There has of course long been an immigration route from China over the Pacific to the West coast of America. In the 19th century people were attracted by the Gold Rush and then in a huge area that was asset rich and labour poor, Chinese immigrants were vital in building the miles and miles of railway track right across the country. Chinatown in San Francisco grew quickly into a very sizeable community, as long ago as the 1850s. Gathering together is what people do isn’t it? You want to be with those with whom you feel comfortable, so you want a language you understand and similar cultural values.
Inevitably as generations and time move on, the connection with ‘home’ becomes weaker, with many young people putting it on one side and identifying with the land and society where they have grown up. This is Amy Tan’s experience as she grows up in San Francisco in the middle of the 20th century.
The Joy Luck Club was her first novel, published way back in 1989. It has always been at the edge of my reading radar and with a new edition coming out with a very interesting preface by the author, I have finally read it.
This is a novel that reads like an autobiography but this does give it an immediacy. You know the author has experienced everything she is writing about. The Joy Luck Club of the title is a mahjong group that gathers weekly over tea and sweet dumplings. It is used by older ladies, supposedly to play this very eastern orientated game, but really simply to get together with those who share memories and opinions. It is a safe place and a comfortable one.
The book takes the reader through the tricky situations of the young, trying to juggle two cultures and decide where they want to position themselves in this dichotomy of aspirations and ambition.
I’m glad I eventually got around to reading this book. Interesting, well crafted and a worthwhile read.