A review by cherreadssharereads
On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family by Lisa See

3.0

I think this may be the first or one of the first non-fiction memoirs about a Chinese American family ice read. It reminds me of my dad's request to write our family's story. I have read some of See's fictional work and have always been a bit confused bc they seem to glorify the "olden days" in China prior to the Cultural Revolution (which I'm sure is worth glorifying in a political & social sense). I also did let my prejudice get ahead of me and I wondered why a white woman was so fixed on Chinese settings. Now I understand that while she has red hair and appears Caucasian, she identifies heavily as of Chinese descent given her family's rich history here in California/West Coast as well as overseas in Guangdong. I appreciate the history lesson of Chinese Americans in Sac, SF, and LA. Great glimpse into what Chinatowns were like and how society differentiated Chinese and Chinese businessmen. It also explains to me why SF Chinatown is the way it is today. I've always wondered why there were SO MANY shops selling the same mementos and culturally appropriated trinkets. Now I understand them to be really just meeting a demand that was created from back when Chinatowns were first created -- as a cultural hub for Chinese immigrants but also for folks who wanted a taste of that culture. The curios are no longer high quality as Fong See specialized in but just little trinkets to take home. All very fascinating. There's one takeaway quote I have from Mrs. Leong to her children: "'Youre more or less ambassadors. You represent all other Chinese kids. People are going to watch your conduct and the way you talk. Many of these Caucasians have never had contact with a Chinese person, so do your best...You take the best of Chinese culture, you take the best of American culture, and blend the two. You are American citizens. You were born in this country, so you have to take on American culture, too. Do not think everything has to be Chinese. You are Chinese American.'" This is how I've felt my entire life.