As an actor, he’s relegated to the jobs of Asian Guy and Background Oriental Male on the cop chow, “Black and White,” that’s perpetually filming in the neighborhood. Chinatown living in one of the units and working in the kitchen of the Golden Palace when he’s not an actor. The main building the story takes place functions as the Golden Palace restaurant on the first floor and single room housing (SRO) in the units above. Exotic and other, even though its history goes as far back as the United States itself. It’s the constant backdrop of China in America that’s supposed to represent a foreign place carved out of the American existence. Reading each tells different perspectives of the Asian American identity, and together unlock a sharp commentary of how that experience shapes us.Ĭharles Yu’s third novel, Interior Chinatown, takes place in Chinatown, USA, because Chinatown can be anywhere and represent anything. Turns out Interior Chinatown is less in conversation with Hollywood, and more alined with Cathy Park Hong’s book, Minor Feelings. Half a decade of listening to and discussing all that got tiring, so I initially avoided reading Charles Yu’s latest book. It boils down to the lack of roles, the lack of opportunities to tell our own stories, and the stereotypes Asians in entertainment get pigeon holed into. Each book on its own tells a part of the Asian American experience and together shed light on the complexities of the roles we play.Īfter spending seven years immersing myself in the creative Asian American community––think YouTubers, Crazy Rich Asians, even subtle asian traits––I’m pretty familiar with how the conversation about representation in media goes.
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