Analysis Of Identity In Chinese American Literary Texts Gish Jen's Typical American And Mona In The Promised Land

After the renowned writers like Maxine Hong Kingston and Amy Tan, Gish Jen gained great acclaim from the public. Typical American, Jen's debut novel, narrates the struggle to pursue for the American Dream of the first generation Chinese intellectuals in America in 1940s. Delineating their hardships and struggles, successes and failures, thoughts and feelings in their immigration experience, the story criticizes the myth of American Dream.Jen's second novel, Mona in the Promised Land, which continues to describe the second-generation immigrant children's exploration of their identities in the tumultuous and iconoclastic 1960s, is the sequel of the first one. Jen challenges the authenticity of Americanness so as to break away from the stereotyped subject matter of ethnic literature. The novel also touches upon the complexity, variety and fluidity of identity of all minority groups in the multicultural American society. In Gish Jen's opinion, identity should not be decided by your race or blood, it is changeable, fluid and it is chosen rather than made or born.The second generation Chinese American have an active participation in American life and a strong desire to be " real American". Their strenuous search for a Chinese American cultural identity is unmistakably American. Only in American society are people so obsessed with the identity issue. The rise of multiculturalism has further encouraged them to explore the meaning of Americanness and become more appreciative of the values of their heritage and culture. This essay argues for the importance of class ba'sed on race in considering the incessant events happened intheir exploration of their identities. In the racially, culturally and religiously pluralistic American society, Jen appreciates cultural fusion and emphasizes retaining Chinese cultural essence.