'The Joy Luck Club'
“The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan is a realistic fiction novel that follows four pairs of mothers and their first generation daughters in the United States in the mid-to-late 1980s. It revolves around the process of immigration, generational trauma, and the challenges of the mothers and daughters as they attempt to balance their Chinese culture with the societal norms of the U.S. The story takes place in San Francisco, which adds an additional level of connection to many Berkeley High School students who experienced the plot unfolding in front of them. “It just makes it feel relatable because I can imagine the places they’re talking about,” Lucy Hernandez, a BHS sophomore, said.
The young girls in the plot faced the constant societal pressure to be “normal” as well as the obligation to embrace the culture of one’s homeland. “The Joy Luck Club” is intense at times, with themes of emotional manipulation and generational trauma. This novel is a testament to the immigration that has turned San Francisco into the diverse city it is today.
'American Born Chinese'
“American Born Chinese” by Gene Luen Yang follows three plotlines which depict Chinese and East Asian cultural stereotypes that follow a first generation boy, Jin Wang, through his youth. Being that Yang grew up in the Bay Area can deepen the connection between BHS students and the plot, as Yang faced similar experiences with prejudice and understands the Bay Area community.
Yang also taught at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland for some time. “I think it was nice to know that he kind of experienced that, and seeing that he used to be a high school teacher, that he understood Asian American youth and their experiences,” BHS freshman Nayan Verma said.
Throughout the story, Yang depicts characters who use slurs and offensive language towards people of Asian descent to prove the point that there is still a large part of the country that believes racism and prejudice no longer exist. By illustrating the truth in a way that’s uncomfortable and unusual for the media today. These slurs and generalizations are often still used today, and many have been desensitized to overlook the harm these words can cause as it can seem too complicated or controversial. Kylie Chen, a BHS freshman who is of Chinese American descent, described Yang’s use of characters who use these slurs as a way to share and acknowledge the injustice. “We can use these stereotypes to empower the AAPI community instead of to push (them) down,” Chen said.
“American Born Chinese” is a powerful graphic novel that can help people see the hard to swallow truth that our country mocks and bullies people who are different with racist remarks; generations of children had and still have the burden of living through that. “American Born Chinese” is an essential read to grasp just a smidge the stereotypes that get placed on the AAPI community everyday, and to further understand the constant battle they had to fight on a daily basis. “I think that it does a really good job of making people uncomfortable,” Avery Aki, a BHS freshman, said.
'The Best We Could Do'
In 1975 after the fall of Saigon during the Vietnam War, over 125,000 refugees from Vietnam sought out refuge in the U.S. The illustrated memoir titled “The Best We Could Do” by Thi Bui pays recognition to the author’s parents who were two of the many refugees that ended up in the Bay Area. Bui, who has a niece who attends BHS, impressiveley connects past historical trauma to how it impacts current familial relationships.
Giao Vu Murphy, BHS sophomore of Vietnamese descent, said, “The pictures and the beautiful art that are all very emotional and the use of colors and drawings and shapes really helps tell the story much better than if it were just with words.” Bui effectively highlights the sacrifices her parents took to provide her and her siblings with a better life, that although it had its imperfections, but as the title notes, it was the absolute best they could do.