Landed

Landed

<p>Sun is ready to leave his village in China for America, the<br>place known as Gum Saan, Gold Mountain. His father warns<br>him, though, that passage will not be easy. Because of the 1882<br>Chinese Exclusion Act, new immigrants like Sun are detained<br>at Angel Island until they are called to take a difficult oral<br>exam before they can "land" – leave Angel Island and go<br>ashore. On the boat, Sun had studied maps of his village and<br>memorized facts about his ancestors. But as the weeks pass in<br>detainment, the map's compass points swirl in his memory, and<br>Sun worries that he will lose his direction and be turned away.<br>The oil paintings are rich with historical details in this vivid<br>recounting, based on the author's father-in-law's experiences, of<br>a disturbing chapter in Chinese American history.</p>