Asian Americans are a growing presence in media and literature of the world. Easily available and entertaining, I myself use these handy outlets as a way of becoming more aware of Asian-American issues around the world. I will share my favorite findings on this blog, as a part of my goal of encouraging the establishment of an Asian American Identity.
TODAY'S BOOK: DONALD DUK BY FRANK CHIN
This is a great read especially for those who are interested specifically in Chinese American culture. The book starts out with a common identity issue among Asian-Americans: the name. The main character Donald Duk loathes his "American" name, because, let's face it, we all think of this guy when we hear "Donald Duk":
Cute, but conducive to getting made fun of. It is actually a common thing for Asian-American immigrants to give their children "American names" based on characters from films, which is one of the main connections they have to the American culture and language initially.
The novel goes on to describe the experience of Donald coming to term with his multi-faceted identity. Common 1st-generation Asian-American issues arise in the story, such as relationships with parents, rejection and acceptance of culture, and FOOODDD (most important, obviously).
It's a great option when looking into a read that is not too academic, but intellectual and telling of the experiences of Chinese Americans-- especially seeing that it is written from the perspective of controversial Chinese-American author, Frank Chin, who is considered a leader in the Asian-American movement. He has written novels and plays influenced by his Asian-American identity.
Hope you check it out!
Best,
justajae
P.S. Check out my newest article on Jossle Portal about Korean and Asian Dramas here:
http://www.jossle.org/magazine/k-pop-and-asian-dramas-fandom/
The novel goes on to describe the experience of Donald coming to term with his multi-faceted identity. Common 1st-generation Asian-American issues arise in the story, such as relationships with parents, rejection and acceptance of culture, and FOOODDD (most important, obviously).
It's a great option when looking into a read that is not too academic, but intellectual and telling of the experiences of Chinese Americans-- especially seeing that it is written from the perspective of controversial Chinese-American author, Frank Chin, who is considered a leader in the Asian-American movement. He has written novels and plays influenced by his Asian-American identity.
Hope you check it out!
Best,
justajae
P.S. Check out my newest article on Jossle Portal about Korean and Asian Dramas here:
http://www.jossle.org/magazine/k-pop-and-asian-dramas-fandom/