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A review by novabird
Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
2.0
From big WOWO website; Asian American Activism, Intellectualism and Literature:
I have not read enough Asian American Lit to be sure of this critique. However, it is as if Kwok created a self-limiting environment by providing Kimberly and her Ma with living conditions of an abandoned building, (where running water would have frozen in the pipes in winter without adequate heating in an apartment building and this is never mentioned) and working conditions of a necessarily anonymous and underground sweatshop . These insular settings gave Kimberly and Ma very little contact with other people and conveniently placed them out of the way of any other conflict except that of the nature of poverty. I am not denigrating the immigrant/poverty experience; however, what I am asking is why there were no ‘real,’ conflicts within this story other than the school teasing/racism, and the oppression by Aunt Paula. Also the fact that no one from Kimberly’s early school years onwards never found out where she lived, all except one and that was without negative consequence, was unrealistic.
What I did like was her English translations of Cantonese idioms and her inventive spelling as she acquired English skills.
I give this a 2 not even a passable read, and certainly not memorable. I think that the issue of poverty/immigration issue should never be handled in such a light manner so that it comes off either as a ‘Young Adult,’ offering or a highly sanitized version of semi-memoir.
I am going to try, “Free Food for Millionaires,” same theme of an Asian women’s experience with immigration/poverty, and academia plus adapting to the American lifestyle.
“If you want to see a world where Cantonese people don’t yell profanities at one another, don’t call White People “Gwai loh,” lack any kind of aggressiveness, don’t have any personal struggles outside of work and just sit around whining about how bad they have it “Girl in Translation,” is the book for you.” http://www.bigwowo.com/2010/11/girl-in-translation-by-jean-kwok-review.
I have not read enough Asian American Lit to be sure of this critique. However, it is as if Kwok created a self-limiting environment by providing Kimberly and her Ma with living conditions of an abandoned building, (where running water would have frozen in the pipes in winter without adequate heating in an apartment building and this is never mentioned) and working conditions of a necessarily anonymous and underground sweatshop . These insular settings gave Kimberly and Ma very little contact with other people and conveniently placed them out of the way of any other conflict except that of the nature of poverty. I am not denigrating the immigrant/poverty experience; however, what I am asking is why there were no ‘real,’ conflicts within this story other than the school teasing/racism, and the oppression by Aunt Paula. Also the fact that no one from Kimberly’s early school years onwards never found out where she lived, all except one and that was without negative consequence, was unrealistic.
What I did like was her English translations of Cantonese idioms and her inventive spelling as she acquired English skills.
I give this a 2 not even a passable read, and certainly not memorable. I think that the issue of poverty/immigration issue should never be handled in such a light manner so that it comes off either as a ‘Young Adult,’ offering or a highly sanitized version of semi-memoir.
I am going to try, “Free Food for Millionaires,” same theme of an Asian women’s experience with immigration/poverty, and academia plus adapting to the American lifestyle.