This work attempts to shed light on some characteristics of the genre through the study of classical-style poems published in Chinese newspapers in San Francisco Chinatown.It aims to show that classical-style poetry, although imagined by some as "old-fashioned," was, and still is, written in overseas Chinese communities. For the practitioners, the form is not just a literary pursuit or pastime but also a means of identity construction and cultural expression, a way to demonstrate and preserve their sense of being Chinese on foreign soil.