When Lily visits Ping in Beijing, she realizes that she feels foreign even though everyone around her looks like her; page 105 reads, “Nothing indicated that I was American until I opened my mouth, and then there was invariably disappointment—even scorn—that I couldn’t say what I wanted to say with my Chinese face.” Do you feel it’s common for many American-born ethnic minorities to face this kind of identity crisis? In what ways does this crisis mirror Nick’s perspective as a white-passing man who is half Chinese?
It’s very common for American born minorities to face an identity crisis, as I have felt it deeply throughout my years as a child of Indian immigrants. I felt like I was labeled “American” when I visited India, and “Indian” when I was home in the US, when in reality I identified as both Indian and American.
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Malini, You validated the author’s portrait of Lily’s visit to China. I’ve a friend whose grandchildren were born and live in Japan. Their mother is Japanese and father is Caucasian, American. Rose says people in Japan comment how American the children look while in U.S. the comments are reversed.
Nick must had often been confused. He looked like his dad, yet not Chinese like his mom. For most of his childhood, though, he didn’t know his father, but Nick had to wonder. Even when he interned in the family company he had to have questions about his ethnicity.
Absolutely, I know several second generation immigrants whose parents would not let them speak their cultural language in order for them to assimilate and be “Authentic Americans,” and it was traumatic for them and most are relearning their language so they can teach their kids because they want them to know and value their culture. It’s also why it’s so important to have “stories and books like us” in a society that is made up of so many different cultures.
As I am a native born American of Danish decent, I have no reference. I do have some American born minorities in my life and this question and book will make for a very interesting conservation the next time we are together.