Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I found this book on the shelf of my 5th grade classroom 14 years ago, and it completely changed my life. Never before and actually, never since, did I feel like I could relate to a character in a book like that. But, of course, reading it again when i was older, I don't relate to anything in the book other than the main character was a Chinese American female, and so was I.
As opposed to some other Asian American books for kids, I like this one particularly because it takes place in the US. While more 'multi-cultural' books try and relate back to China a lot, I liked this one because I find it a lot more relavant to the 2nd generation/3rd generation experience, and it also appeals to the curiosity people begin to have about their 'culture' when they start thinking about ethnic identity.
The strong parts about the book: The story is engaging, and even though it was written in the 1970's or 1960's, it doesn't seem dated. It's about a separated family, and Casey's a toy-boy who doesn't take a lot of crap, as opposed to some goody-goody. And the backdrop of Chinatown makes it pretty interesting and urban, and gives a good general historical background of Chinatown as an ethnic enclave, too. Also, if anyone is concerned about the politics represented in the book, as far as I can tell, there aren't any messages of advocating for a color-blind society or all multi-culti-feel-good sentiment which are characteristics I find frustrating about a lot of other 'books for Asian American youth'.
The weak parts about the book: I don't really like a lot of mythology, folklore or fantastic stories. I hated them as a kid, and I still really don't like it now. My least favorite part as a kid is the story about the spirit of the owl, and it still makes me weary. The book still implies filial piety, but to a degree which I think it's ok, mostly because of Casey's strong personality and inclination to rebel. Also, most Chinese American kids live outside of Chinatowns so the experience is a lot different and I haven't heard of too many books which sort of discuss either a more urban, or a more suburbian narrative that's pretty realistic and has good politics, too.
Nonetheless, I still pick up the book from time to time. I don't know a whole lot of other Asian American kids books, but as someone who turned out to be an Asian American major in college, I still need to pay tribute to the fact that regardless of whether in retrospect I think my life related, it very early on offered me the narative of a Chinese American female in the US, and the beginnings of understanding what it meant for me to be Chinese American.
Other Yep books have a little too much mysticism and folklore for my taste, but I do think Dragonwings offers a strong look at the history of Chinese Americans in California.
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