| “ | They want us to be American, but even if I shave my queue and pretend to be American, I will still have no job. So why should I? | ” |
–Jing Huo | ||
Jing Huo is a character in 80 Days. He struggles with retaining his identity as both Chinese and American.
Background[]
Jing is from Guangzhou in China and moved to America, enticed by the idea of a new 'melting pot' nation of different cultures. He works on the transcontinental railroad in America.
Role[]
Jing can be spoken to Passepartout, who notices his distinctive queue. He explains his dilemma to him, saying he is forced to 'conform' to his new home by only living in San Francisco's 'Chinatown' and was told to shave his queue. Passepartout can advise him to never give up his own culture or to give up and become purely an 'American'.
Character[]
Jing is a wide-eyed, modern-thinking young man, but is faced with the choice between one or the other of his two cultures, which frustrates and disheartens him.
Trivia[]
- Jing's charcter is a direct foil to Lin.
- Jing's dilemma is quite realistic, with Chinese Americans being forced to 'conform' in the late 19th century in ways that involved leaving behind the cultural identity they carried with them.