Recently, the Toronto Star had a series of articles about Canadian culture, and interviewed many young people, mostly visible minorities and first or second generation Canadian. Some talked about tradition and how they're going to raise their children according to culture and some said that their parents don't really care. None of the visible minority interviewees said much about being more integrated into the so-called "mainstream" Canadian culture (though a white guy said that it's important to keep old cultures AND integrate) than the old country culture. I wonder why. Maybe it's Canada's multicultural policy. You don't see media (US, Canadian or overseas) talk much about minorities who ARE integrated into so-called "white" culture all that much. Sure, there was The Cosby Show in the US, but that was in the 1980s and it was criticized by many as being "unrealistic."
So, what does this all have to do with writing and/or my book (I guess you're probably expecting me to bring up Elizabeth Chan, the Asian character in Aspirations who is kind of YASPy (a "yellow" WASP)). Well, yes, kind of, but I'm going to talk about how I, as an "ethnic" writer, am expected to write "ethnic" stories. I don't know how many people who have not seen the cover of Aspirations, ask me about the book. When I tell them that the girl on the cover is a blonde, they're in shock. Most people, regardless of ethnicity expect me to write "child of immigrant struggle" type stories. They expect me to be like Amy Tan. They don't expect a blonde protagonist nor do they expect a minority character who is rebellious, but at the same time NOT rebellious. What do you think? Do you think "ethnic" writers are expected to write "ethnic" stories? Is it all that shocking that most of my characters aren't Chinese?
By the way, writing ethnic stories isn't something that I'm going to completely abandon. It's just something that I'm not really going to explore right now.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
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I'm an American and coming from a black American perspective but here, blacks are still seen as "The Other". We go to the same schools, watch the same TV shows, were the same clothes, read the same books, raise our kids the same way, etc but will always be seen as "Black" first. The Cosby Show had nothing to do with "assimilation" because that implies that only white people are successful, wealthy, in long-term marriages, have prestigious jobs and have well-adjusted children.
The reason why it was criticized as "unrealistic" because black people, throughout the history of the US, have been treated as scum if they don't "assimilate"(aka get up off your ass and stop living off the government) and so black people are sensitive to upper-class black people because they seem to buy into the ideals white American has placed on us as lazy, no-good SOBs unless we "whiten up" and copy them. It's patronizing, plus the fact that the mainstream media has painted all black people as one way for so long in order to tear us down. The Cosby Show was even criticized as "unrealistic" by white critics--and did you know that Cliff was supposed to have been a garbage man until Bill's wife (who is from the black elite) suggested he change that.
As for ethnic people and the expectations of readers and the publishing industry, I consider it a Catch-22 I recently blogged about.
I don't think it is at all shocking that most of your characters aren't Chinese.
Although I'm not a visible minority, I have an "ethnic"-sounding name, and I always find it odd and somewhat disconcerting that people expect me to be able to speak the language that they associate with my name. (Never mind that it's been five generations since anyone in my family has spoken the language.) It's a very big presumption to make about someone and it's an even bigger presumption to expect that a "minority" would also only write about "immigrant" culture. I think it's refreshing to read about successful immigrants who have integrated into society and about the stories of children of immigrants from a different perspective.
Best of luck with your future writing endeavours. How has Aspirations been doing on the Amazon rankings lately?
Yay, for the 'burden of representation'. < /sarcasm >.
Which is what it comes down to - as you are a voice outside of mainstream representation, you are expected to represent 'The Other'. Either to be a mediator (to the predominately white audience) or an ambassador (for the 'ethnic' culture you belong to, speak 'their stories on their behalf'. Their voice is yours, remember).
I am writing a book. I am black. It has black people in it. But I don't want people reading it thinking, that is the extent, the sum of black experience. (Or that you can really quantify 'black experience', especially when no-one talks about 'white experience'.) They are just people living lives. They happen to be black.
This is a stupid (because fiction is fiction and not fact, if it's autobiographical then the biography part is hidden) and possibly bigoted question (because it is sort of assuming that your characters would be Chinese rather than white) but how come the protagonist is blonde? Was it a conscious decision on your part to not have a character who shared your 'minority ethnicity' or did such things not even cross your mind?
You have to read the book to find out why it's necessary for the protagonist to be white. It mostly has to do with the fact that her family is multigenerational middle/upper middle class with connections academia in the country that she currently lives in. (She also has possible connections to an organization that would likely have had race restrictions in the past, but again, you'll have to read it to find out.) It would be impossible for a Chinese family to be like that, UNLESS the family was connected to these things in China or other parts of East Asia.
I guess, really the question I am trying to ask is why tell that story - where the protagonist needs to be white - rather than one that has Chinese characters at its core? Not that you MUST write a book focused on people that share your 'ethnicity', but why didn't you? Was that a conscious decision?
Or were you just so enamored by the particular story you ended up telling? Usually people stick within their boxes, but you didn't, I'm curious about that (even though it is sort of narrow-minded to be so).
I am actually keen to read the book now, but alas and alack, it is not available in the UK at present. Might have to mosey on over to amazon.com.
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