Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu, 2020 National Book Award Winner, story of Asian immigrant's "Script" in U.S., the "yellow" in a cop show entitled "Black and White."
INTERIOR CHINATOWN Charles Yu's amazing novel, enacts the life of bit part actor, Willis Wu ,and his (and his family's experiences) within the context of "Black and White," a TV crime show. In this show, as in the world outside "The Golden Palace" (home and workplace of generations of Chinese immigrants) the "yellow" of Asian Americans is always a stereotypical character, exotic background color, a plot device; never just a regular American of Asian descent. Yet in Willis' world, people are constantly striving for their American dream. Children all get 4.0 and above. Yet no matter how they succeed in school and for how long (generations) they are still treated as outsiders. Many end up back where they grew up, at a "The Golden Palace" restaurant job. With great humor, INTERIOR CHINATOWN creates Wu's layered reality. His family also played the bit parts, his dad even hit the top role, Kung Fu Master. Behind that inscrutable Chi...