In the Land of the Free

“In the Land of the Free” is the first short story written by British Canadian author Edith Maude Eaton, who was of British and Chinese descent. As one of the first Asian North American writers, her works explored themes of racial discrimination, the difficulties of assimilation, and the effects of the legal system on immigration and kinship. “In the Land of the Free,” originally published by the Montreal Daily Witness in 1890, explores the latter theme most deeply, as it follows a Chinese immigrant family that is separated due to the bureaucracy of the immigration process. Eaton’s story asks the reader to question the limits of the freedom that is promised by life in America and highlights that not all individuals have equal access to the benefits of citizenship.

This guide refers to the version of the story anthologized in Imagining America: Stories from the Promised Land (1991), edited by Wesley Brown and Amy Ling.

The story opens with the mother of the family, Lae Choo, and her young son, referred to as Little One, approaching the port of San Francisco on a ship. They are returning from China, where Little One was born, to reunite with his father. Lae Choo remarks excitedly to her son that the land coming into view before them “is where thy father is making a fortune for thee” (3) and that his father will be very glad to meet him for the first time.

Hom Hing, Lae Choo’s husband and Little One’s father, has been waiting for an hour at the wharf for his family’s ship to dock, and he is “detained that much longer by men with the initials U.S.C. on their caps” (4). After boarding the ship and meeting his son, Hom Hing is questioned by the customs officers, who ask where Little One was born and whether he has been to America before. They inform Hom Hing that because there is no record of his son on either his or his wife’s papers, they cannot allow him to enter the country.

Hom Hing explains that he is a merchant who has lived and worked in the United States for some time and that upon learning that his wife was pregnant, he sent her back to China so his child could be born in their home country. His wife was then detained for “twenty moons” while caring for their elderly family members and has only just now been able to return to the United States (5). The customs officers acknowledge Hom Hing’s story but inform him that they must nonetheless take custody of Little One. Lae Choo intervenes and attempts to stop them, and the customs officers convince Hom Hing to assure his wife that they will only have Little One for a short time: “until tomorrow’s sun rises” (5). Lae Choo bitterly agrees to hand her son over to the customs officers.

The next morning, Lae Choo wakes and immediately insists that Hom Hing go and retrieve their son. Hom Hing says it is too early and that it is not yet time for their son to be returned to them. Lae Choo is despondent, but Hom Hing comforts her by assuring her that “there is no law that can keep a child from his mother” (6).

Lae Choo busies herself by unpacking and tidying their apartment. While standing on their balcony, she gazes down at the Chinatown neighborhood around them and notices their former neighbor, Kuie Hoe, and her young son, who has grown from a baby to a little boy. Lae Choo becomes determined to make light of her situation and laughs to herself, feeling assured that her son will come home. As the day moves from morning to afternoon with no news, Lae Choo grows anxious. Hom Hing returns to the apartment and informs her that the customs officials have asked him to call again tomorrow. Lae Choo, crestfallen, sinks to the floor.

In the next section of the story, some time has passed since the previous scene, as Eaton writes that “[t]he winter rains were over; the spring had come to California” (7). Despite the passage of time, Hom Hing and Lae Choo have still received no update on when they will be reunited with their son. They have only heard that he is being looked after in a mission by caring white women and that he is happy and healthy.

A young white man, James Clancy, excitedly delivers a letter to Hom Hing on the subject of his son. Hom Hing, however, does not respond with the same level of enthusiasm, as he tells Clancy that it is the same letter he has received time and time again. Clancy grows angry at the situation’s unfairness and then “furtively” looks at Hom Hing before proposing to go to Washington to intercede on his behalf and get their son back. Hom Hing eagerly accepts Clancy’s offer and calls his wife downstairs to hear the news. She is equally grateful for his offer.

Clancy then informs the couple that he will need funds to finance his trip to Washington–$500 at least. Hom Hing explains to his wife that they will need to pay, and she grows angry, telling him, “You are not one hundred man good; you just common white man” (9). As negotiations break down, Clancy begins to leave but Lae Choo relents. Desperate to be reunited with her son, she gives Clancy her gold bracelet and begins to remove her many rings. Hom Hing stops her and insists she keep one ring, the gift he gave her before their son’s birth. Clancy feels a twinge of guilt at accepting the pile of jewels, but Lae Choo and Hom Hing insist that he sell them to finance his trip. He pockets the jewelry and leaves.

In the story’s final scene, the narrator indicates that 10 months have passed since Little One was taken from his parents. Hom Hing and Lae Choo have finally received the letter saying that they will be reunited. At the missionary orphanage, Lae Choo is led by one of the white female caretakers. She informs Lae Choo that Little One, who has been renamed Kim, is a delight and a joy among all the children in the mission. Lae Choo is asked to wait while her son is brought to her, and the wait feels impossibly long. Finally, the white woman returns with Little One. Lae Choo calls out to him joyfully, but Little One shrinks away fearfully and “tries to hide himself in the folds of the white woman’s skirt” (11). The story ends with Little One emphatically telling his mother to go away.