The Lifestyle of Chinese American People Free Essay Example, 2250 words

Penned in 1991 by the noted American author and playwright Frank Chin, Donald Duk is the journey of a twelve-year-old boy named Donald Duk in search of his identity in multicultural America. The boy is embarrassed by his name as well as his traditional Chinese heritage. The character of the protagonist represents the new generation of Chinese Americans, who are lost in the cultural assimilation and identity crisis overpowered by the American lifestyle. Donald Duk is born in America and wants to feel and live like an American. He is in the middle of the struggle between assimilating American lifestyle while at the same time accepting his own Chinese culture. This mental struggle is displayed at the beginning of the novel. Donald Duk hates his name. he is not a duck. He is not a cartoon character. (Chin 1) Contrary to the younger generation of America-born Chinese, there are the older lot, who still respects and maintains their cultural heritage even in the small Chinatown of Americ a. The character of King Duk, father of Donald Duk represents this lot. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lifestyle of Chinese American People or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page In short, the characters of Donald Duk provide a colorful picture of the American Chinatown that is hued by both preservations of traditional Chinese heritage and assimilation of American culture. The main theme of Chin s novel deals with the issue of the cultural identity of the Chinese American people and how they carry it on in their individualistic manner.