This new edition includes the original illustrations by Kathryn Uhl and features an introduction by Leslie Bow, who critically examines the changing reception and enduring legacy of the book and offers insight into Wong’s life as an artist and an ambassador of Chinese American culture. It was written at a time when few portraits of Asian American life were available, and no similar works were as popular and broadly appealing. The US State Department even sent its charismatic young author on a four-month speaking tour throughout Asia.Ĭited as an influence by prominent Chinese American writers such as Amy Tan and Maxine Hong Kingston, Fifth Chinese Daughter is a foundational work in Asian American literature. Her earliest memories center on the monthly arrival of the rice barrel. Only Chinese is spoken in the house, and her father is very strict. Originally published in 1950, Fifth Chinese Daughter was one of the most widely read works by an Asian American author in the twentieth century. Wong begins with her early childhood in San Francisco’s Chinatown she is the fifth daughter in a family that will eventually grow to nine children. Her decision sets off a balancing process between. Jade Snow Wong’s autobiography portrays her coming-of-age in San Francisco’s Chinatown, offering a rich depiction of her immigrant family and her strict upbringing, as well as her rebellion against family and societal expectations for a Chinese woman. She becomes determined to go to college and gain more independence than she has been taught to expect. Center for Teaching and Research on Writing.
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