Letter from a Hong Kong High School Student

from Getting Together (circa 1972); Chinese-American Workers: Past & Present

Written by a working brother from the NY Chinatown community who recently arrived from Hong Kong.

After Chairman Mao made the statement, students in our patriotic school followed the call, to express our resolute support to the anti-fascist struggle of the U.S. revolutionary workers, students, blacks and oppose actions like peaceful demonstrations of those who are for non-violence.

In order to further grasp Chairman Mao's statements, students from my class felt that we should publicize it to the countrymen in Hong Kong, so that they could understand why Chairman Mao made such a statement. We decided to publicize it through performing arts.

In the program of the performance, the organization assigned me to play the role of a reactionary. I was willing to play for the people, except I didn't like the role. On the one hand it is nothing good to hear about, on the other hand it is a must for that role in the play to oppress people. So although I agreed, I felt bad about it. Isn't it ridiculous, why couldn't I play another role? Why should it be me to play this evil role of reactionary!

Because of this kind of conflict I had, during the rehearsal period, I never felt I was enthusiastic at all. As the date of the performance drew near, the organization said that we didn't understand the roles of black people and reactionaries, and came to the conclusion that this was the reflection of the problem of whether politics or techniques are in command. We then studied Chairman Mao's work, and stepped up the thorough discussion on the content of the performance.

In one of the singing sections of the program, when black people were sold as slaves and suffered under the colonialists, the words in the song were so sad. It went like "carrying the coffin, singing the requiem, we'll walk over the U.S. with our fists holding tight, holding back our tears, and with fire of anger burning in our hearts, we resist, we struggle, we question, how many blacks were slaughtered!" After singing this, I began to understand a little bit of how U.S. imperialists invaded other nations, resorted to violence to annex territories from other nations to become her colonies, massively shipping black people to the U.S. in ships like jails.

Blacks came to the U.S. not for happiness, but to become slaves who will forever lose their freedom. They lived in dark days, no better than cattle or horses. They didn't have any rights. All they had was to be exploited and oppressed. This is how the black people lived in the U.S. Are they going to live like this all their lives for generations? No! We must tell the people about the slavery, inequality of blacks in the U.S. When I play the imperialist, I must expose his ugly face. The organization assigning me to play this role was giving me a great trust, and I must play it very well, and I must work hard on it.

Before the performance, we had a criticism self-criticism meeting. Everyone talked about how the imperialists extorted and oppressed the black people. When we talked about how these reactionaries completely lose their human instincts to ship blacks to the U.S. from Africa, some of my classmates started to sing:

I'm a black person, my motherland is Africa, Africa!
Africa! When is it going to be liberated. Africa! When is
it going to be liberated! . . .

With tears coming out of our eyes, we started to shout "Down with U.S. imperialism! Down with colonialism!" I bit my teeth lightly so that I could control my tears. Tears are but a tool to let out feelings. This is not what is needed. Action, that is the powerful counter-attack. My hatred all in my heart. U.S. imperialism, see how long you are going to make trouble.

I determined to play well for propaganda, make it a bullet to pierce through the heart of the U.S. imperialist; pierce through its chest. I must make a battle out of the performance, so it could forcefully support the revolutionary worker's student's, and black's just struggle in the U.S. and for the liberation of the suffering of two-thirds of the world's people.

The battle started. We felt excited and classmates encouraged each other. They held my hands tight, and said, "Be resolute, fear no sacrifice, overcome every difficulty to win victory. Play well in this role for world revolution." Yes, I must expose, for the suffering people, the cruel face of colonialism and imperialism. I must win this battle.

Fighting began. With whip in hand, I slashed it harshly into my classmate who played the role of a black slave. I wanted to completely unmask the imperialists, show the true face of the dirty cunning beast. I hit, kicked, pushed, bumped, yelled at them to carry the heavy boxes of goods. The audience down the stage shouted: "Down with running dogs! Down with imperialism!" To shout was nothing, but it scared me. I almost lost my pace, because that was my first time on stage, and I lacked experience. On the other hand, when they called me "running dog," I felt unhappy. Basically, I'm not a running dog.

So, in the battle of act two, my heart was in conflict again. I didn't play this running dog with my heart in it. The audience was quiet and I felt good. But, when I went backstage after it was over, a student who played a black expressed bad feelings toward me, said I kicked his stomach, and wanted to get even with me after dismissal and before I went home. In a word, this brought back again the dark shadow of the idea that from the very beginning that I didn't want to play the role of the "running dogs." I tried to explain to him, but I could not utter a word. So I began to blame myself for playing the role. The student organizer understood the matter. He immediately called a discussion meeting, to talk about the problem of kicking people and being kicked. He said: "Thc performers here, we are classmates. Are there true reactionaries here? When they play that role who understands their pain? Who wants to whip his own class brother? Who wants to kick the body of his class brother? They have difficulties inside, and who is there to console them? On the other hand, those who get kicked don't look at the matter as being kicked by the imperialists. That is the work of colonial oppression, and exploitation. and it is not that of our class brother performing. Could we say that this is right?''

What he said expressed all that I wanted to say in my heart. Why should I hit, kick, this classmate? Could they understand me? I could not help but cry. And this classmate came over and shook my hands, saying, "I was wrong, please forgive me." And I cried even more. After summing up, I felt that I didn't live up to the requirements in the second act. My classmates actively gave me guidance. The audience called me "running dog" because I played well. They hoped that I gained the experience, substituting fear with daring, resolutely fighting the last battle.

Thc showing soon began. We shook hands, declared to fight the battle well, insisted to win victory, threw away selfishness, put all our hearts in performing. The encouragement made me really play it without being selfish. I walked out on the stage like I had everything. Right away, I was called "running dog." Some people in the audience even wanted to come up to the stage to teach this running dog a good lesson We successfully finished the last performance, won a good battle. Some classmates asked me: "lf they really came up to teach you a lesson, what are you going to do'?" I said: "This shows how excited and how angry the audience is. This is the best way to encourage me." And we all laughed.

Coming to the U.S. I understood how "beautiful" this country is. It is not real beauty, but the beauty of the evil. Stealing, robbing, mugging, murdering. This happens everyday, especially crime committed by the officials. It is just too common.

The U.S. revolutionary movement, just as Chairman Mao pointed out in the statement to support black people's movement in the U.S., must unite workers and students. Through struggle, the movement transformed from peaceful action to revolutionary action. This is a matter of course. This is an historical process.

Chairman Mao said: "Revolution is not inviting guests for dinner, not writing articles.... Revolution is a violent act, it is the violent action of one class overthrowing another class. The trend of the world today is towards revolution."

I must follow the teaching of Chairman Mao, stand on the side of the revolutionary people forever, integrate with the workers, resolutely support the revolutionary movement of workers, students, and the black people in the U.S.