‘My Broken Language’ by Quiara Alegría Hudes is the Free Library’s One Book, One Philadelphia pickThe 259-page novel is the tongue-in-cheek story of Willis Wu, an actor in a cop show filmed at a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Wu, cast as “generic Asian man” and forced to speak in an exaggerated Asian accent, longs to be “Kung Fu Guy,” the best role an Asian actor can hope for.
I was surprised. I was feeling a little down and this was the best news. I never imagined that a city as big as Philadelphia would read my book at one time. Chinatowns have historically been a places of refuge, safety, and comfort for new immigrants who faced hostility, discrimination, and violence. There is a commonality of food and language. Chinatowns are anchors. [Still] it’s a part of the American dream to work hard and eventually move, and as residents move, they make room for newer immigrants to come.
FreeLibrary Absolutely love the choice, feels incredibly timely. SaveChinatown
Oooh, excited for this!