Asian-American Literature? What Constitutes the Term Paper

Persons who do not know about his traditional, middle class, White bread upbringing in upstate New York call upon him to represent the 'Asian viewpoint' when he is asked, for instance, to be a talking head or commentator on a scandal relating to America's relationship with China. Liu has decided he is Asian-American, almost by default -- because he is seen as Asian in America, he is an Asian-American, whether he likes it or not.

This uncomfortable embrace of minority status and the terms that encompass their identity seems unique to the Asian-American experience. Unlike African-American's common experience of oppression and history of slavery, Asian-Americans often identify as such because of their immediate classification as 'other' in America, whether they see themselves as 'others' or not. This classification is not always chosen, and it seldom encompasses their national history.In facts, it blends many Asian national identities into one identity. Always, there is a concern about how one is seen on the outside, as Asian, and how one experiences one's self on the inside, as a Japanese person or simply an American. However, it is this complexity and awareness of self-doubt and estrangement that makes reading 'Asian-American' literature ultimately such an enriching, complex experience.

Works Cited

Kim, Suki. The Interpreter. New York: Random House, 2003.

Liu, Eric. The Accidental Asian. Random House, 2003.

Okada, Jon. No Boy.….....