Chinese-Americans in search of their roots

The extent to which this book will interest readers in Taiwan is open to question. The In Search of Roots program discussed here was Beijing-funded and Beijing-organized, and in addition the people Andrea Louie studies were almost all of Cantonese origin. Taiwanese, by contrast, frequently feel an even more complex identity fragmentation. What is astonishing is how often this is happily and apparently easily resolved. I can't count the number of times people here have said to me simply "I'm Taiwanese," whether they were born in the US, studied there, have parts of their families there, or simply enjoy flying to San Francisco and hiring a car to visit the Grand Canyon.

Nonetheless, there are some fascinating insights. Aren't Chinese-Americans just like African Americans or Latinos, you might ask. Not really, this author replies. Whereas African-Americans usually have no cultural contacts at all with the continent from which their ancestors came, Chinese-Americans typically have too much, or are perceived as having too much. They tend to, for instance, use chopsticks, eat different food, and observe different festivals. Those who don't do these things can be subject to adverse criticism by their elders.

Or again, look at music. African-Americans can claim to have a particular access to many kinds of originally black musical traditions. Latinos can claim an affinity with a wide range of Latin musical styles. Both of these can result in their having attractive cultural profiles among their contemporaries, especially the young. But Chinese music? It doesn't even exist in the consciousness of the international youth culture. Another route to full integration for immigrants of Chinese ethnicity is thus unavailable.

This is a sane and responsible study. It's blessedly lacking in academic jargon (the tide of which, anyway, appears to be receding). Short accounts written by participants in the travel scheme alternate with the author's own more scholarly chapters, and if no world-shaking conclusions are come to, it's on the whole of no great matter.