Description
After leaving China in pursuit of education, security, and a better future, Ralph Chang builds a new life in America with his wife, Helen, and sister, Theresa. As the family pursues prosperity and belonging, the promises of the American Dream become entangled with ambition, consumerism, cultural displacement, and changing family loyalties. Witty and incisive, the novel explores what it means to become “American” while carrying the expectations and memories of another world. Gish Jen’s vibrant storytelling offers both a sharp cultural critique and a compassionate portrait of an immigrant family navigating identity, success, and home.
Available Editions
paperback
Granta Books
Published May 14, 1998
304 pages
ISBN: 9781862071117
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Details
First Published
1991
Language
eng
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for Typical American by Gish Jen.