For 200 years, have those Chinese elites who fled to the United States essentially become extinct? 200年來，那些跑到美國的中國上層，基本上都像斷子絕孫了?

For 200 years, the family lines of those Chinese elites who successfully established themselves in the United States have been surprisingly fragile, often coming to an abrupt end at the height of their prosperity.

In the 19th century, the construction of the Pacific Railroad in the United States required a large number of laborers, and large numbers of Chinese crossed the ocean to places like California and Nevada, doing the hardest and most tiring work.

But most of them were single men, living in difficult conditions, and facing widespread discrimination against Chinese people. At the time, policies were strict, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which directly blocked Chinese people’s path to permanent residency.

Many endured their entire lives in the United States, only to be unable to establish a complete family, let alone a family line.

By the time the act was repealed, it was already 1943. Many of the first Chinese workers were no longer alive, and their descendants who remained in the United States had failed to form any significant families.

Let’s look back at the turbulent 20th century, when many wealthy and powerful families in China sought refuge by sending their people and wealth to the United States.

Families like the Kong and Song families, with abundant wealth and resources, left with a large number of children and assets.

In their first few years in the United States, they enjoyed considerable influence within the Chinese community, their children attending prestigious universities and enjoying much better living conditions.

But decades later, looking back, the influence of these families in American society has largely vanished. Far from becoming prominent families, many of their descendants couldn’t even speak Chinese and had little interaction with American society.

Over the past two hundred years, an increasing number of elite Chinese families have sent their children to study, live, and even settle in the United States. This has become almost a trend, especially in the last two or three decades.

Parents often assume that as long as their children attend a good American school, they will surely have a successful future and their family will establish roots here.

But a look back at historical records reveals that few upper-class Chinese families have managed to establish roots in the United States, and even fewer have managed to maintain family lines for several generations.

Those prominent Chinese families that enjoyed immense success in their early years often fade into obscurity by the second and third generations.

No matter how open American society may be, it’s far more difficult for Chinese families to thrive, like those established families back home, from generation to generation.

The fundamental reason lies in cultural and environmental differences.

The United States values ​​individualism, and family values ​​are less strongly valued. Furthermore, the rapid integration of Chinese descendants into mainstream society, with many marrying white and black people, naturally weakens family ties.

Few Chinese families have truly established themselves in the United States, and even fewer survive to the third generation.

This is primarily due to the different social environment in the United States and the lack of strong family ties in China.

Children growing up in the United States become accustomed to the American lifestyle, and their connection with their parents naturally weakens. By the third generation, many cannot even speak Chinese, let alone identify with Chinese culture.

In fact, the trajectory of many Chinese families in the United States is similar. The first generation strives hard, working diligently to provide their children with the best education possible.

The second generation is highly educated, and many have entered mainstream society. However, by the third generation, family influence has significantly declined. The reason is simple: the United States is a nation of immigrants, emphasizing individual self-realization.

As Chinese descendants integrate into American society, the concept of family becomes increasingly weak. Coupled with the fast pace of life and widespread geographical mobility, children grow up and disperse, naturally severing family ties.

By the third generation, many Chinese families are no longer comparable to native Jewish or Irish families.

Looking back over the past two hundred years, there are indeed very few Chinese families that have established roots and continued their legacy in the United States.

This also demonstrates that the idea that simply studying abroad or immigrating to the United States can ensure a family’s continued prosperity is unrealistic.

200年來，那些成功紮根美國的華裔精英，家族血脈卻出奇地脆弱，往往在最風光的時候戛然而止。

19世紀，美國修太平洋鐵路需要大量勞工，大批中國人漂洋過海，到了加州、內華達那些地方，乾著最苦最累的活兒。

可他們大多是單身漢，生活條件艱苦，社會上對華人又充滿歧視。那會兒政策還嚴，像1882年的《排華法案》，直接卡死了華人拿永久居留權的路。

很多人在美國熬了一輩子，最後連個完整的家都沒能立起來，更別提什麼家族傳承。

到法案廢除，已經是1943年了，第一批華工很多都不在人世，留在美國的後代也沒能形成什麼家族規模。

再看看20世紀，那些動蕩年代，國內不少有錢有勢的家庭為了避險，把人和錢都送去了美國。

像孔家、宋家這些名門大戶，家裡有的是錢，資源也多，走的時候帶走了一大批子女和資產。

剛到美國那幾年，他們在華人圈子裡確實很風光，孩子們也都讀了名校，生活條件好得多。

可過了幾十年，回頭一看，這些家族的影響力在美國社會裡基本消失了。別說成什麼望族，很多家族後代連中文都不會說，和美國社會也沒什麼交集。

這兩百年裡，越來越多的中國精英家庭把孩子送到美國讀書、生活，甚至定居，尤其是最近這二三十年，幾乎成了潮流。

家長們總覺得，只要進了美國的好學校，將來肯定能混得不錯，家族也能在美國生根發芽。

可要是往歷史里翻翻賬本，真沒幾個中國上層家庭能在美國紮下根，家族傳承能延續幾代的更是少之又少。

那些早年風光無限的華裔名門望族，到了第二代、第三代，往往就沒什麼聲音了。

美國社會再怎麼開放，華裔家族想要像本土那些老牌家族一樣一代接一代地興盛，難度遠超想象。

要說根本原因，說到底還是文化和環境不一樣。

美國講究個人主義，家族觀念沒那麼重，再加上華裔後代和主流社會融合快，很多人跟白人、黑人通婚，家族紐帶自然就鬆了。

能在美國真正立足的華裔家庭很少，能傳到第三代的更是鳳毛麟角。

主要還是因為美國的社會環境和中國不一樣，家族關係不像在國內那樣緊密。

孩子們在美國長大，習慣了美國的生活方式，和父母的聯繫自然就淡了。到了第三代，很多人連中文都不會說，更別說認同中國文化了。

其實，很多華裔家庭在美國的發展軌跡都差不多。第一代人很拼，努力工作，給孩子提供最好的教育。

第二代受教育程度高，很多人走進了主流社會，可到了第三代，家族影響力明顯下降。原因很簡單，美國是移民國家，重視個體自我實現。

華裔後代和美國社會融合后，家族觀念就變得很淡薄。加上生活節奏快，地理流動性大，孩子們長大後分散在各地，家族之間的聯繫自然就斷了。

很多華人家庭到了第三代，早已和本土的猶太裔、愛爾蘭裔那些家族沒法比。

回過頭看這兩百年的歷史，能在美國紮下根並且持續傳承的華裔家族，確實沒幾個。

這也說明，單靠出國留學、移民美國，家族就能世世代代輝煌的想法，其實不太現實。