Publisher's Synopsis
We are more than stereotypes. We are more than rice.
When Westerners hear the word Chinese; their minds conjure images of straight-A math students, uneducated men wading through rice paddies wearing coolie hats, immigrants stealing jobs, and demure women eager to become trophy wives. To think like this is to diminish a population with five thousand years of culture into stereotypical generalizations. Though inhabitants of the Mainland are removed from encountering Westerners on a daily basis; members of the Chinese diaspora community are forced to endure mockery by narrow-minded classmates, to strive for academic perfection at the detriment of our mental health, to grapple with feelings of alienation in the face of our own heritage, and more. We often feel too Chinese to be accepted by the West, and too Westernized to ever truly be a part of Chinese society. This collection of heartfelt poems celebrates the diaspora experience as its own triumph. Remembering the stories you had heard from your great-grandparents as a child. Reclaiming your Chinese name after years of going by an English one. Investigating Chinese history after learning about the Roman Empire three times. Enjoying duck soup noodles with a fellow diaspora. Being torn between following your heart and honoring your family. Standing strong together against the rise of unjustified hate crimes. The Chinese diaspora experience is a multifaceted gem exuding endless nuance. This collection does not aim to encapsulate a collective Chinese diaspora experience. There is no such thing for we are not a monolith. The objectives of this collection are to shed light on common phenomena experienced by many Chinese diaspora, to empower those who are struggling to find themselves in the community, and to encourage Chinese diaspora creatives to put themselves out there. Our voices are needed. Our voices are loved.
