過埠新娘 Paper wife by Laila Ibrahim

小說講述的是上個世紀20年代，18歲的 Mei Ling 從廣西的一個赤貧家庭通過婚姻移民美國的故事。Mei Ling通過媒人認識了未來老公Kai Li， Kai Li 自稱是從美國回來的華商。辦好結婚手續後，她和她老公一起坐了近三個月的船到了加州，在當時排華法案（Chinese exclusion act, 1882-1943)的影響下，勞工移民被完全禁止，但家屬移民還是允許的，不過所有人入境前都要被關到Angel Island immigration detention center (1910-1943)做進一步審查。短的話幾個星期，長則幾個月甚至幾年。

為了通過審查，移民中心有人販賣coach book，也就是每個人的檔案材料，做審查前必須得背熟了上麵所有的個人信息，一旦你的回答和信息對不上號，就會被遣返。

Mei Ling一開始對答如流，可到這裏就卡殼了：

The chinese man interpreted,” Is the cooking stove in the kitchen portable or built in?” A fire cracker of fear exploded in Mei Ling's chest. That information wasn't in the book. She made up an answer: “Portable.” The white woman typed in her answer without pausing. Mei ling looked for assurance from the two men across from her, but neither affirmed or denied the credibility of her reply. 

接下來Mei Ling很巧妙的化解了危機，獲得了入境許可。

Your husband says the stove in the kitchen is built in, which contradicts your testimony. Who do you have to say about that?”

“My husband spends no time in the kitchen”, she replied, indigination hiding the fear in her voice. “ How can you possibly expect him to know about our stove”

在船上Mei Ling 認識了才六歲的孤兒Siew, 在隨後幾個月的相處中Mei Ling喜歡上了這個小女孩，要離開detention center 時她非常舍不得Siew，她想領養Siew卻知道沒有可能, 作者在這裏對她接下來的舉動和心理活動的描寫非常貼切.

She patted Siew's back like her father used to do for her, Suddenly understanding more of what those pats contained-a passionate desire to offer comfort when you had no actual power to change the situation.

Mei Ling告別Siew的節選, 我以為是全書最讓人傷感的地方，

“Goodbye,” Siew's small voice said. She lay on the metal cot, alone, watching them go, unshed tears in her glossy brown eyes. Mei Ling felt ill at the betray of walking away from her.

當Mei Ling發現她老公根本不是什麽商人，隻不過是個富人家的仆人，而且還是個文盲時的反應,  她從質問，到憤怒，最後歸於平靜，這個過程作者花了三頁的篇幅來描寫，一個充滿智慧和理性的女人躍然紙上.

"You can not read, can you?" she asked. Kai Li shook his head. "Nor write?" He shook his head again....... Her Dragon woke up, causing her to blurt out her accusation: " You aren't a merchant, are you?!" Humiliation and fear covering his face , he bowed his head in shame.....

Mei Ling stormed out of the room, working to hide her overwhelming feelings of sorrow and anger.....Her husaband was illiterate, probably a laborer, as she and her children would now be too. Her parents' investment in her future had come to nothing..... Mei ling inhaled deeply, feeling the moist fog enter into her lungs. I will be strong. I will create harmony.....

作者 Laila Ibrahim說寫這部小說的啟發是再她在參觀了Angel Island immigration museum後， 按她的話, 她非常想讓人知道這段被人遺忘塵封的曆史。 一百多年前，華人作為一個整體被單獨歧視對待, 這是美國曆史上不光彩的一幕，可100年後誰又能想到，由於新冠病毒美國總統再次簽署了禁止移民的行政令，新冠後的世界可能再也回不到從前了，可日子還得過，我隻想說 Life is full of uncertainty, we've just got to learn to live with it.