Question

\a night at the immigration station\ by choi kyung sik

this tired traveler
has crossed a vast ocean —
why must i sleep behind iron bars?
the rain cries out and wakes me up
because it pities me.
angel island, sleeping tight,
no matter whether you hear this song or not,
it is the complaint of a foreign guest
whose whole heart is burning.

even though it’s said america is wonderful,
how pathetic it has made me.
if my mother knew about this,
how shocked she would be.
this border created by rascals —
when can it be broken?
i hope people all over the world
will become brothers soon.

april 3rd, 1925

written on a rainy night at the immigration station on angel island, san francisco, america.

courtesy of angel island immigration station foundation

copyright © imagine learning inc

many asian immigrants documented their experience by keeping journals.
choi kyung sik arrived at angel island in 1925. he wrote about his experience in a poem.
read his poem, “a night at the immigration station”.
which statement best describes the writer’s feelings?

options: he was surprised and disappointed by the way he was being treated. / he was not surprised to be detained, but he was unhappy about it. / he had expected to be detained at angel island and was pleasantly surprised when he wasn’t.

Explanation:

To determine the writer's feelings, analyze the poem:

• Lines like "Why must I sleep behind iron bars?" and "How pathetic it has made me" show unhappiness about detention.
• The line "If my mother knew about this, How shocked she would be" implies the writer was not surprised by detention (since he thinks his mother would be shocked, meaning he didn't expect her to anticipate this), but he is unhappy with it.
• The first option's "surprised" doesn't fit as the shock is for his mother, not him. The third option is incorrect as he was detained. So the second option matches.

Answer:

He was not surprised to be detained, but he was unhappy about it.