Eat A Bowl Of Tea

The movie “eat a bowl of tea” is set during World War II. It shows the larger issue about ethnic identity where there is gap between immigrants and American citizen (white people). It is set in New York’s Chinatown which describes the life of husband and wife named Ben Loy and Mei Oi. Both of them are originally Chinese. But then both of them decided to stay in America. They moved to America as immigrant. Their marriage is not extremely happy because after marriage they face many problems. The problems include Mei’s difficulty through assimilation, Ben with his disturbing relatives, and their suspicion that they can not have a child because of Mei’s sterility. They have tried to overcome their problem. Even though, their egoistic bear down their love. And finally both of them tried to seek their own life and love by trapping into extramarital affairs.

As my experience in reading the course pack which shows generally how the Chinese immigrants’ life in U.S, their difficulty trough assimilation and the neighborhood to their own ethnic groups. The book shows that Chinese immigrant to U.S tend to live among their own ethnic groups therefore they have ethnic called Chinatown. This idea seems general. The fact says that American is difficult to accept immigrant at that time. But at least Chinese’s contribution to America was helpful, such as their contribution to help building American’s first transcontinental railroad in 1869. The film is actually reflected almost the same problem like what I have talked above. The difference is view of both. The explanation shows in the course pack is about idea of identity discrimination, the history of Chinese immigrant, and their contribution to America. While the movie shows more about the problem inside the couple. The movie shows the conflict of Chinese marriage couple which made them indulge in extramarital affairs. In my opinion, the most interesting in this movie is their ego to defend their own traditional culture. Mei Oi cannot adapt the culture assimilation, moreover they claim each other that one of them is barren (cannot give a baby). The problem of Ben with his relative becomes one of effects of their broken household. This movie is the reflection or the clear example of idea that has written in the course pack. So that we can understand clearly about their truly life, and the problems they face as immigrant.