Who is an American?

Politics aside, I was touched by something Nikki Haley is quoted as saying about her father, among other heartfelt tributes to him. “My parents were more American than anyone I knew.” So, what does it mean to be American? Who IS an American? Real Americans is the title of a new book by Rachel Khong. Her story is one of Chinese Americans, three generations of them, in fact.

The book has a mysterious aspect to it as well as a romantic theme. Jenna Bush Hager recommends it for her May Book Club pick. Click on the link below to hear her announcement and a short plug for the book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nci5eu303dg

Mott Street, by Ava Chin, is actually a memoir that covers her family’s history for four generations. They, too, are Chinese Americans. Mott Street is a street in Manhattan’s Chinatown, a street that played a vital part in Chin’s family history. New York Times book reviewer Dwight Garner says, “the story has a certain Pageantry.” He talks about some of the characters from the family tree that he considers very interesting to read about. A reviewer in the Washington Post mentions how central food is to Chin’s narrative. Both reviewers see great value in the book explaining the experiences of Chinese Americans in the context of American events but caution that it somehow lacks a spark that works of fiction have. If you read the book, maybe you will find a spark these reveiwers did not