Don't make her sacrifice love to chase you. Fix that. Otherwise life doesn't lead life" (Ng, 2008, p. 163). I think these people stuck together because they had common experiences and a common background. It taught me how resilient the Asian community is. I think that today, they have lost some of this backbone that makes them so strong in the story. There is less a sense of community, and more Americanization, and it seems like something is lost in the process.
Ancestry is important in this character, as well. He thinks of Joice, "If her father had lived, would he have taught her that desire wasn't a road to knowledge, that love was never ideal, that yearning was not hope?" (Ng, 2008, p. 28). That is especially poignant because of Jack's own background. His mother sold him to Szeto's family when he was very young, so he never really knows his own family, and he is always beholden to Szeto. He is intensely loyal, even though he is not related by blood,...
He also puts love above family, above everything really, and he pays the price. Even though Joice rejects him, he is determined to raise their daughter and to make her a proud American, while she is determined to make him a U.S. Citizen.
The book taught me about mid-twentieth century San Francisco, especially Chinatown. The descriptions were so vivid that it was almost as if the sights, sounds, and smells were coming off the pages. Food plays an important part in the book, and in Jack's life, and that is apparent in the restaurant scenes, the kitchen scenes, and the descriptions of where he eats when he is not working. It is a very enjoyable book, and although Jack suffers many troubles throughout the book, they make him a stronger character and a better father, and I learned much about Asian-American culture and tradition by reading it.
References
Ng, F.M. (2008). Steer toward rock.…
