Asian American Novels & Writers | Asian American Poll

ASIAN AMERICAN NOVELS
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:11:25 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Which of the following is the best Asian American novel?
China Men by Maxine Hong Kingston | 7%
No-No Boy by John Okada | 1%
The Foreign Student by Susan Choi | 8%
China Boy by Gus Lee | 4% American Knees by Shawn Wong | 3%
Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston | 7%
Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan | 8%
Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee | 15%
Other | 47%

Who's your favorite Asian American writer?
Gus Lee | 13%
Amy Tan | 8%
Susan Choi | 8%
Maxine Hong Kingston | 11%
Chang-Rae Lee | 14%
Other | 46%

What best explains the remarkable disparity between the numbers of published AA female and male authors?
More AA females write than do AA males | 17%
American publishers have a fetish for Asian female authors | 32%
American publishers have an aversion toward strong AA male voices | 14%
Americans have a fetish for Asian female-white male themed books | 37%

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WHAT YOU SAY

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On Ten Thousand Sorrows: To Adopted Asian, of course you have a right to say you like the writing about adoption in America. I don't have an argument with that section: Kim is writing more from reality there. It's that initial section (the first part of the book) that takes place in Korea that is ridiculous. It is full of errors. And yes, I have an M.A. in Korean Studies so I do KNOW Korean history and language to know that Kim could not possibly have experienced the 'honor killing' the way she said it did. Secondly, to Whitespace, while it may be true that women in many countries, including this one, have been killed over their choice of partner due to race, you have to be very careful about calling it with the culturally specific term, 'honor killing.' That's why Doubleday retracted the statement, that's why it hasn't gone to paperback, and that's why we remain ignorant about Asia, despite your plea for knowledge about Asian history. To call it an 'honor killing' is a gross error. She could have said Korea is patriarchal, or even a sexist society. But instead she makes a ludicrous charge about a cultural practice that doesn't exist there. I could point out the errors (some 15 pages compiled by a scholar I know), but what's the point? I can even forgive Amy Tan lovers because at least that's fiction and if you like it, then that's your honest opnion. But this is a non-fiction memoir and people are accepting Kim's words as the truth about Korea, paticularly since she takes it upon herself to act as the 'cultural authority' for Korea, explaining customs, rituals and language terms for the reader, and INCORRECTLY I might add. Someone at Doubleday ought to fact-check the hell out of the next book on Korea. And for you people who are obscuring the issue by taking up your personal hang-ups or gripes with Korean culture, there are ways to criticize Korea without being so grossly ignoant and offensive.
CDOT Monday, April 15, 2002 at 10:08:52 (PDT)

Why does everyone love to bash Amy Tan? Well mostly AM's. Not that all AMs are bad husbands and abusive, but some are and maybe she experienced horrible abuse at the hands of an AM. You're going to tell me that all Chinese men of that time treated their wives like princesses? Please.
nope Wednesday, April 10, 2002 at 20:08:50 (PDT)

Has anyone read "The Binding Chair" by Kathryn Harrison? It's an incredible book.
bookworm Thursday, April 04, 2002 at 06:51:55 (PST)

History Buff:
That's because AM being jerks doesn't directly affect white women and benefits white men.
huu76 Friday, March 29, 2002 at 03:18:47 (PST)

Like many like herself, Amy (chip on shoulder) Tan. Uses Asian Males as a scapegoat for her own inadequacies, and she profits a great deal from it (at our expense). Since to her this is what sells her books, that is bashing on Asian males, she will use that fully to her advantage.

I for one will never be fooled by her deceptions.

Mongol Horde Thursday, March 28, 2002 at 23:00:35 (PST)

Hey I was wondering if you guys can recommend any good books by asian american authors? Im chinese myself born there but raised here in the states. Well for the most part of my life ive been trying to search for an identity and hopefully learn more about who i am and my heritage. For some reason my parents are pretty cloak and daggery about it all. And so for i havent found anything but alienation and depression. I wonder if there are any books that can help me through it all or atleast give me some sort of idea of what to do, thanks.
AzNMoFo Thursday, March 28, 2002 at 13:44:08 (PST)

Here's my two cents on the subject:

So writers like Amy Tan or whoever didn't have a nice experience with Asian men, but that doesn't mean that all Asian men are chauvinist jerks.

It's like some Asian author writing a book in Asia about living in American culture and calls all whites racists because he had bad experiences with racist whites.

The problem is that most Americans take Tan's word for it.
Asian History Buff Wednesday, March 27, 2002 at 11:21:19 (PST)

I have to differ in the negative opinion of Ten Thousand Sorrows. I Okay, uh. Fact Check on adopting children from Korea. I was lucky enough to be adopted at the age of 7 from an orphanage in Korea.
And i have to say, that none of you know **** about what it was like. I still remember being made fun of and being called a ghost because my family name was unknown. It's very hard to get married into a korean family if you're adopted. I'm sorry but I don't think that any of you have a right to criticize unless you really have a solid understanding of Asian history, and culture which is very rich in superstitions. It's ignorant, and at the same time you are being a hypocrite if you don't do the research yourself.
Adopted Asain who hasn't forgotten Thursday, March 21, 2002 at 10:06:33 (PST)

I've read both Ten Thousand Sorrows as well as many of Amy Tans books. As for the comment on Ten Thousand Sorrows having to have been fictional due to the 'Honor Killing,'I must argue that despite the fact that I am not proud of this, Koreans did do this in the past as it did happen to my grandmothers closest friend. I read Amy Tan's books because I can completely identify with that 'male stereotype' of asain men. And I can honestly say that my mother reads her books because she and I have grown closer in understanding eachother, and dealing with the abuse of my father. Does anyone do any research about our history anymore?
whitespace Thursday, March 21, 2002 at 09:52:44 (PST)

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