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November 27 - December 3, 1997
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Page | In This Week's Issue | Subscribe | Special | Archive | About
AsianWeek |
November 27 - December 3, 1997
Our quarterly review of books by, about, or of special interest to Asian Americans
BY STEPHANIE GREEN
Entertaining, esoteric, and controversial describe the titles that make up the most recent crop of writing across genres on Asian and Asian American topics. Fictional accounts of the sequestered, ritualized life of the geisha and a highly personal view of the Tiananmen Square uprising explore the often murky human side of gender roles and politics. The nebulous realm of race, gender, and identity take their place next to historic erudition within the diverse collection of books highlighted in AsianWeek's quarterly review of books.
Hong Ying's Summer of Betrayal explores the tumultuous process of personal liberation through the political upheaval fomented by students and youth in Tiananmen. The book, banned by the Chinese government, traces the personal journey of self-discovery of a young woman whose world is turned upside down.
This theme is repeated in Arthur Golden's account of the life of a Kyoto geisha, Memories of a Geisha, on the eve of World War II. The book uses the specific details of geisha life to illuminate the subtle nuances of Japanese identity as manifest through gender and politics.
Though a very different book, Haruki Murakami's Wind-up Bird Chronicle also explores the notion of Japanese identity by focusing on particular relationships within the larger social and political structure.
These fictional struggles are elaborated in the sometimes esoteric language of feminist theory and identity politics in Dragon Ladies: Asian American Feminists Breathe Fire and Dorinne Kondo's About Face: Performing Race in Fashion and Theater. Each explores the role of Asian Americans in American society in general and Asian American women in particular.
Dragon Ladies includes writing from well-known Asian American feminist scholars, activists, and writers who address a range of topics, the role of Asian American women within the feminist movement foremost among them.
Kondo extends the analysis in About Face, by looking at the portrayal of Asian Americans in theater and high fashion. Prevalent stereotypes, gender, race, and nationality are examined in an effort to illuminate the myths that shape culture and the Asian American experience.
The move to reassess and reveal hidden pockets of meaning and experience is not limited to explorations of gender and identity, but encompasses political history. Patrick Smith's award-winning Japan: A Reinterpretation, Minoru Kiyota's Beyond Loyalty: The Story of Kibei, and Lan Cao's Monkey Bridge each challenge assumptions about political history, particularly as it relates to Asian Americans. While Japan offers a revised view of U.S.-Japanese relations, Beyond Loyalty recounts one man's struggle with his status as an Asian American interned during World War II. His struggle to reconcile his identity as an Asian American with overt negation of the rights of Asians and Asian Americans is at the root of the conflict.
In Monkey Bridge, Cao gives us the first novel of the Vietnam War experience from a Vietnamese American perspective. In its advance review, Publishers Weekly commented that the novel, Cao's first, "marks a strong new voice in Asian American fiction."
Interpreting the Asian American experience is at the heart of all of these works by established and emerging writers. Give them a read, and see how their accounts compare with your own.
Dark Blue Suit
By Peter Bacho
University of Washington Press, 149 pp., $16.95
The stories that make up Dark Blue Suit describe the gradual assimilation of the Manong generation, Filipino immigrants who arrived in the U.S. in the 1920s and '30s, and their American-born children. Bacho's stories are infused with the values of the earlier generation as it sought to improve the lives of generations to come. The deep family bonds, fierce ethnic pride, and fighting spirit of the Filipino immigrants form a focal point around which these stories revolve.
Flower Net
By Lisa See
HarperCollins, 333 pp., $24
Two murders--one the son of one of China's wealthiest businessmen, the other the son of the American ambassador to China--set off an investigation that brings together law enforcement on both sides of the Pacific. American-educated Liu Hulan is assigned to the case and must work with her former lover David Stark, an assistant U.S. attorney, to solve the case. In the process, Hulan reveals the complex dynamics underlying modern Chinese society. See draws on her knowledge of Chinese culture as the great-granddaughter of Fong See, the patriarch of a large family who overcame adversity to become the godfather of Los Angeles' Chinatown.
Memories of a Geisha
By Arthur Golden
Alfred Knopf, 434 pp., $25
Sayuri, sold into slavery by her impoverished parents at age nine, tells her story in this furtive look into the complex and rather esoteric world of the geisha. Golden's well-received novel follows Sayuri through the rigors of life in one of Kyoto's premier geisha houses on the cusp of World War II. Sayuri eventually becomes quite successful due to her beauty and wit, but only after enduring much torment at the hands of the other geishas while still a girl. The ritualized relationship of the geisha and her patrons, men of great wealth and power, is outlined in vivid detail.
Noli Me Tangere
By Jose Rizal; translated by Soledad Lacson-Locsin
University of Hawaii Press, 452 pp., $27.95
The new English translation of the Filipino classic, which was written by national hero Jose Rizal in Spanish in 1887, is perhaps the best to date. Soledad Lacson-Locsin based the translation on the actual text and restored parts of the original missing from other English versions of the book, which traces the epic history of the Philippines. Noli Me Tangere reflects the political thought and social upheaval of the period in which Rizal wrote.
Story of the Stone
From Dream of the Red Chamber
By Cao Xuequin
Edited and Interpreted by Linda Ching
Booklines Hawaii Ltd., 138 pp., $40
Ornate color photographs shot on location in China illuminate the 18th-century Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber. This retelling of the epic story--which explores the nature of existence, knowledge, and mortality, accompanied by rich imagery--serves as an engaging introduction to Chinese culture, with its detailed descriptions of court culture and customs.
Summer of Betrayal
By Hong Ying; translated by Martha Avery
Farrar, Straus Giroux, 208 pp., $21
The Tiananmen Square uprising of 1989 provides the backdrop for this story of betrayal and self-discovery. The extreme political and social upheaval becomes the catalyst for a journey into the meaning of liberation for a young poet desperately trying to reach her lover, only to find him in the arms of another woman. Summer of Betrayal, Hong Ying's first novel, has found its way into the hands of many Chinese readers, despite being banned by the government. The book was initially published in Taiwan in 1992.
The Stars, The Earth, The River
By Le Minh Khue; translated by Bac Hoai Tran and Dana Sachs; edited by Wayne Karlin
Curbstone Press, 231 pp., $12.95
Le Minh Khue's new collection of stories about Vietnamese society before, during, and after the war touches on the complex actions and emotions of Vietnamese people. The stories address the multifaceted personal and political struggles that have shaped their identity, while actively negating common stereotypes. Minh Khue, herself a veteran of the war who enlisted in the Youth Brigade of the People's Army in 1965 at age 16, is a highly regarded writer known in Vietnam for several works of fiction. Despite her popularity, The Stars, The Earth, The River is the first of her works to be translated into English.
Tropic of Orange
By Karen Tei Yamashita
Coffee House Press, 270 pp., $14.95
The strange convergence of individuals and place forms the backdrop for this twisting tale, which moves from a small Mexican town to a stretch of the Harbor Freeway in Los Angeles. Events unfold on the highway through a series of odd, seemingly incongruous characters, mirroring the disjointed nature of the sprawling city itself. The orange, introduced by way of unusual variations in space and time at a holiday home in the Mexican town from which the orange comes, caused presumably by the abundance of electronic gadgetry, takes on a symbolic role in its journey north. The culmination of events on a stretch of urban highway can, consequently, be read as an apocalyptic commentary on race, class, media, and culture.
Valley Nearby
By Kang Sok-Kyong; translated by Choi Kyong-do
Heinemann, 317 pp., $14.95
The intersection of the personal and the political in rural South Korea informs this story of the struggle of housewife Yun-hee to assert her belief in equality. She is forced by a difficult marriage to come to terms with her actual circumstances and determine what is possible. Sok-Kyong, a popular South Korean writer, explores the conflict and ultimate convergence of cultural tradition and individuality through the efforts of a single woman to reconcile her life.
Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
By Haruki Murakami
Alfred A. Knopf, 611 pp., $25.95
The sweeping scope of this tale of war, identity, contemporary politics, and profound loss is meant to provide a glimpse at the very soul of Japan. Murakami, a noted Japanese author, combines elements of detective fiction, deadpan humor, and metaphysical exploration to create a surreal relationship of people and events within the larger social and political context. The story, which follows the odd adventures of Toru Okada, delves into motives informed by the past, calling into question the notion of cause and effect. The consequences of a series of seemingly chance encounters reveal the interconnection between personal and national identities.
About Face
Performing Race in Fashion and Theater
By Dorinne Kondo
Routledge, 227 pp., $17.95
Anthropologist and feminist scholar Dorinne Kondo explores the intangible roles of sexual stereotypes, nationality, gender, and race as they relate to the portrayal of Asian Americans in the theater and high fashion. Kondo examines the ways in which the old colonial assumptions embodied in Orientalism manifest in contemporary culture.
Beyond Loyalty
The Story of a Kibei
By Minoru Kiyota
University of Hawaii Press, 252 pp., $24.95
Minoru Kiyota, a professor of Buddhist studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, recounts the painful experience of internment at the Tule Lake Segregation Center in Northern California during World War II. Kiyota was so outraged by the hypocrisy of the U.S. government that he renounced his U.S. citizenship, which made him suspect in the eyes of both the government and his nisei peers. Through his early rejection of the injustice and inherent unfairness of internment, Kiyota comments on the treatment of ethnic minorities in a democracy and the human dimension of infringing on constitutional rights.
China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Inc.
The Dynamics of a New Empire
By Willem van Kemenade
Alfred A. Knopf, 444 pp., $30
The "impending reunification" of greater China, which has already occurred in part with the return of Hong Kong to Chinese rule, is the central theme of this examination of economic, political, and social changes currently under way. The convergence of Hong Kong capital, Taiwanese management and financial expertise, and Chinese labor and land form a backdrop for this exploration of the internal dynamic behind the transformation of China into a major force in the global economy.
Dragon Ladies
Asian American Feminists Breathe Fire
Edited by Sonia Shah
South End Press, 240 pp., $17
Dragon Ladies examines the relationship of Asian American women to immigration, health, spirituality, media, culture, and work. In 16 essays, noted Asian American feminist scholars, activists, and writers address such topics as domestic violence, Asian American feminism, and the global trade in Filipina workers.
Japan
A Reinterpretation
By Patrick Smith
Pantheon Books, 400 pp., $27.50
The complicated labyrinth of modern Japanese history, particularly in regard to Japan's relationship with the United States, is closely examined by international correspondent Patrick Smith, who was recently awarded the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize for Japan. The book explores the role of Japan as a virtual protectorate of the U.S. since the end of World War II by looking at the country's rapid conversion to a democracy, its compliance with American government policy, and the adoption of an American-style constitution.
Korea's Place in the Sun
A Modern History
By Bruce Cumings
W.W. Norton and Co., 527 pp., $35
This chronicle of the tumultuous history of Korea over the past century--colonization by Japan through war, devastation, and division to its role as a major player in the global economy--provides a look at this unique culture. Bruce Cumings, the director of the Center for International and Comparative Studies at Northwestern University, delves into the misconceptions that exist between Korea and the United States.
Outrageous Chinese
A Guide to Chinese Street Language
By James J. Wang
China Books and Periodicals Inc., 124 pp., $9.95
The rich variations in language and the seeming universality of slang come together in this look at the clever, mundane, and even scatological phrases commonly employed in conversational Chinese. The savvy traveler can learn how to express sexual satisfaction, give a good insult, or bribe an official using this humorous and rather unorthodox guide.
Special Relationship
The United States and Military Government in Thailand, 1947-1958
By Daniel Fineman
University of Hawaii Press, 357 pp., $39
The historic roots of American involvement in Southeast Asia, particularly from the period of the Korean War onward, lie in the relationship of the United States and Thailand, according to Daniel Fineman, who holds a Ph.D. in history from Yale University. Fineman argues that U.S. support for the 1947 coup by the Thai military and the authoritarian military government that followed evolved into a strong American influence on Southeast Asian affairs. Fineman contends that the close alliance between the two governments led to CIA involvement in Thai domestic politics, U.S. entanglement in Southeast Asian conflicts, and the consolidation of power by the Thai military.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures
By Anne Fadiman
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 339 pp., $24
Cultural differences come into sharp focus in this book about the treatment of a Hmong girl's illness. The conflict between traditional practices and modern medicine reflects two distinct approaches to sickness, but also, in a broader sense, to life. Through the experience of Lia Lee, a young Hmong girl whose family was accused of child abuse after an epileptic seizure left the seven-year-old in a vegetative state, Anne Fadiman illuminates the Hmong view. The title of the book describes the family's perception of Lia's illness as a spiritual, rather than physical, event. Fadiman uses The Spirit as a vehicle to describe Hmong culture and, in particular, the relationship of the Hmong and the United States.
Tibet
Abode of the Gods, Pearl of the Motherland
By Barbara Erickson
Pacific View Press, 302 pp., $22.95
The relationship between China and Tibet has long been a contentious issue, but Tibet: Abode of the Gods explores the area between the extremes. Talking with Tibetans from across the social spectrum, as well as Chinese, during her travels, Erickson examines all aspects of Tibetan society, including religion, education, health care, and the environment. She also addresses controversial issues such as alleged human-rights abuses, charges of genocide, and the effects of Chinese colonialism on Tibetan culture.
Yak Butter and Black Tea
A Journey Through Forbidden China
By Wade Brackenbury
Algonquin Books, 224 pp., $19.95
A modern-day Heart of Darkness, this fantastic journey to an extremely isolated part of southern Tibet near the Burma border is a tale of high adventure and, on a number of occasions, misadventure. In his relentless three-year pursuit of the Drung people, Brackenbury describes encounters with the Chinese authorities and the forces of nature on his way to the obscure valley surrounded by mountains thousands of feet high where the Drung reside.
D is for Doufu
An Alphabet Book of Chinese Culture
By Maywan Shen Krach
Shen's Books, 32 pp., $17.95
Chinese characters and traditional folk-style art based on ancient cave painting created in the third century decorate this book about Chinese culture, beliefs, and legends. Maywan Shen Krach uses text and illustrations by renowned artist Hongbin Zhang to illuminate the meaning of 23 Chinese words and phrases.
Just Like Me
Stories and Self-Portraits by 14 Artists
Edited by Harriet Rohmer
Children's Book Press, 31 pp., $15.95
Nancy Hom, Hideo Yoshida, Enrique Chagoya, Michele Wood, and other artists offer self-portraits through stories, paintings, and childhood photographs, highlighting their ethnic background, self-image, and the inspiration for their work. Their collective artistry provides aspiring young artists with models from an array of cultural backgrounds.
Red Scarf Girl
A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution
By Ji Li Jiang
HarperCollins, 240 pp., $14.95
Red Scarf Girl offers a child's view of the cultural revolution in China. The conflict between the idealism inspired in the young by the Communist Party and the deep suspicion of those with unique abilities and intelligence illuminates the struggle of Jiang and many others to come to terms with the radical social change that swept China at that time. Jiang recounts the years of humiliation and fear that her family experienced in the wake of the cultural revolution because of their former prosperity. She describes the difficult decision thrust on her following the detainment of her father to renounce him or break with the party and, by extension, give up her hopes for the future.
When You Were Born in China
A Memory Book for Children Adopted from China
By Sara Dorow
Yeong and Yeong Book Co., 42 pp., $16
Parents looking for a way to explain the complicated reasons behind international adoption of a Chinese child may find this book, filled with images of Chinese people and culture and the actual adoption process, helpful. The book describes the driving forces behind such adoptions in a way a child can understand, while emphasizing the value of the child and the happiness of their adoptive parents.
Asian American Drama
Nine Plays from the Multi-ethnic Landscape
Edited by Brian Nelson
Applause Theater Book Publishers, 421 pp., $16.95
What it means to be Asian American is scrutinized in these plays, which challenge current views of race in the midst of controversies over immigration, affirmative action, and multiculturalism. The plays capture both the continuities and transformations of Asian American culture in relation to white society and to itself through an exploration of the concept of collective identity. The anthology includes work from Amy Hill, Velina Hasu Houston, Dwight Okita, Denise Uyehara, and others.
But Still, Like Air, I'll Rise
New Asian American Plays
Edited by Velina Hasu Houston
Temple University Press, 543 pp., $24.95
This collection of 11 plays highlights the complexity and diversity of Asian American culture. The themes are universal: family, conflict, sexuality, betrayal, and social upheaval. The individual perspective of each playwright, as filtered through a common experience as Asian Americans, results in a multifaceted vision of APA culture.
Late Poems of Meng Chiao
Translated by David Hinton
Princeton University Press, 87 pp., $9.95
The first English translation of the poetry of Meng Chiao, who lived from 751-814 A.D. during the decline of the T'ang Dynasty, highlights the surrealist and symbolic techniques employed by this innovative artist well before their emergence in the West in the modern era. Chiao's poetry is noted for its bleak introspection and large poetic sequences, rather than the short lyric poem more typical of the genre.
Making More Waves
Edited by Elaine H. Kim, Lilia V. Villaneuva, and Asian Women United of California
Beacon Press, 309 pp., $18
This diverse collection of poems, essays, and fiction by APA women serves as a fitting update to 1989's Making Waves anthology. Collecting works by Elaine H. Kim, Chitra Divakaruni, Renee Tajima-Pena, and dozens others, this volume does all it can to overthrow the traditional stereotypes of Asian American women as exotic, silent, and subservient. Themes such as memory, implosion, reflection, and movement make the topics as diverse as the women themselves.
Moonrabbit Review
Asian Pacific American Voices, Vol. 2/No. 1
Edited by Jackie Lee
Moonrabbit Review, 119 pp., $10
This collection from APA writers and artists, which includes work from both well-known and emerging artists, explores stereotypes and assumptions as well as the self-perception and experiences of the contributors. The unique perspective of Asian Americans resonates throughout this compilation of short fiction, poetry, nonfiction, photography, art, and book and film reviews.
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