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40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
Accidental Asian: Sellout or sign post?, June 8, 2000
It's great to see so much activity in the reading community about this book! Especial thanks to "reader from Seattle", ax174, simon chiu, rd.fuchs and big ups to Ro S. Hoo (tell it, brother)for their comments and insights.For the record, I liked the book, but that doesn't stop me from having some serious reservations about the vision of Asian America that Eric portrays. However, as my brothers and sisters have pointed out: it is HIS life folks, so at the very least we have to let him tell his story. On the other hand, does he speak for everyone? Clearly not. I also thought that he had some glib responses to really important issues but it wouldnt have suited his style to get to closer grips with some of them. So I agree with everyone who said that the book needs mad context (see the folks mentioned below). The bigger issue in some ways is that Eric's little book has forced us to think about several key issues (and of course, he's not the first to do so: there's a big list of them -Frank Chin, David Mura, Maxine Hong Kingston, Amy Tan, Ron Takaki, Evelyne Hu-De Hart, Roger Daniels (yep even the lo fan have stuff to teach us- to name a few): First, there's class. How rich your family was/is, and where you went to school make a big difference in this country, ......... having money means you can insulate yourself (and I mean that in the least judgemental way possible) from people who will tell you directly that that's what they think of you. Eric captures some of the ambivalences and double consciousness of being in that class postion very well. But he doesn't go far beyond expressing his uneasiness for the "FOB"s and "Tongyun Gai lo"s who inhabit the shadows of his suburban life. That's because "we" (middle-class, well-educated second-plus generation Chinese Americans -and other Diasporans)have yet to come to terms with "them" -those "other" Asians. The ones who haven't moved on up. Are we ashamed of them? Do they make us look bad? Do we want to be identified with "them"? Many of us gain great benefit from being model minorities. Eric clearly has. Sure, he's worked hard and sure he's had his share of existential doubts. But at the end of the day, do we really have any experiential solidarity with the waiters and the slaughter-house workers and the sweat-shop workers? We feel we're supposed to (because we all look the same, right?) but do we walk the walk, or do we simply carry on in the good old individualistic American Way? The second issue is related to the first. Going beyond the class divisions within the Chinese community, What does it mean to be "Asian" when there was no historical, cultural or racial solidarity to begin with? How do we manufacture solidarity if our experiences of racism (perhaps the only thing holding us together) are so varied? I know this is an old issue, but it will keep coming up because the criteria we use to define our (personal) identities keep shifting. Those of us who grew up in the sixties and seventies never had to deal with a racist government who wouldnt let your elders be American citizens if they werent born here. We weren't barred from restaurants or barbershops or cinemas because of our race. We werent shipped off to Manzanar or Tule Lake. We didnt know people who were killed or arrested or beaten up by "the man" for being Chinese or Japanese or Filipino or Korean. Maybe we have a bit of survivor's guilt for not having had to go through that. In any case, our experience of race and racism are not the same and so the identities that resonate for us are not going to be the same. Even for people in the same "cultural" box. The last point I want to make has to do with gender and inter-racial relationships. Eric at least has been as honest as he wants to be with this issue. I like David Mura's work on this topic too. And while love may be just love, people will politicize it whether you want to or not, so when you go there, you (both) have to be ready for the consequences. It's not enough to invoke freedom of choice because the way in which we are sexualized or racialized or class-ized by others (and the way we see others ourselves) have effects. At the very least it would be really useful to get more direct input from some of the sisters on what they think about this. Oh, one more thing: I don't think you can use something like going to China as a one-size-fits-all experience. For me, China was profoundly disturbing, and it made me realize that I was a Diasporan and not a Chinese guy from China. Going to China simply pulls out things that are already inside you. In my experience, it doesn't really add anything more. One of the problems for those of us who are not immigrants (and not "mainstream") is that our identities are not mapped out for us by clear models or boundaries or signposts. In some ways, we have to make it up as we go along and that's a pretty tall order. Eric's book is one attempt to put up a signpost, it may not lead in the right direction for some of us, but at least it gives us a sense of where we might go: the same way or any way but that! I don't think I'd want to have Eric's life (although I'm sure it's very nice), but at least I know the path he's walking down. He deserves four stars for that.
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47 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
Written for moderate, middle-class Asian Americans, August 18, 1998
By A Customer
Had this book remained a narrative of one man's experience of the pain and rewards of migration and assimilation to American society, I might have given this book five stars. Liu's reflections on his father, grandmother, and himself are very moving, controlled, and extremely well-written. However, when he ventures into the realm of political commentary, it becomes clear that Liu has a number of blind spots. You might find his commentary true if you actually are an American-born Asian, socially, linguistically, and economically assimilated. However, I felt that Liu left out quite a bit of what it really means to be of Asian descent in this country. He does not delve too deeply into the pains one experiences when separated physically and linguistically from one's past and even from one's parents. Of course, Liu, a political commentator on a national network and a speechwriter for President Clinton, has been well-compensated for his assimilation into the American mainstream. However, I submit that for many Asians in this country, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Cambodians, Laotians, and mixed Asians, life in America has been an unbearably lonely and at times miserable experience of alienation and misrecognition. I do agree that Asians in this country do, in a way, live up to the image of the "model minority", but I must also say that the success is tenuous. Richard Rodriguez, to whom Liu is (in many ways unjustifiably) compared, commented that "The best metaphor for America remains the dreadful metaphor: the Melting Pot. Jump into the Melting Pot, fall into the Melting Pot, resist the Melting Pot, it makes no difference. You will find yourself a stranger to your parents, to your own memory of yourself." I believe that this short excerpt captures the essence of what it means to be a second US-born generation American of immigrant parentage far more aptly then Liu's entire book does. What makes this book even less appealing is that Liu trivializes the efforts of Asian Americans in the sixties, irresponsibly not realizing that first of all, these Asians came from a completely different background from Liu's, and that second of all, there are many young and educated Asian Americans today who do appreciate the efforts of Asian Americans of previous generations. To conclude, I believe that Liu's wordplay on the title of James Baldwin's book "Notes of a Native Son" is an unjustified rip-off. Baldwin delved deeply into areas of identity and humanity where Liu barely wades. Liu's self-conscious references to Baldwin and Rodriguez in fact do Liu a disservice by making it seem as though "The Accidental Asian" were merely an Asian submission to fill the required quota of this genre and nothing more.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
touching memoir, February 17, 2000
being an 'asian american' myself, i have to be honest, i am biased with my rating. i loved this book. partly because he is an exceptional writer...witty, clever, clear, not boring at all. and partly because i related completely to the descriptions he shares with us. amazingly, many of the reflections on his life directly mirrored my same experiences and thoughts, down to little details, like visiting his grandmother at her cement block apartment. but interspersed throughout his memoirs are touching vignettes that center around a tender moment with members of his family, which any one around the world can relate with. Beyond this, liu creates an interesting read on our view of racial standards in america and this need to define ourselves by our race. he makes comparisons between the asians and other races that have already 'assimilated' and succeeded in america. he also describes his emotional angst when american politics start pointing fingers to his ancestral ties. again, these are his memoirs, his thoughts and experiences. you don't have to agree with him. he is simply sharing his viewpoint, a very interesting one. i highly recommend this book.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
A compelling Asian-American voice, March 17, 2002
"The Accidental Asian" is a series of autobiographical essays by Eric Liu, a former speechwriter for President Bill Clinton. The book focuses on the topic of Asian-American identity. Issues include the following: being an "ABC" (American-born Chinese), being the son of an immigrant, defining "Chineseness," the birth of "[t]he Asian-American identity," and the fallout from the "Asian money" political scandals of the 1990s. More personal topics include an account of his own father's battle against kidney disease.Liu writes a very readable prose. Many of his ideas are provocative, and could, I imagine, spark some lively debate. I was intrigued by the parallels he drew between Asian-American experience and that of other minority groups (Jews, gays and lesbians, Hispanics), and also by his distinction between biculturalism and omniculturalism. Definitely useful reading for the Tiger Woods millennium. For a fascinating companion text, try "Blood, Bread, and Poetry," by Adrienne Rich, or "The Fire Next Time," by James Baldwin.
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25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
Thought provoking observations, but flawed conclusions, May 18, 1999
By A Customer
As a 2nd generation Chinese American myself, I was able to empathize with many of the issues that Mr. Liu confronts. His observations pertaining to family, stereotypes, and the political ramifications of being Asian in America are perceptive, poignant, and often heartfelt. Hence the 2 stars. However, my problem with this book and why I did not award it more stars is not with the observations, but with the conclusions he draws from those observations, which are misguided, if not simply erroneous. Of these conclusions, the one I found most troubling and the one that forms the basis of his thesis is his assertion that he has assimilated. In fact, he declares it so many times you get the sense that he wrote this book as a therapeutic tool of self-affirmation. And I say this because I too used to think like Mr. Liu when I was his age - that I had assimilated. My opinion took a dramatic turn after living for awhile in Asia and realizing upon returning that I had not truly assimilated and that assimilation is a 2 way street - the act of one's assimilation is complete only when society embraces one's assimilation. Going to an Ivy League school, wearing preppy clothing, vacationing at B&Bs and marrying a white woman does NOT mean you have assimilated. And repeated declarations to that effect does not make it so. Consequently, I found Mr. Liu's perception of himself sad, if not downright pathetic. Whether misguided by his own demons or simply naive, he is living a life of self-deception and much of the book has a tone of strained justification to perpetuate that deception. I highly recommend to Mr. Liu that he spend an extended period of time in Asia as I had done. And I don't mean spending a month long vacation - I mean actually living there for awhile so that he can experience the subtle differences in the way he is perceived and treated in this country and in a country that is predominantly Asian. Only then will he truly understand what complete assimilation means and that "omniculturalism" in the U.S. is still wishful thinking.
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28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
accidental race awareness, August 8, 2002
By titling the book "The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker" Eric Liu leaves little doubt as to his outlook on racial self-identity. He is Asian only by 'accident'--if it were up to him he would shed his skin like an ermine coat in summer. He wants to make sure you know he is a Native Speaker. Of what? And this is supposed to shock and please: don't all Asians speak English with a bad accent? On his list of things about himself that he thinks people might characterize as 'white', Eric Liu mentions that he speaks 'unaccented English'. The mere fact that he thinks an 'unaccented English' exists at all speaks volumes--the myth that there is a normalcy, an order in which anything that is not mainstream is to be slapped with otherness. There is the Southern 'accent'; there is the Australian 'accent'; and he speaks the 'unaccented' English. Oh the model minority. The good ol' 'if you try hard enough, you can almost become white' sentiment, without the hard edge. The same type of racial unawareness would persist throughout the rest of the book. And the fascinating thing about the book is that it is supposed to be a reflection on racial self-identity. Eric Liu describes how in college he avoided Asian student groups because he did not want to be a member of self-segregating, crusading fanatics. He prides himself on the fact that race notwithstanding he was able to penetrate into the 'center of power'--if being a speech writer for Clinton can justify that claim. He never was subject to ostensible forms of racism. What Eric Liu does not realize is that if things were as easy for most people of color as they were for him, nobody would in their right minds choose to be a race militant. The book does, however, appear to have honest intentions. Eric Liu speaks in the first person not of opinions or personal agenda, at least for the most part, but questions and reflections. He may not be adequately knowledgeable about race issues--partly due to the upper middle class success that shields him from reality--but at the very least he makes an effort to examine them. The book has the appearance and the candor of an edited personal diary, telling stories that many Asian Americans can relate to. Episodes like the struggle with Asian hair, the rebellion against stereotypes by running the opposite direction, the history of assimilation and then rebirth of self-identity, and the adolescent frustration with 'getting chicks'--would evoke the shared experience and the understanding smile on perhaps 9 out of every 10 Asian American men. The book is a recommendable read, although readers who do not hope to deceive themselves should also read Malcom X's autobiography and "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" by Dr. Tatum--books that I itched to send to Eric Liu while I was reading his book.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
A few flaws, but an otherwise excellent book., December 5, 2004
The author gives an account of growing up in America as the child of Chinese immigrants from Taiwan. He mentions his awkward teenage years, attending Yale University, and choosing a career path different from that of the stereotypical Asian-American: Marine officer, political staffer, television commentator, and essayist.
The first essay is a well-written, powerful tribute to the author's father, who immigrated to the United States and ultimately spending a majority of his life in his new country. This essay alone would prompt me to recommend this book to all immigrants and their children, Asian or otherwise.
This book is at its best when the author reflects on his own life and identity. However, when he drifts into pondering questions on assimilation and "omniculturalism," he forgets that he speaks only for well-educated, upper-middle class Asians born in the United States. To uneducated fishermen, indentured domestic servants, restaurant workers, and other blue collar Asians, assimilation will be far more difficult, if not impossible. Because the author appears to ignore this and other barriers to assimilation, I have to disagree with his theory that today's Asians are the "New Jew."
Overall, the book was a good read, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Asian-American culture. However, this book is hardly an authoritative look at Asian-Americans, and it only provides one man's perspective.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
The Asian American Experience Explained, September 29, 2001
As a second generation Chinese American, Eric Liu has spent much of his young life confronting issues of race, assimilation, and cultural identity, whether he wanted to or not. The MSNBC commentator, Washington Post contributor, and former Clinton speechwriter has assembled a thoughtful and introspective collection of essays on what it means to be "Asian" in America today, and the role race plays in our society. "The Accidental Asian" is Liu's successful attempt to explain the struggle many Asian Americans face as they attempt to balance a multicultural existence. The author provides well-balanced arguments for what can be described as his own multi-cultural personality complex. He defines the many cultural dilemmas he and many Asian Americans face - he "feels" American, however he "looks" Chinese, and is sometimes treated differently because of his appearance. He discusses the many facets of race and its role in American society, and how culture shapes who we are and how others perceive us.Liu brightly and candidly explores ethical, racial and societal questions that are often not addressed outright by the Asian community or others. His essays are intelligent, inquisitive, and thought provoking, and his writing style is clean and elegant. He manages to delve deep into racial ethics without coming off as preachy, whiney or defensive. This book must have been very cathartic for Liu to write - he explores and discusses issues of race that have shaped how others perceive him, and he seems at peace with his multi-cultural roles. I got the sense that a lifetime of thought had gone into Liu's essays, and that by publishing this book he was sharing his most private and candid views on race, his own ethnicity, and his one-time desire to assimilate into "white" culture. He is unafraid to share his thoughts on all sides of racial issues, and it is refreshing to have an author be so up front about race and culture. I am not of Asian descent, and I feel that "The Accidental Asian" is a powerful and though-provoking read for people of all cultural backgrounds.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
Asian Americans will always be seen as Forever Tourists, June 15, 1999
By A Customer
I've read some of the other reviews and have this to say: No matter how much an Asian American has achieved or assimilated, some unknowledgeable (ethnocentric or some other harsher words) people will always judge them by the way they look- like Asians, who all belong in Asia. Only recently have Asians been seen being fully assimilated or should I say 'accepted.' Even if you (Asian) feel comfortable enough to do somethings, people are not ready it. I was caught off-guard at an airport in the midwest talking, laughing loudly (very uncharacteristic of the stereotypic asian) and that really shocked the 'Americans' (non Asians). The funny thing is (even from reading these reviews) that people like Eric (and I feel, myself) is that we will be disparaged from non Asians and less 'assimilated' Asians. On the one hand we will always appear (by the 'colour' of our skin) outsiders and the other, betrayers to our own race. In California, New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles, this is not a problem, but try the Midwest or the South or even western Europe- no, forget western Europe, try eastern Europe (yuha!). The book is intriguing in the questions it puts on the table and his experiences/struggles to find his place in American society, but, like other reviewers, I find that he hasn't yet found an answer for them yet. One older reviewer seems to have an interesting view by saying Eric should live in China for a while, where everyone is Asian and it would probably feel damn normal- not an everyday struggle to feel a part of a society that naturally rejects you. A good read for the 20 year old college student wondering how the world will treat them outside of academia and the forgiveness of youth. Eric probably has another book coming and I am looking forward to it.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Interesting Perspective, July 26, 1998
By A Customer
The Accidental Asian makes for quick, fascinating reading. Eric Liu is very eloquent and his viewpoints are very thought provoking. I really recommend the book. But however, his viewpoint is of an "ABC" who grew up primarily in a white suburb and occasionally visits the "Old Chinatown" (in NY). He does mention Monterey Park and the new Little Taipei but lacks experience in that community. There's a whole new world of Asian Americans out there in Southern California left to be explored hopefully by other authors. We immigrated to the U.S. when we're in grade school and grew up in the U.S. in mixed culture and race neighborhoods unlike the polar extremes presented in Eric's book: white suburban neighborhood or a very Chinesee-Chinatown. We grow up fully aware and accepting of our dual-cultural upbringing and identity...and quite comfortable at that. It's like the Irish Americans and the Italian Americans...we're Chinese Americans. We also grew! up in affluent, professional Asian American neighborhoods, with friends who all attend prestigious universities and graduate school. Eric does make a good point that the "Asian American" is an artificial and contrived term.
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