Scan barcode
A review by bentohbox
America Is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan
3.0
I would rate this more of a 3.5 than 3 but.. Goodreads doesn't really allow for that nuance.
In any case, America Is in the Heart was a tough read for a couple of reasons. First, the novel was an odd combination of critical Asian American history from the perspective of a Southeast Asian immigrant in a critical time (the tail-end of the Spanish-American War and World War I, then mixed with the beginnings of World War II. not to mention the Great Depression and European political turmoil during the 1930s), personal narrative from an immigrant, and inklings of Blood Meridian, or otherwise Cormac McCarthy-esque dystopian imagery. This made the novel interesting, but ultimately difficult to read, with a great number of details that I found did not contribute significantly to the plot or message of the overall novel.
Second, The fact that America Is in the Heart is described as a semi-autobiographical novel made reading a bit more confusing as it was difficult to discern what could be real and what could be adapted. Nonetheless, I found the second half of the novel far more engaging thanks to its dive into Filipino worker unionizing, white supremacist terrorism of farm laborers, and the methods by which immigrants of different ethnicities were forced into situations that pitted them against each other rather than the oppression of white society. However, the cycling of characters and returning of certain plot points in particular became repetitive and difficult to find believable, as does the alacrity with with Carlos meets new people. Maybe this is simply a product of modern life.
In the end, there's a tragedy in the transience of lives that Bulosan and the other main characters encounter. They live in fear of death but not mortality, experience loss at each turn, and continue onwards often without knowing where they're headed. Partially, this reminds us that in our lives and the lives of others intersect as quickly as they disperse. Partially, it reminds us that life is, if nothing else, an ebb and flow of ups and downs to which no one is immune. And partially, it reminds us that fearing our own mortality remains a foolish dedication that limits our potential - rather than fear, we ought to ensure that our names are written in the history books and etched in the memories of others, which only we ourselves have the power to affirm.
The notes / take-aways I have for this novel -
1. Violence has always been a strategy of upholding white-dominated society, but more often than not, particularly in the eras when it was politically feasible, far greater long-term damage was done through creating structures that would force people of color to compete against each other
2. Through the eyes of Bulosan, I can see the transformation of an immigrant into someone who disdains their own community. There can arise a belief that those who look like you are holding you back through no fault of your own, and an anger that can turn you against those who would serve as your best allies.
3. "America is in the hearts of men that died for freedom; it is also in the eyes of men that are building a new world." (191)
In any case, America Is in the Heart was a tough read for a couple of reasons. First, the novel was an odd combination of critical Asian American history from the perspective of a Southeast Asian immigrant in a critical time (the tail-end of the Spanish-American War and World War I, then mixed with the beginnings of World War II. not to mention the Great Depression and European political turmoil during the 1930s), personal narrative from an immigrant, and inklings of Blood Meridian, or otherwise Cormac McCarthy-esque dystopian imagery. This made the novel interesting, but ultimately difficult to read, with a great number of details that I found did not contribute significantly to the plot or message of the overall novel.
Second, The fact that America Is in the Heart is described as a semi-autobiographical novel made reading a bit more confusing as it was difficult to discern what could be real and what could be adapted. Nonetheless, I found the second half of the novel far more engaging thanks to its dive into Filipino worker unionizing, white supremacist terrorism of farm laborers, and the methods by which immigrants of different ethnicities were forced into situations that pitted them against each other rather than the oppression of white society. However, the cycling of characters and returning of certain plot points in particular became repetitive and difficult to find believable, as does the alacrity with with Carlos meets new people. Maybe this is simply a product of modern life.
In the end, there's a tragedy in the transience of lives that Bulosan and the other main characters encounter. They live in fear of death but not mortality, experience loss at each turn, and continue onwards often without knowing where they're headed. Partially, this reminds us that in our lives and the lives of others intersect as quickly as they disperse. Partially, it reminds us that life is, if nothing else, an ebb and flow of ups and downs to which no one is immune. And partially, it reminds us that fearing our own mortality remains a foolish dedication that limits our potential - rather than fear, we ought to ensure that our names are written in the history books and etched in the memories of others, which only we ourselves have the power to affirm.
The notes / take-aways I have for this novel -
1. Violence has always been a strategy of upholding white-dominated society, but more often than not, particularly in the eras when it was politically feasible, far greater long-term damage was done through creating structures that would force people of color to compete against each other
2. Through the eyes of Bulosan, I can see the transformation of an immigrant into someone who disdains their own community. There can arise a belief that those who look like you are holding you back through no fault of your own, and an anger that can turn you against those who would serve as your best allies.
3. "America is in the hearts of men that died for freedom; it is also in the eyes of men that are building a new world." (191)