Lin Yutang (1895-1976), author of more than thirty-five books, was
arguably the most distinguished Chinese American writer of the
twentieth century. In Chinatown Family, he brings humor and wisdom
to issues of culture, race, and religion as he tells the engrossing
and heart-warming story of an immigrant, working-class Chinese
American family that settled in New York City during the 1930s and
1940s. Tracing their sometimes troubled and sometimes rewarding
journey, Lin paints a vivid portrait of the wonder and the woe of
settling into a new land. In an era when interracial marriages were
frowned upon and it was forbidden for working-class Chinese men to
bring their families to America, this story shows how one family
struggled to become new Americans by applying their Taoist
philosophy to resist peacefully the discriminatory laws and racism
they encountered. Beyond the quest for acceptance and economic
success, Chinatown Family also probes deep into the heart of the
immigration experience by presenting the perils of assimilation.
The burgeoning tension between the desire for material wealth and
the traditional Chinese belief in the primary importance of family
poses the question: Is it possible to attain the American dream
without damaging these primary ties? For each family member, the
answer to this question turns out to be different. Through the
varied paths that each character takes, the novel dramatizes the
ways that Chinese immigrants have negotiated between the competing
interests of economic opportunity and traditional values. C. Lok
Chua is a professor of English at California State University in
Fresno.
General
Imprint: |
Rutgers University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the Americas (MELA) |
Release date: |
October 2006 |
First published: |
October 2006 |
Authors: |
Lin Yutang
|
Editors: |
C. Lok Chua
|
Dimensions: |
150 x 229 x 21mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
256 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8135-3914-0 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
General & literary fiction >
Modern fiction
|
LSN: |
0-8135-3914-5 |
Barcode: |
9780813539140 |
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