Christine Burgos

Dr. Warner

English 112B

12 May 2005

 

Annotated  Bibliography: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Asian American Literature

Asian Americans make up a significant part of the American population, but their voices are often misheard.  Even in junior high and high school, Asian American literature not presented enough in English classes.  In my high school career, The Joy Luck Club was the only book written by an Asian American author that was ever assigned to me and my classmates.  This is one of the reasons why I thought this annotated bibliography project would be good for me-- because it would give me the opportunity  to see just how many books in the Asian American YA fiction category exist but are not known about by young adult readers. 

I think that students of all ethnicities and backgrounds would be able to relate to topics and characters presented in these works of realistic fiction because their themes are universal.  They deal with the struggles of life both culturally and individually.  These YA realistic fiction books would be perfect for young adults because they present the less-merciful yet very real side of society.   They illustrate how tough it is for Asian immigrants to assimilate into a new culture and keep the "old" one.  They also deal with racism and breaking away from the restrictions of their cultural traditions.  These books demonstrate reality for many individuals in the American society.

Brainard, Cecilia M.  Growing Up Filipino: Stories for Young Adults. Santa Monica, CA: Philippine American Literary House, 2003.

These 29 short stories offer a highly textured portrait of Filipino youth. Each story is introduced by a thumbnail sketch of the author and a paragraph or two about some element of Filipino culture or history that is relevant to the story. Authors include those born and continuing to live in the Philippines, emigres, and American-born Filipinos. Topics addressed include a gay youth's affection for his supportive mother, the role of religious didacticism in the formation of a childhood perception, consumer culture as it is experienced by modern teens in Manila, and coping with bullies of all ages and stations in life.
Summary taken from: "Review Growing Up Filipino: Philippines Literature." Philippine American Literary House.
http://www.palhbooks.com/cbrainardrevgro3.htm

Carlson, Lori M.American Eyes: New Asian American Stories for Young Adults.

Ten young Asian-American writers re-create the conflicts that all young people feel living in two distinct worlds -- one of memories and traditions, and one of today. Whether it includes dreams of gossiping with the prettiest blond girl in class, not wanting to marry the man your parents love, or discovering that your true identity is ultimately your decision, these extraordinary stories by writers of Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Hawaiian, Filipino, and Korean descent explore the confusion and ambivalence of growing up in a world different from the one their parents knew -- and the choices we all must make when looking for a world to which we want to belong.
Summary taken from: Random House of Canada Ltd. http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=0449704483

Garland, Sherry.  Shadow of the Dragon. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, 1993

Danny Vo, the teenage son of Vietnamese immigrants, has conflicting goals: on one hand he wants to date golden-haired Tiffany Marie and be just like the rest of his classmates in Texas, and on the other hand he wants to show respect for his tradition-bound grandmother, who rules the family with an iron fist. Into this volatile situation steps Sang Le, Danny's cousin, who has spent much of his life in a Communist "re-education" camp but has now come to join Danny's family. Garland adds to this mix a dangerous gang of Vietnamese youths and a band of angry skinheads who stalk the streets of the Vos' Houston suburb. The inevitable violence shatters all whom it touches.
Summary taken from: Publisher's Weekly. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0152735321/qid=1115900493/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-2618708-3619917

Irwin, Hadley. Kim/Kimi. New York: Puffin, 1988.

Even the warm, loving relationship Kim shares with her mother, her stepfather, and her half brother can not give sixteen-year-old Kim/Kimi the answers she needs. Half the time she is Kim Andrews, living in her all-white Iowa community-the other half she is Kimi Yogushi, searching for her true identity.  She must find out more about her Japanese-American father, who died before she was born, and his family, if there is any. Perhaps then she can solve her inner conflict.
Summary taken from: Puffin Books.

Kim, Helen S.  Long Season of Rain

Growing up in Korea during the '60s, four sisters are all devoted to their dutiful mother and resentful of their often absent father, but it is 11-year-old Junehee, the second oldest daughter, who is most affected by the friction between her parents and her mother's deep despair. Like her mother, Junehee feels sympathy for the boy who is brought to their house after being orphaned in a flood. Others, including Junehee's strict paternal grandmother, scorn Pyungsoo because he is from a lower class. Junehee's mother silently endures demeaning treatment and tries to ignore ridicule aimed at the child, until the day she is forbidden to adopt him. Shortly thereafter, both she and Junehee rebel against restrictions of their household and their society as their long-suppressed anger rises to the surface.
Summary taken from: Publisher's Weekly. Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805047581/102-5880282-6532113?v=glance

Lee, Marie G.  Finding My Voice.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1992

Ellen Sung is taken unawares by Tamper Sandel, and when he kisses her, her whole world shifts. She doesn't have time for a boyfriend, especially one who's probably not going to college. She's completely absorbed in keeping her grades up to please her strict immigrant parents, who will freak out if she doesn't get into Harvard. Even an evening with her best friend, Jessie, feels like guilty time away from her studies. She can't tell her parents about Tomper, or about the racist slurs she receives in school. These days, Ellen's not sure whom to please. And what about what she wants: does that matter at all?
Summary taken from: HarperTeacher.com http://www.harperchildrens.com/teacher/catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0064472450

Lee, Marie G. F is for Fabuloso. New York: Avon Books, 1999.

Jin-Ha, the main character in this book, was born in Korea and has been in the United States for two years. Her father is working at a job far below his level of education and her mother is learning English. When Jin-Ha comes home with an "F" in math, she tells her mom the "F" stands for "fabuloso," her friend's favorite word. Then she must improve her math grade to cover up her lie. To her surprise, she gets the most help in this struggle from the star hockey player after school, the same boy who calls her racist names when his friends are around.
Summary taken from: Sumi Hayashi. Pacific Rim Voices.org http://www.papertigers.org/book_reviews/USA/pacificReader/F_Fabuloso.html

Lee, Marie G. Necessary Roughness. New York: Harper Collins, 1996.

 

Chan and his sister Young move from Los Angeles to a small town in Minnesota with their parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Korea when the twins were small. Entering their junior year of high school, the siblings face numerous obstacles. They are the only Asians in town, and the fact that their mother and father practice many of the old-world Korean customs that clash with Chan and Young's more Americanized desires is paramount. Chan, who tells the story, finds refuge on the high-school football team, his practicing and playing experiences making up a large part of the book. Both teens face bigotry and prejudice, but begin to adjust to the new school and town. They confide in one another and try to figure out how to deal with their rigid father.
Summary taken from: School Library Journal.  Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0064471691/104-2618708-3619917?v=glance

Na, An. A Step from Heaven. Asheville, NC : Front Street, 2001.

Young Ju leaves her small fishing village in Korea for a new life in "Mi Gook" - America - when she is four years old. In this place that is supposed to be "a step from heaven" her mother and father work numerous harsh physical jobs so that their daughter and American-born son might lead easier lives. A series of vignettes portrays the world of a girl caught between countries and generations, held by the power of love and the violence of despair. Young Ju's family struggles to stay afloat and the reader bears witness to the family's battles with economic hardship and physical violence as her desperate father descends into alcoholism. We are left with the courage which begins the book as Young Ju, aided by the strength of her mother, heads for a brighter future. It is Young Ju's future for which Uhmma has sacrificed and Apa has yearned.
Summary taken from: Multnomah County Library: Talk it up! http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-stepfrom.html

Roley, Brian A. American Son. New York: W.W. Norton, 2001.

American Son is the story of two Filipino brothers adrift in contemporary California. The older brother, Tomas, fashions himself into a Mexican gangster and breeds pricey attack dogs, which he trains in German and sells to Hollywood celebrities. The narrator is younger brother Gabe, who tries to avoid the tar pit of Tomas's waywardness, yet moves ever closer to embracing it. Their mother, who moved to America to escape the caste system of Manila and is now divorced from their American father, struggles to keep her sons in line while working two dead-end jobs. When Gabe runs away, he brings shame and unforeseen consequences to the family. Full of the ache of being caught in a violent and alienating world, American Son is a debut novel that captures the underbelly of the modern immigrant experience.
Summary taken from: Publisher. http://www.wwnorton.com/catalog/spring01/032154.htm.