Why Do You Look at Me and See a Girl? (35) (GWE Creative Non-Fiction)

Making coal patties. Selling liquid soap. Shopping at a glittering shoe mecca. She's done them all living half her life in deprived-post-war-communist-Vietnam-turned-free-market. It's life in a vacuum when strange types of brainwashing happened. Part memoir and part social criticism, Why Do You Look at Me and See a Girl? is a provocative read about a full-fledged bilingual who fights to get free from the dead past and her ancestors' sins.The story starts with her grandmother's prison visit and moves to a journey through the jungle carried out for family reunion. Drawing strength from her, Hoàng completes her transformation in America from an international student to a free naturalized being. As she sheds her adoration for the impeccable American logic, oscillates between languages, and crosses oceans, she confronts the power play and biases, cultural inhibitors and prejudices that condition human behaviors, be it in Vietnam, America or Thailand. All along, she claims justice for her under-appreciated grandma, straightens male and white patronization, tears down tradition and brainwashing, uncovers the Asian submission to western iconography, and resists the attraction of a white guy. In lucid prose and with a hint of quiet humor, Why Do You Look at Me and See a Girl? is an unflinching pursuit of questions about family, finding one's voice, home, and freedom. "Making coal patties. Selling liquid soap. Shopping at a glittering shoe mecca. She is done them all living half her life in deprived-post-war-communist-Vietnam-turned-free-market. Coming to America at 29 and experiencing life here as an adult is a push towards her transcending journey to transform herself from an international student to a naturalized American, to a new self free of the dead past and her ancestors sins. Why Do You Look at Me and See a Girl is a story written by a full-fledged bilingual who, as her adoration for the impeccable American logical trait is put into perspective, struggles to get free from the power play and biases, cultural inhibitors and prejudices that condition human behaviors, be it in Vietnam, America or Thailand. It starts with a prison visit and moves to a journey through the jungle carried out for family reunion. Drawing strength from her grandmother, the author debunks many -isms around her. She believes in fighting these same or new fights again and again--women are still taken for granted, a(n) (Asian/Vietnamese) woman exists as a stereotypical image, the Vietnamese and Vietnamese American parents are obsessed with academic degrees, the Vietnamese overindulgence of men over women is a social crime, a large number of Asians submit to western iconography unawares, and how she resists the attraction of marrying a tall white guy. Knowing Vietnam and America like the palm and dorsal side of her hand, the author brings home in Why Do You Look at Me and See a Girl the multiple perspectives of the world around her. She offers one way of navigating this world."-- Provided by publisher Making coal patties. Selling liquid soap. Shopping at a glittering shoe mecca. Shes done them all living half her life in deprived-post-war-communist-Vietnam-turned-free-market. Its life in a vacuum when strange types of brainwashing happened. Part memoir and part social criticism, Why Do You Look at Me and See a Girl? is a provocative read about a full-fledged bilingual who fights to get free from the dead past and her ancestors sins. The story starts with her grandmothers prison visit and moves to a journey through the jungle carried out for family reunion. Drawing strength from her, Hong completes her transformation in America from an international student to a free naturalized being. As she sheds her adoration for the impeccable American logic, oscillates between languages, and crosses oceans, she confronts the power play and biases, cultural inhibitors and prejudices that condition human behaviors, be it in Vietnam, America or Thailand. All along, she claims justice for her under-appreciated grandma, straightens male and white patronization, tears down tradition and brainwashing, uncovers the Asian submission to western iconography, and resists the attraction of a white guy. In lucid prose and with a hint of quiet humor, Why Do You Look at Me and See a Girl? is an unflinching pursuit of questions about family, finding ones voice, home, and freedom.