A Look Inside Interior Chinatown: an Exploration on Asian-American Identity
BY SOPHIE ZHANG '22
Willis Wu is inside Chinatown. Specifically, he is in the Golden Palace Restaurant—the setting for “Black and White,” a cop show that Willis performs in. He longs to be “Kung Fu Guy” on screens worldwide but instead remains stuck with roles such as “Background Oriental Male” and “Generic Asian Man Number Three/Delivery Guy.”
This is Charles Yu’s latest novel, Interior Chinatown, which won the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction, and Yu writes in a teleplay format. Yu is an author and screenwriter best known for his work on West World and How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe. In his comical yet nuanced novel, he tells the story of a character outside the center of the action, deconstructing Asian stereotypes and exploring the greater experiences of Asian-Americans nationwide, especially against a White backdrop. If you want to understand the Asian-American identity or simply read a good book, Interior Chinatown is perfect for you.
Reading about Willis’ journey has helped me process and voice my own experiences at Acton-Boxborough. Although the district is more than 30% Asian and most of my classmates look like me—a Chinese-American—I still struggle to feel a sense of belonging to AB. I feel as if it is not our town yet but rather a community centered around the narrative of “Black and [most importantly] White.” Throughout my twelve years at the district, I have yet to have an Asian teacher or see many Asian-Americans in positions of power. In English and history classes, I have had little opportunity to read about a variety of cultures and people like me. These experiences imply that this school is not for you, that this is not your country, that this is not your community. Similar to Willis Wu, I sometimes feel like a side character in our community.
Moreover, without school helping me feel “seen,” I at times feel trapped under Asian stereotypes, especially the one of the quiet, passive, studious Asian female. I often feel a need to prove that I am not just this person, leading to a constant awareness of how my actions are perceived. My life becomes a performance for others’ viewing. In Interior Chinatown, Yu illustrates this feeling, blurring the lines between reality and acting. It’s hard to tell when Willis is talking to a character in a script or in real life. He caters his actions towards White preferences, eventually losing his sense of personality.
Yu also touches upon how Asian-Americans imprison themselves into these stereotypes. For example, Willis longs to be in the spotlight through “Kung Fu Guy,” but “Kung Fu Guy” is just another typecast. He seeks validation through the White system, embracing another distorted role that diminishes his whole self. Similarly, to be noticed, I resort to becoming less “Asian Female” through edgier and more extroverted traits, feeding into a binary that divides personality traits between Asian and White.
However, this need to prove ourselves to our White counterparts can be hard to escape because it is largely for “survival” or a chance to be seen. Remember the stereotype that “all Asians look the same?” I’m plagued by memories of teachers not remembering my name or confusing it with that of another Asian girl. To be noticed like Willis, I pressure myself to perform another binary role, unable to just be.
Why is literature like Interior Chinatown important? It spotlights us not in the context of our race but our simple existence. For example, viewing a group of people while you're inside that group allows you to see each person as an individual instead of the collective “other.” Moreover, Asian-American books in English classes tell us that we are main characters and that our curriculum and school are for us, creating a sense of belonging.
Overall, Interior Chinatown is an uplifting and eye-opening read, especially if you are Asian-American yourself or want to learn more about the community’s experiences. However, the primary reason that you should read the novel is that it’s simply a good book. Yu masterfully ventures into a different style and weaves together both surreal and realistic elements. Its humor and careful imagery never stop grabbing your attention. I recommend reading Interior Chinatown at least once or twice as I plan to do. It has subtler elements that are harder to pick up on, but its central metaphors of “Black and White” and “Interior Chinatown” ring true throughout.
This is Charles Yu’s latest novel, Interior Chinatown, which won the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction, and Yu writes in a teleplay format. Yu is an author and screenwriter best known for his work on West World and How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe. In his comical yet nuanced novel, he tells the story of a character outside the center of the action, deconstructing Asian stereotypes and exploring the greater experiences of Asian-Americans nationwide, especially against a White backdrop. If you want to understand the Asian-American identity or simply read a good book, Interior Chinatown is perfect for you.
Reading about Willis’ journey has helped me process and voice my own experiences at Acton-Boxborough. Although the district is more than 30% Asian and most of my classmates look like me—a Chinese-American—I still struggle to feel a sense of belonging to AB. I feel as if it is not our town yet but rather a community centered around the narrative of “Black and [most importantly] White.” Throughout my twelve years at the district, I have yet to have an Asian teacher or see many Asian-Americans in positions of power. In English and history classes, I have had little opportunity to read about a variety of cultures and people like me. These experiences imply that this school is not for you, that this is not your country, that this is not your community. Similar to Willis Wu, I sometimes feel like a side character in our community.
Moreover, without school helping me feel “seen,” I at times feel trapped under Asian stereotypes, especially the one of the quiet, passive, studious Asian female. I often feel a need to prove that I am not just this person, leading to a constant awareness of how my actions are perceived. My life becomes a performance for others’ viewing. In Interior Chinatown, Yu illustrates this feeling, blurring the lines between reality and acting. It’s hard to tell when Willis is talking to a character in a script or in real life. He caters his actions towards White preferences, eventually losing his sense of personality.
Yu also touches upon how Asian-Americans imprison themselves into these stereotypes. For example, Willis longs to be in the spotlight through “Kung Fu Guy,” but “Kung Fu Guy” is just another typecast. He seeks validation through the White system, embracing another distorted role that diminishes his whole self. Similarly, to be noticed, I resort to becoming less “Asian Female” through edgier and more extroverted traits, feeding into a binary that divides personality traits between Asian and White.
However, this need to prove ourselves to our White counterparts can be hard to escape because it is largely for “survival” or a chance to be seen. Remember the stereotype that “all Asians look the same?” I’m plagued by memories of teachers not remembering my name or confusing it with that of another Asian girl. To be noticed like Willis, I pressure myself to perform another binary role, unable to just be.
Why is literature like Interior Chinatown important? It spotlights us not in the context of our race but our simple existence. For example, viewing a group of people while you're inside that group allows you to see each person as an individual instead of the collective “other.” Moreover, Asian-American books in English classes tell us that we are main characters and that our curriculum and school are for us, creating a sense of belonging.
Overall, Interior Chinatown is an uplifting and eye-opening read, especially if you are Asian-American yourself or want to learn more about the community’s experiences. However, the primary reason that you should read the novel is that it’s simply a good book. Yu masterfully ventures into a different style and weaves together both surreal and realistic elements. Its humor and careful imagery never stop grabbing your attention. I recommend reading Interior Chinatown at least once or twice as I plan to do. It has subtler elements that are harder to pick up on, but its central metaphors of “Black and White” and “Interior Chinatown” ring true throughout.
