2010, Book 7: Typical American

What is a typical American? Is it possible that an American would answer that question differently than an immigrant? Is it possible for an immigrant to become a typical American? Is there such a thing as a typical American? I was thinking that some of these questions would be answered by Gish Jen in her novel Typical American. Some of them were and some of them weren't, but it was an enjoyable, albeit laborious, experience all the same.

This was the second book that was assigned to me for class and I enjoyed it much more than the first. It should be noted to anyone who thinks that they may want to read it that it is a bit surreal at times, so if that is not your thing then this would not be the book for you.

Gish Jen weaves a superb tale about a Chinese immigrant named Ralph who comes to the U.S. as a young man to complete graduate school. His initial intention is to finish school and then return to China, but life had different plans for Ralph and he stays. He is eventually joined by his sister and he also eventually marries another Chinese immigrant named Helen.

Ralph and his family begin their assimilation into American culture by making fun of and laughing over what they believe to be "typical American" qualities and traits. As the story plays out, Ralph and family gradually come to realize that they are becoming typical Americans in some ways and already are typical Americans in others. They start out experiencing life as immigrants and eventually land up having genuinely American experiences. Some of the experiences are joyous and some of them are sad. Throughout the novel they are sometimes subject to typical American treatment and even toward the end, they are sometimes still treated as immigrants.

The story of Ralph and his family is not light reading, even though Typical American is not a very long book. It is a wonderful portrayal of how a family of immigrants can become typical Americans but still never truly shed their identity as immigrants (especially in the eyes of American natives). It also gives a wonderful portrayal of how an extremely intelligent immigrant can be undervalued in American society simply because he or she is an immigrant.

As a whole, I think Typical American is a great novel that most readers would enjoy. However, the style Gish Jen uses to write can be difficult to follow and the story does get a bit surreal, as stated previously. If those are not things that hinder you as a read, I would recommend picking up a copy of Typical American. It is anything but typical as a novel, and that's the truth.