A review by joanna_banana
I Hotel by Karen Tei Yamashita, Leland Wong, Sina Grace

4.0

This is an epic witness to the Asian American movement in the 1960s and 1970s in San Francisco (and beyond), centered around the International Hotel. I could see why Yamashita took 10 years to research and write it! It’s a blend of fact and fiction, and I enjoyed the diversity of her writing styles, in many ways a reflection of the diversity of the Asian American experience, and truly the American experience. Even within the movement, so many different ages, cultures, backgrounds, politics, objectives, and philosophies. The intersections with the civil rights movement, primarily the Black Panthers, and later the anti-war protests helped me place these stories in narratives I’m more familiar with. I learned a lot — though I would have liked a guide or annotated version. There is so much packed in the 605 pages! I looked some things up, and appreciated a reader’s guide some students at Tufts created. It definitely belongs in all liberal arts/American literature courses! So sweeping and so rich. Some of my favorite sections were about Olie and Benny—and all the interspersed quotes from revolutionaries, activists, and philosophers. I also thought the story of Ria Ishii and the Chinese women who were garment workers was really interesting contrasting motives and perspectives. While I did sometimes want more from a few of the vignettes—powerful narratives and characters were sometimes too fleeting—I did overall enjoy the book and can appreciate its contribution to literature and history. The ending really brought it together for me.