Hi readers,
It's been 10 days. Oops, I'm missing deadlines.
Today I'll be writing a bit on conformity within On Such a Full Sea and its relation to the Asian "model minority" stereotype.
Chang-Rae Lee, as many Asian-American authors do, writes his book centered around Asian (in this case Chinese) characters. We discussed in class that "Chinese" is an essentially meaningless description; given how little we know of the history of OSAF, "China" could very well be Europe renamed. Knowing that readers, myself included, tend to associate the word "Chinese" with its definition in our own world, I still suspect that Chang-Rae Lee is referring to a very similar, if not the same, group of people that we think of as Chinese.
The role of the Chinese in this novel is as the colonizers, a role reversal in which Asians take over major cities in the United States such as Baltimore (B-Mor). The very nature of this role seems to antagonize the reader toward the Chinese, a seemingly counterintuitive action considering that most Asian-American authors seek to improve readers' opinions of Asians.
In addition, examine the role of conformity in the novel. In B-Mor, citizens live in strict order, where every (Chinese) citizen acts to benefit the community. Compare this to the "model minority" stereotype, where Asian-Americans are expected to be docile and obedient workers. In an even more obvious comparison, perhaps Chang-Rae Lee is again painting the Chinese in Red/Yellow Peril terms (communism and conformity, get the hint?).
In these two examples, Asian-Americans seem to be viewed in a negative light, alluding to historically relevant Asian stereotypes that describe them as a dangerous hive-mind that could potentially invade and conquer the United States. I'm out of words, so I end with this: Why does Chang-Rae Lee, an Asian-American author, describe Asian-Americans in such a manner in OSAF?
Jon, this is also something that I'm struggling with as I read ONAFS. The structure of facilities, the testing system, and the conformity remind me not only of the "model minority" stereotype but also of older Chinese generations who almost confirm it. I'm specifically reminded of my parents and grandparents who prioritize testing and conformity because that's what they've been taught as the path to success in America (probably back in Asia too?).
ReplyDeleteHowever, I've noticed that the narrator is definitely shifting as we reach the end of the novel. We've read about the feedings, the graffiti, shaved heads, and B-Mor's fascination with the tale of Fan. I hope that Lee describes Asian-Americans in this uncomfortable way with the purpose of showing his audience a transition...
While reading OSAFS, I definitely found myself questioning the concepts of race and culture. What makes a person Asian American? Throughout the novel, I rarely saw people connect with their Asian heritage. The only occurrences I can think of revolve around food and popular culture (anime). Sure the characters in the novel are supposedly of Asian (Chinese) descent and have Asian-looking characteristics, but can we truly call them Asians? I'm skeptical...
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a lot of good points. China very well could be Europe renamed, our assumptions of "Asian" characters totally wrong. What a plot twist that would be. You say that the Chinese people being the colonizers of American cities seems to antagonize them; that's definitely a fair reading, but I think there's more to it. White people-- whether it be Americans or Europeans-- have been colonizing the western world for centuries, a narrative of white superiority and Asian (and all other races) inferiority. This story, however, seems to switch that narrative, as the Asians conquer parts of America. Perhaps it doesn't antagonize them but instead puts them on a level playing field with white people, showing they are capable of the same things Europeans and Americans have done countless times.
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