In the Land of the Free

The title of “In the Land of the Free” references the American national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” in which the US flag waves “o’er the land of the free.” By drawing the reader’s attention to the national anthem, the story seems to signal that it will be an aspirational immigrant narrative, wherein the characters are welcomed to America with open arms. However, the narrative quickly indicates that freedom is not equally accessible to all and remains especially out of reach for nonwhite individuals, such as Hom Hing and his family.

When the customs officials explain that they will need to take custody of Little One, Hom Hing believes there must be some kind of misunderstanding, noting to the officers, “He is my son […] I am a Chinese merchant and have been in business in San Francisco for many years” (5). He repeats himself at the end of his explanation: “I had no fear of trouble. I was a Chinese merchant and my son was my son” (5). From Hom Hing’s perspective, his time spent in America building his fortune is enough to lay