Contesting Genres in Contemporary Asian American Fiction
This book examines the influence of genre on contemporary Asian American literary production. Drawing on cultural theories of representation, social theories of identity, and poststructuralist genre theory, this study shows how popular prose fictions have
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Contesting Genres in Contemporary Asian American Fiction
Betsy Huang
Palgrave macmillan
CONTESTING GENRES IN CONTEMPORARY ASIAN AMERICAN FICTION
Copyright © Betsy Huang, 2010. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2010 978-0-230-10831-8 All rights reserved. First published in 2010 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN® in the United States - a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the World, this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-29109-0 ISBN 978-0-230-11732-7 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/9780230117327 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Huang, Betsy, 1966– Contesting genres in contemporary Asian American fiction / Betsy Huang. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. American fiction—Asian American authors—History and criticism. 2. Asian Americans in literature. 3. Fiction genres. I. Title. PS153.A84H825 2010 813 .609895073—dc22 2010014552 Design by Integra Software Services First edition: December 2010 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
C o n t e n ts
Acknowledgments Introduction: “Generic” Asian Americans? Troubling the Generic Waters “Regenreing” Fictions of Asian America 1 Generic Sui Generis: On Asian American Immigrant Fiction Genres of Assimilationism le thi diem thuy and The “I” We Are All Looking For Chang-rae Lee and the Counter-Gestures of Life Writing
vii 1 1 4 11 11 17 29
2 Recriminations: On Asian American Crime Fiction Criminalizing Asian America The Offenses of Charlie Chan and Chinatown The Difficult Case of Asian American Crime Fiction Dashiell Hammett’s Chinatown: “Dead Yellow Women” Wayne Wang’s Chinatown: Chan Is Missing Ed Lin’s Chinatown: This Is a Bust Susan Choi’s Radical Recriminations: American Woman
47 47 51
3 Reorientations: On Asian American Science Fiction Alienating Asian America Retooling Asian American Fiction, Regenreing Science Fiction Exemplary Estrangement: Ted Chiang’s “Story of Your Life”
95 95
55 59 66 72 80
100 102
vi
Contents
Mechanical Aspirations: Greg Pak’s Robot Stories Future Imperfect: Cynthia Kadohata’s In the Heart of the Valley of Love
113 127
Conclusion: The Genre is the Message
141
Notes
147
Bibliography
169
Index
179
Ac k n ow l e d g m e n ts
Heartfelt thanks to the following mentors, colleagues, students, friends, and family, who have had an impact on the completion of this book. My mentors at the University of Rochester, especially Jeffrey Tucker and the late Frank Shuffelton, whose genuine interest in my work and careful guidance through graduate training provided the intellectual foundations for my scholarly interests and research. Colleagues i
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