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A review by taylersimon22
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
4.0
Henry is Chinese and the story flashes back and forward to him in his adolescence and him and his 50s. This book takes an interesting look at race relations in America during the War, especially that of White people, Chinese people, and Japanese people. Henry grapples with his fiercely Chinese family, loyal to China, but striving to fit in as American. He has a button throughout his childhood forcing him to remember “I am Chinese”.
Then he finds Keiko, who is second generation Chinese American. It is dangerous to be Japanese during this time, but Keiko and her family see themselves as American. Keiko has never been to Japan or even speaks Japanese. Henry and Keiko’s friendship is forbidden because of China and American’s relationship with Japan; it doesn’t matter that Keiko and her family are American.
Even today as we see so much violence against Asian Americans because of this virus. It goes to show that if you are a person of color, you are never quite seen as fully American. That is the power of White Supremacy.
I did have some feelings about the author being a white man writing as if he knows about the experiences of Asian people during this time. That goes to the general feelings I have about white people telling stories from the perspective of people of color, but that’s a whole other thing.
Then he finds Keiko, who is second generation Chinese American. It is dangerous to be Japanese during this time, but Keiko and her family see themselves as American. Keiko has never been to Japan or even speaks Japanese. Henry and Keiko’s friendship is forbidden because of China and American’s relationship with Japan; it doesn’t matter that Keiko and her family are American.
Even today as we see so much violence against Asian Americans because of this virus. It goes to show that if you are a person of color, you are never quite seen as fully American. That is the power of White Supremacy.
I did have some feelings about the author being a white man writing as if he knows about the experiences of Asian people during this time. That goes to the general feelings I have about white people telling stories from the perspective of people of color, but that’s a whole other thing.