Frank Chin

Shawn Wong

Lawson Fusao Inada

Jeffery Paul Chan

"In the eyes of white America, "Aiiieeeee!" was the racist cry from Asian Americans, their singular expression of all emotions-it signified and perpetuated Asian Americans as inscrutable, foreign, obedient, self-hating, undesirable, and one dimensional. With this anthology, first published in 1974, Frank Chin, Jeffery Chan, Lawson Inada, and Shawn Wong outlined the history of Asian American literature and boldly drew the boundaries for what was truly Asian American and what was white puppetry. Showcasing fourteen uncompromising works from authors such as Carlos Bulosan and John Okada, the editors introduced readers to a variety of daring voices. Forty-five years later, the groundbreaking anthology remains a vital collection that still sparks controversy. In the seventies, it helped to establish Asian American literature as a serious and distinct literary tradition, and today, the editors' forceful voices still reverberate in contemporary discussions about American literary traditions. Now back in print with a new foreword by literary scholar Tara Fickle, this third edition of the book is an essential anthology that demonstrates how Asian Americans fought for-and seized-their place in the American literary canon"--

An Anthology of Asian American Writers

Aiiieeeee!

In this vibrant and original novel, Christopher Columbus Wong, orphan son of a Chinatown bachelor community, is trying to invent a family for himself while all around him American popular culture is reinventing itself with sex, drugs, and rock �n� roll. Christopher finds himself on a wild journey with his gay older brother, Peter, a pan-Pacific TV chef; the defrocked, deranged, and eroding ex-director of a Chinatown settlement house, Reverend Ted Candlewick; the sharp-eyed, conspiring matriarch Auntie Mary, the bridge between the conflicting values that make up this cultural stew; and Uncle Lincoln, a bachelor, short order cook, and, quite possibly, Christopher and Peter�s father. Further complicating Christopher�s voyage are his ex-wives: Winnie, a Hong Kong immigrant looking for a green card, and Melba, an American orphan of the counterculture. Set against the backdrop of America�s wars in Asia and the assimilation of that experience�the refugees, the stereotypes, the food�Eat Everything Before You Die is an ironic commentary on the identities the children of Chinese American immigrants concoct from their questionable histories, cultural practices, and survival strategies. Chan�s riotous story will appeal to general readers, particularly those interested in the Asian American experience, and will be of strong, enduring interest to students and scholars in Asian American Studies.

Jeffery Paul Chan

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