A great book with a crappy title
Just to be honest, based on the title, it’s a zero star book. I wouldn’t pick a book called ‘fresh off the boat’ simply because 1. The title is overwhelmingly racist. 2. Asian literature is nothing but Asian stereotype, I’d prefer Asian writer to write about anything except for immigrant stories. Somehow, it ended up in my Kindle and one lazy afternoon I gave it a flip and it was a good chuckle, an interesting read. Eddie Huang, the celebrity chef and the owner of the Chinese eatery knows how to market himself without being contrite, he was himself the whole time and that alone deserves a loud round of applause.
Juno Diaz said in his M on the Bund literature fest: The moment you decided that you are not living for anyone, you are not living anyone’s dream or making any decision for anyone’s sake, it is the moment you start to live. Many don't realize it, and some wouldn't realize it before later in life. For Eddie, it is fortunately an early discovery.
The immigrant literature is such a niche yet so many people resonate with the writers’ stories, it’s a struggle to lose their own community, language and to step out of their comfort zone in hope of a better life and better future for their family and themselves. However, just like what Diaz said, if you are a immigrant kid, you are expected to be nothing less than a doctor, an expert in something, otherwise you will never pay back what your parents sacrificed for you.
I’m fortunate enough to work in a multicultural community all my career life, and have worked with immigrants of the second or third generation who come back to China. Most of them can speak Chinese, but almost none of them can read or write. They are rarely interested in ‘finding the roots’, like Eddie said in his book, he was constantly searching for resonance. But growing up, Asians are few and far between in his community, even if you do find someone who is Asian, chances are they would be different from you like oranges and apples. It’s safe to assume in a society which most conform and only a few rebel, Asians are usually not the mainstream, and the chances for them to be the mainstream are slim. Reading Eddie's auto-bio, I find him interesting cos he dares to be different, the book is filled with colloquial language and before I start to question his qualification as a writer, his jokes are so on point I forget about what a serious auto-bio is supposed to be. After all, if one day I’ve gained enough experience and good stories to write a memoir, I would want it to be different from any other memoirs on the planet, and I would want it to sound like me.
1. Let’s start with his humor. His play date with his white friend Jeff was life changing and after his visit, he wrote:
I remember thinking to myself that if I died, I wanted to come back a white man. These fuckers had EVERYTHING…
When you washed your hands, they had hand towels so you didn’t have to wipe your face with the towel your brother wiped his balls with ten minutes ago. For real, if you are a broke-ass kid, you are wiping your face with your brother’s balls. I felt like some wild gremlin child living in Chinese hell after going to their house.
It was a little obscene, but let’s be honest, haven’t we all had that moment when we are sore with our jealous little heart after knowing how privileged the kids-next-door are? I remember watching 3 ninjas in primary school and was amazed by their toys and gadgets the kids had in the movie, even their bunk beds, bicycles and colorful chocolate beans were making me a little green eyed monster. It was the first time I realize not all of us are born into the filthy rich family and I need to live with that.
2. He cares about writing. Eddie was a lawyer, a chef, a TV show host, a restaurant owner and TED alumni… As much as I agree that skilled can be transferable, (which means if you are a good driver, you probably would caption a ship and pilot a plane) those titles require the person to be a good talker, presentable on TV, having shrewd business mind, amazing taste bud and Hollywood glamorous, ok the last one is not a prerequisite, and he obviously wasn't. I never tasted his food but I watched his vice show, his TED clip and I read his book, it seems his heart is always in the right place. The man cares about his shit despite his casual style , and ‘you can like it or love it.’
In his book he talks about how much he cares about writing and his writing was playful and always on point:
I remember the first time I read ‘A modest Proposal’ It was like going to the gym early in the morning and hearing the first basketball hit the floor, dumph. From that first drop, you can feel that the game is on.
When you feel like you’re the only one in the world going crazy, it’s probably not you, it’s them.
NO MORE QUOTES I LOST MY KINDLE AND IT IS THE END OF THE ERA:(
Juno Diaz said in his M on the Bund literature fest: The moment you decided that you are not living for anyone, you are not living anyone’s dream or making any decision for anyone’s sake, it is the moment you start to live. Many don't realize it, and some wouldn't realize it before later in life. For Eddie, it is fortunately an early discovery.
The immigrant literature is such a niche yet so many people resonate with the writers’ stories, it’s a struggle to lose their own community, language and to step out of their comfort zone in hope of a better life and better future for their family and themselves. However, just like what Diaz said, if you are a immigrant kid, you are expected to be nothing less than a doctor, an expert in something, otherwise you will never pay back what your parents sacrificed for you.
I’m fortunate enough to work in a multicultural community all my career life, and have worked with immigrants of the second or third generation who come back to China. Most of them can speak Chinese, but almost none of them can read or write. They are rarely interested in ‘finding the roots’, like Eddie said in his book, he was constantly searching for resonance. But growing up, Asians are few and far between in his community, even if you do find someone who is Asian, chances are they would be different from you like oranges and apples. It’s safe to assume in a society which most conform and only a few rebel, Asians are usually not the mainstream, and the chances for them to be the mainstream are slim. Reading Eddie's auto-bio, I find him interesting cos he dares to be different, the book is filled with colloquial language and before I start to question his qualification as a writer, his jokes are so on point I forget about what a serious auto-bio is supposed to be. After all, if one day I’ve gained enough experience and good stories to write a memoir, I would want it to be different from any other memoirs on the planet, and I would want it to sound like me.
1. Let’s start with his humor. His play date with his white friend Jeff was life changing and after his visit, he wrote:
I remember thinking to myself that if I died, I wanted to come back a white man. These fuckers had EVERYTHING…
When you washed your hands, they had hand towels so you didn’t have to wipe your face with the towel your brother wiped his balls with ten minutes ago. For real, if you are a broke-ass kid, you are wiping your face with your brother’s balls. I felt like some wild gremlin child living in Chinese hell after going to their house.
It was a little obscene, but let’s be honest, haven’t we all had that moment when we are sore with our jealous little heart after knowing how privileged the kids-next-door are? I remember watching 3 ninjas in primary school and was amazed by their toys and gadgets the kids had in the movie, even their bunk beds, bicycles and colorful chocolate beans were making me a little green eyed monster. It was the first time I realize not all of us are born into the filthy rich family and I need to live with that.
2. He cares about writing. Eddie was a lawyer, a chef, a TV show host, a restaurant owner and TED alumni… As much as I agree that skilled can be transferable, (which means if you are a good driver, you probably would caption a ship and pilot a plane) those titles require the person to be a good talker, presentable on TV, having shrewd business mind, amazing taste bud and Hollywood glamorous, ok the last one is not a prerequisite, and he obviously wasn't. I never tasted his food but I watched his vice show, his TED clip and I read his book, it seems his heart is always in the right place. The man cares about his shit despite his casual style , and ‘you can like it or love it.’
In his book he talks about how much he cares about writing and his writing was playful and always on point:
I remember the first time I read ‘A modest Proposal’ It was like going to the gym early in the morning and hearing the first basketball hit the floor, dumph. From that first drop, you can feel that the game is on.
When you feel like you’re the only one in the world going crazy, it’s probably not you, it’s them.
NO MORE QUOTES I LOST MY KINDLE AND IT IS THE END OF THE ERA:(
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