Annotation: In this coming-of-age story Kim and her mother leave Hong Kong and move to New York to seek a better life in America. But life is not easy for them as their Aunt Paula has them living in an apartment that should be condemned and working nearly as slaves – both to Aunt Paula’s benefit. During this transition Kim is in 6th grade and the story closely follows her through high school and ends with a twelve year jump forward which shows how the difficult choices Kim has made have affected her life. Through this story we learn a lot about Chinese culture, what it might be like to have to assimilate into American culture, the weariness of poverty and the difficulty of balancing personal success with personal happiness.
Justification for Nomination: Girl in Translation is an exceptional book in two ways. First in how it immerses the reader into the experience of American immigration and secondly in how it intimately shares the experience of the coming-of-age of Kim, our protagonist. I’m always impressed by a story that can authentically depict the perspective of a different culture. As a white, middle-aged, male American who knows only a little of the Chinese American immigration experience I found much to learn and sympathize with in this story. Although racially and culturally I’m quite different from Kim, her descriptions of living in a squalid apartment in Brooklyn and working in a Chinatown sweatshop reveled a world which I’d only seen glimpses of during my own sojourn in New York. Although this created a distinct and personal connection for me I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to know what life is like for many people in New York ghettos. In particular are the descriptions of the sweat-shop work Kim and her mother must do for much of the book. These scenes are palpable enough that you can almost smell the steam of the clothing presses but they also draw attention to the appalling fact that American immigrants continue to be subjected to a life that has little real difference from slavery. Readers with an interest in human rights, equal opportunity, immigration reform and other reformative actions would find Kim and her mother’s experience to be exemplary of those issues.
The cultural relevance of this story is greatest strength. In reading, we learn about Chinese customs and holidays and we also get a reaction to American custom from a very different perspective. Most engaging though are the Chinese sayings that populate the book such as “If you’re straight as an arrow you’ll have to beg for a living,” meaning that if you’re too honest it can be a detriment too.
In similar fashion Kwok does a good job of creating empathy for Kim through her perspective. Told in the first person we are always surrounded by Kim’s thoughts. She’s a motivated person who sees education as the real means of her family’s social ascension. Moving to the United States is basically a lateral move for Kim and her mother, leaving Hong Kong for a better opportunity in New York actually is only a move to a vermin infested dump of an apartment and day-long garment work that barely pays the bills. Barriers of culture and language, fears of racism and their tyrant boss/landlord who is Kim’s Aunt Peg all stand in the way of progress for Kim’s mother. Kim though sees hope in education and this is the foundation for her character. Her focus on school allows her to set high goals for herself and her outstanding grades get her on a path of scholarship at Harrison Prep High School which in turn leads to her acceptance to Yale. All the while though Kim also plays a key domestic role as many children of non-English speaking parents do and it is Kim who finds a way out of their aunt’s traps to get a better job for her mom and a good apartment for both of them. For readers who enjoy self-determined characters will find a lot to appreciate in Kim.
Kim’s self-determination is also what brings this book into Alex Award territory. As the title implies Kim is growing up between two cultures. She wants to fit in with her white, prep-school American friends but this clashes with her poverty and culture in many ways that become commentary on both American and Chinese cultures. At times she may seem like a goody-goody, too easily navigating her way past drugs, alcohol and sexual urges (for the most part). But this likely stems from her sense of duty as a respectful Chinese daughter and there are times that she acts out of self interest. What’s interesting here though is that these somewhat selfish and thoughtless acts are signs of developing maturity and independence in Kim. This stands in stark contrast to many other characters of this age who’s selfishness pits them as frustratingly childish and emotionally vapid. The development in Kim’s maturity ultimately leads her to a situation where she must choose between the future she’s worked so hard for and an accidental pregnancy she finds herself in. The question of abortion is presented in this book as a skillfully balanced moral dilemma sure to embroil both sides of the abortion debate. But that’s what brings this discussion to an adult level because her situation is not present melodramatically. Her situation puts this pregnancy as the surprise stumbling block that could undo a lifetime of work and put her in and mother right back into the ghetto for the rest of their lives.
Although the issue of abortion avoids melodrama the weakness of the novel is that there are several scenes that are written with heightened suspense and/or drama which often are inconsequential side notes that do little to develop character, theme or plot. This happens several times with the character of Annette, Kim’s best friend. Although seeing Annette jump from being boy crazy one minute to developing communist sympathy the next shows how she is changing through her studies, these exploits are also fairly fruitless. This is a 320 page book and doesn’t need any padding. These scenes become sinkholes of anti-climax that the editor should have caught, yet, this is nowhere close to spoiling the book overall.
Genre of Catalog: Coming of age, Multicultural, Chinese, Based on true events, Fictional Memoir, Immigration tale, Winner 2011 Alex award.
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