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Big Little Man: In Search of My Asian Self Hardcover – June 10, 2014

by Alex Tizon (Author)

68 customer reviews

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An award-winning writer takes a groundbreaking look at the experience and psyche of the Asian American male.

　　 Alex Tizon landed in an America that saw Asian women as sexy and Asian men as sexless. Immigrating from the Philippines as a young boy, everything he saw and heard taught him to be ashamed of his face, his skin color, his height.

　His fierce and funny observations of sex and the Asian American male include his own quest for love during college in the 1980s, a tortured tutorial on stereotypes that still make it hard for Asian men to get the girl. Tizon writes: "I had to educate myself on my own worth. It was a sloppy, piecemeal education, but I had to do it because no one else was going to do it for me."

　And then, a transformation. First, Tizon’s growing understanding that shame is universal: that his own just happened to be about race. Next, seismic cultural changes – from Jerry Yang’s phenomenal success with Yahoo! Inc., to actor Ken Watanabe’s emergence in Hollywood blockbusters, to Jeremy Lin’s meteoric NBA rise.

　Finally, Tizon’s deeply original, taboo-bending investigation turns outward, tracking the unheard stories of young Asian men today, in a landscape still complex but much changed for the Asian American man.　

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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This hybrid memoir-history, written compellingly by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and professor Tizon, moves back and forth and all around in the history of yellow men and women—the author (a Filipino), in particular, and all those who have come to be lumped into the politically correct category of Asian. Why are Asian women hot and Asian men not? How to make a white world understand the concept of wen wu (“the containment rather than the use of power”), which Westerners view as wimpiness and servitude? Growing up with U.S. culture portraying dim and unassertive yellow men on TV (e.g., on Bonanza) and in films (where the Asian guy never gets the girl), Tizon launches on a personal and historical exploration. From the yellow peril (WWII) to “Yellow Fever” (e.g., blogs about Asian women’s sexiness) to the yellow tornado (contemporary Asian sports and business stars), impressions are changing. And here, along with eye-opening information about such forgotten figures as the much-loved Chinese warrior-thinker Zheng He (a mid-1400s explorer), Tizon portrays his color-tinged youth, young adulthood, and life now in deeply felt, extensively researched, and question-filled prose. --Eloise Kinney

Review

"In Big Little Man Alex　Tizon fearlessly penetrates the core of not just what it means to be male and Asian in America, but what it means to be human anywhere."-Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild
"Part candid memoir, part incisive cultural study, Big Little Man addresses - and explodes - the stereotypes of Asian manhood. Alex Tizon writes with acumen and courage, and the result is a book at once illuminating and, yes, liberating." -Peter Ho Davies, author of The Welsh Girl "A well-paced, engaging combo of history, memoir, and social analysis. . . Tizon’s skill as a feature reporter serves the book well, producing a narrative that moves fluidly between subjects, settings, and gazes." -- Publishers Weekly “A deft, illuminating memoir and cultural history.” -- Kirkus Reviews "Written compellingly....eye-opening... deeply felt, extensively researched." -- Booklist "Tizon’s candid journey into the shifting and multiplying definitions of manliness and the masculine ideal is revelatory and sobering."-- Library Journal “Highly readable . . . This personal narrative of self-education and growth will engage any reader captivated by the sources of American, and Asian-American, manhood — its multitude of inheritances and prospects.” – Minneapolis Star Tribune

“At once a ruthlessly honest personal story and a devastating critique of contemporary American culture . . . What makes [Tizon’s] writing compelling is his ability to investigate and explain complex topics, deftly weaving in information from websites, history texts, university research and social media, combined with intense self-examination. His willingness to look inward gives him more authority to unpack some of the damaging misperceptions about Asian men.” -- Seattle Times

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Product details

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (June 10, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0547450486
ISBN-13: 978-0547450483
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 68 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #312,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #210 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Specific Demographics > Asian American Studies
- #536 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Journalists
- #2610 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National

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A Kim

Personal experiences that can apply to just about anyone (not just Asians)

December 31, 2014

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Just got done reading this over two days, and as a reader who can closely relate to the topics discussed (i.e. a twenty something asian guy) I was overall pleased with the work that Mr. Tizon has done here. His book touches base on a lot of topics that I suspect many Asian guys including myself have dwelled on, whether from time to time after a perceived slight or obsessively with self-defeat. I believe he did a good job telling his story of trying to fit in while interweaving a larger historical context of the interaction between East and West that has largely demeaned people of yellow skin. I also respected his measured approach and evenhandedness in not connecting the dots just to fit a dogmatic doctrine, as I feel is too often the case in some humanities. While some issues seemed to be painted with a broad brush, there was restraint and acknowledgement of gray areas that a lesser writer might not have shown. Alex presents plenty of cases of clear-cut racism, such as his encounter with the Gun Boy in the Bronx, but there are others where things aren't so clear-cut, like his girlfriend in Alaska who reassures him that she doesn't care about the size of his penis before pulling his pants down. He subsequently mulls over whether she just said that because he is Asian, but is self-aware enough to acknowledge the possibility that the problem is his brooding and pathos. A lot of hardship has come his way because people have put him in a box for his race, but Alex Tizon is mindful enough to realize that his pathos has amplified his pain in many ways, blinding him to a lot of positive things and people that have come his way. As a kind of neurotic, introspective guy that tends to overthink situations, I can definitely relate to that uneasiness and uncertainty when I wonder if a slight is real, or just in my head.

The book was highly readable, and I think the author underplays his capabilities as a writer when assessing his own talents. Some recollections of events from his past occasionally seemed to have a bit too dramatic of a flair in describing a scene, in the style of some immersion journalism articles you might find in Rolling Stone. But otherwise, Alex gets straight to the point and offers a great glimpse into his thoughtful mind without any pretense. The parts of the book that dragged a bit for me were on topics that I've heard plenty of times before, but that's owing more to my over-familiarity with said topics (lack of Asian males on screen, the perception of them as sexless, etc). The most interesting aspects of the book were looking at Asian figures and interactions with the West further back in history, such as the explorer Zheng He who preceded Columbus by some decades, and theories on the perpetuation of the view of Asians as servile with the wave of Chinese immigrants to the American Wild West. Tizon's recollection of the coverage of the My Lai massacre and the relative indifference to the Killing Fields of Cambodia in American classrooms are examples from more recent history were impactful. Another excerpt that stood out for me was his recollection of a new female Asian coworker at a newsroom where he once worked, who was at first doted over, but was quickly turned on when she showed her competence, independence and ambition. Overall a very eclectic array of experiences and events that meld in what I at least thought was a pretty cohesive package.

As an Asian American man who is about a couple generations removed from when Alex Tizon first came to America, his experiences written on paper elicited a sense of familiarity, while also confirming my belief that I have been relatively fortunate compared to those who came before me. Time has brought positive change, and while there's a long way to go, the trend points to better things. I felt sad at the pathos that still seems to have a grip on Mr. Tizon, although it is one that has loosened and changed as his views on manliness, duty, and life have changed. And as he theorized about the young, confident (at least on the surface) young Asian men that he has met on his Oregon University campus, my relatively sunnier disposition is likely a result of growing up in a more accepting time, with more examples of Asians in high profile positions that are taking steam out of persistent stereotypes.

I know this review has dragged on, but there were many feelings I felt I needed to put on page about this book. And while the subject matter may on the surface may only pertain to Asian males (and females), it's really about larger issues of self-worth and inner confidence, about finding a place in a world that may put their own, often demeaning and limited expectations on you. Really, anyone can get some perspective and some enlightenment from this half biography, half history lesson.

41 people found this helpful42 people found this helpful

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Zeejet

A painful and potent reflection of the Asian American male experience

July 26, 2018

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While the narrative reads like a memoir with side-musings containing historical context, the overall book is a painful and potent reflection of what it's like for many Asian American men growing up and living in the anglosphere (US, UK, AUS, CAN). It touches on issues of Orientalism, historical system racism, media portrayal, sexual exploitation of Asian women, and emasculation of Asian men.

These ideas aren't new; in fact you can find the same painful experiences expressed in Asian online spaces (like reddit, Twitter, and blogs/podcasts). The main difference is that this book is well-written, expressive, and far more introspective than the often inarticulate frustrations of the online space, which is often tinged and muddled by anger, bitterness, and desperation.

I would implore any Asian American (especially men) to give this a read. Non-Asians can learn a lot as well, but our struggles will likely mean nothing to you as our suffering does not impact the rest of the West in any measurable way.

One person found this helpful2 people found this helpful

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Rashmi

Made me see myself in the mirror

May 22, 2015

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I discovered this book at a time in my life when the author's thoughts and insights couldn't have been more instrumental. His open and intimate examination of the Asian American male experience made me reflect on my own as an Indian American female. In particular, I saw much more clearly how the media and cultural values of my American childhood (the late 70's and 80's) contributed to how I felt about my appearance and ultimately myself - never quite inside the right box. I related to his struggle for self-acceptance, and his book helped me move towards my own. This is a wonderful and important work and I look forward to reading more from him.

3 people found this helpful4 people found this helpful

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Adrian

An Enlightening Journey

October 19, 2014

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Thank you Alex Tizon for writing this book. Wow, every chapter were experiences and emotions I've personally been through and emotions felt. As a born and bred Asian American in my early twenties, the adolescent and college life examples hit home pretty hard. I appreciate his honest raw opinions and unforgiving truths. Reading this book gave me a liberating feeling, like a weight off my consciousness. Maybe because I know I'm not the only one that tripped into that dang 'hole'. "Big Little Man" will open your mind to the comprehensive challenges we live through daily, that sometimes tug at those heart strings. But lets not forget all of the progressions. I think all Asian American guys need to read this book!

4 people found this helpful5 people found this helpful

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Nancy Luna

For Any Asians Living in the West.

November 17, 2017

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I love books written by journalists and being Filipino-American, I relate to everything this writer discusses, from the obvious to the unspoken. He points out the lame things about our own culture, as well as the Western views/attitudes towards us; the pro & cons of being Asian in America as a man or woman.

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