When I first started reading this book, I felt that the writing came from a place of such rage and made such sweeping generalizations that I found harWhen I first started reading this book, I felt that the writing came from a place of such rage and made such sweeping generalizations that I found hard to relate to. Having taken a more traditionally Asian route (engineering) and having grown up Chinese in a diverse part of Canada, I've been fortunate enough to avoid many of Hong's experiences of racism especially in the writing industry in America. As I continued reading, I found myself identifying and sympathizing with some of her experiences and behavioral tendencies surrounding issues involving lack of self-confidence and individualism that Hong argues are engraved in Asian Americans by way of an inherently white capitalistic system that invalidates their struggles.
I am reminded of "Quiet" by Susan Cain where in a chapter on cultural differences, Cain argues that humility and introverted-ness are rewarded in Asian culture and Asian school systems, thereby rationalizing the disproportionate amount of introverts observed in Asian Americans. At the time, this idea that quietness/reservedness was a trait built in to Asian culture resonated with me. While Cain's argument may be true, the cultural context that exists in Asian countries is not present in America, rendering her justification incomplete. Reading Hong's collection of essays, I've come to realize that Cain's argument completely overlooked the oppression experienced by Asians in America - the "ni-hao's", "chink" remarks, looks of pity when speaking with an accent, and and other subtle "minor feelings" that ultimately strip a minority of their sense of belonging and perpetuate a desire to be as small and as hidden as possible to avoid humiliation. I appreciated the short history lessons scattered throughout the essays to compliment Hong's argument that Asian Americans are made to feel like outsiders through the country's history of discriminating immigration policies and imperialism.
The essays were deeply personal but I wouldn't go so far as to generalize the minor feelings she describes to all Asian Americans, especially those outside of East Asia. The lack of formality in her personal essays was very effective in exposing her personality. Hong harbors a lot of salt (for lack of a better word) towards many of her personal experiences and various people in her life. I, too, identify as a salty person, which made her all the more relatable, but in the context of the essays and the book, was admittedly quite off-putting. I think she projected her own personal feelings, opinions, and experiences onto others a little too much.
I've always been iffy about collections of essays because they tend to get rambly and lack cohesion - this unfortunately wasn't much different. Despite its shortcomings, this book is the only one I've come across addressing Asian American oppression in such a direct, raw, and authentic way. Overall, its existence as a book feels very necessary and was a very thought-provoking read....more
Sorry, that person's shelf is private.
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