Sons of Chinatown: A Memoir Rooted in China and America by William Gee Wong (review)

Abstract

At its heart, Sons of Chinatown is a tale of two Chinese Americans. One was born in China, arrived in the United States under a false name, and struggled against very evident limits the United States placed on the success of immigrants from Asia. A man of many names, his moniker is simplified in the book with the nickname "Pop." The other, his son, was born an American citizen in Oakland, CA. He enjoyed the advantages of being both American and the longed-for son finally arriving to a Chinese father with six daughters. His own challenges with anti-Asian bias in American society were more subtle, though no less real. William Gee Wong, aka Bill, writes the contrast between his father's life and his own with sensitivity, clarity, and introspection.