papers had health concerns or irregularities. Others who had all their papers in order were free to live their new lives.
Who is the main character in the story or poem?
The Chinese Immigrants
Climax/Turning Point
The Angel Island Immigration building was burned in 1940. Facilities were given to the Army for war purpose.
Composed
Having one's feelings and expression under control; calm- this is important because they need to stay calm in this hard situation
Why did Chinese immigrants come to America?
Chinese immigrants came to America hoping for a better life.
Why did the immigrants travel to America in the first place?
The Chinese immigrants faced economic hardships and they hoped for freedom when coming to America; for a better life.
What does the main character want?
They want freedom and a chance to start a new life in America
Exposition/Introduction
From China to America. A time between 1910-1940. Asians and Europeans suffer in Angel Island Immigration Station. The first poem expresses the shared misery of immigrants as they wait for their American journey. The immigrants travel by ship from China to America but are detained. There are numerous poems carved in walls.
Lapel
The part on each side of a coat or jacket immediately below the collar which is folded back on either side of the front opening. This is important because it shows where they had a place to cry
What challenges did Chinese immigrants face?
They faced racism, unfair laws, and hard living conditions.
Why was the poetry so hard to spot?
The poetry was carved in some hidden spots, the walls were painted over, and the quality was deteriorated after the buildings were burned and deserted.
How do the immigrants feel in the story
They feel scared and uncertain, but they support one another
Rising Action
The poems emphasizes traveling and hardships, and then wanting to go back to China. Due to a result of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1886, immigrants are sent to a detention center for 2 days-2 years if there are health concerns.The poems emphasize sadness and loneliness of detainees as they wish to see their families again. Many immigrants fills the walls with carved emotional poems
Camaraderie
Mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together. This is important because it is hard to trust anyone when you were just taken from your home.
How did Chinese immigrants express their experiences?
Many wrote poems on the walls of Angel Island
What was the purpose of writing the poems?
The poems were written by the detainees to express the shared grief to the community. They described the writer's loneliness and sorrow from being in the detention centers instead of free live. They represent despair and the hope they had for a better life in America.
What do these characters show about the immigrant experience?
They show how strong people can be when they hold onto hope
Resolution
Someone walked through the detention center recognizing the language/poems. They were translated and documented about 175,000 lives.The Angel Island Detention Center is preserved as a place of honor. Scholars and other many people are welcome to view it as a history record. The author concludes the story with an explanation of the power of poetry.
Bureaucracy
A system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives. This is important because the government has to make a lot of decisions about the immigrants.
How did Chinese immigrants help shape America?
Helped build the Transcontinental Railroad, worked in mines, farms, and cities
What is the theme of Writing on the Wall? The author strongly develops this in her conclusion.
The ultimate theme is the power of poetry. The story explores themes of hope, resilience, hardship, and the pain of being silenced. The author says, "the power of poetry; to calm, to communicate, to commiserate, and to conserve."
How do the immigrants express their feelings
By writing poems on the walls describing their sadness, anger, and hope