This volume offers snapshots of the life and work of a generous cross section of Asian‐American writers, focusing on their short stories. Asian is here taken in its broadest sense; included are first and second generation immigrants from China, India, Japan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Iran. Each entry follows the same format: a brief biography, details of the major works and themes handled therein, and then a description of the critical reception the works received. A bibliography completes each section. This is in addition to the selected bibliography at the end of the book.
The contributors are largely academics and postgraduate students in the fields of English and comparative literature, or related disciplines. A list of their names and credentials is included, after the volume’s comprehensive index. These writers do an excellent job in drawing out the major details and themes, noting the various aspects of the immigrant existence which are common ground for the various authors, as well as the many ways in which each individual’s background offers a different perspective on their experience of life in their new homes. As well as an impressive range of geographical representation within the collection, a considerable time span is covered, and so a wide variety of historical Asian‐American experience. From Sui Sin Far (Edith Maude Eaton) who lived from 1865 to 1914, to the most recent entrant, Evelyn Lau, born in 1971, common threads can be followed through the work of many of the authors. First, and most obviously, there is the experience of being the “other” in white America. The racism encountered by the authors protagonists may be couched in different terms, depending on what part of Asia the character hails from, but it finds its genesis in the same exclusive US consciousness which deems all non‐Christian, non‐white, foreign experience to be incompatible with acceptance as an US citizen.
Similarly, there is the confused ethnic identity of many second‐generation immigrants wanting to develop the western persona that is their birthright, but at the same time needing to acknowledge the heritage of their ancestral homeland. This sense of duality is even more pronounced in those of mixed parentage, who may experience a sense of not belonging in either community. As the authors represented come from diverse geographical backgrounds, the communities and traditions they illustrate are almost as different from each other as from the culture that they join in the USA. The fact of inter‐Asian racial prejudice is raised and the position of women within various cultures is explored. There is also consideration of sexuality, age, parental expectation and a raft of issues integral to the understanding of the immigrant experience in a new environment. A particularly interesting theme is that of regret – that of older people who left their homelands seeking opportunity, only to encounter hardship and disrespect, but also that of acceptance. Many characters who are seen as full of regret, romanticizing their country of origin, finally come to return and realise their new home has given them new eyes with which to see the environment they left, frequently in a less favourable light. Far from bringing acceptance, this is often a source of increased displacement when they return to the USA and realise that they do not feel accepted here either. There are many themes explored in the context of each culture. Similarly, the diversity of the US experience is acknowledged – Asian immigrants settling in California would experience a different existence, culturally and linguistically, from those settling in Hawaii. The unique experiences of immigrants from Japan, Vietnam and Korea during and following the US conflicts with these nations is addressed in detail by numerous contributors.
Overall this is an impressive work. Focusing on short story authors, it is the fifth of five volumes on Asian‐American literature by this publisher, each covering a different genre. That being said, the entries frequently touch on other works by the authors, such as poetry and novels, and the biographical information is clearly relevant to students of these authors from any perspective. The bibliographies act as useful signposts for further study, and the explorations of literary themes whet the reader’s appetite for the works of the authors themselves. I would be happy to recommend this volume as a study guide for students of Asian‐American literature or, equally, as an introduction for interested readers in any context.
