During last Friday’s meeting, we read and discussed Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, a memoir centering on the author’s mother and her death from cancer. We read through some excerpts and analyzed aspects of the story relating to the author’s Asian American identity such as her interactions with her Korean immigrant mother and how cultural differences were a source of conflict in their relationship as she grew up. We related this to experiences with our own parents and considered intergenerational trauma as another major factor in clashes with immigrant parents.
We also discussed Zauner’s biracial identity and the conflict she felt living between two cultures. We recognized the distinctions there are to be made amongst Asian American individuals; while many of them associated with the term “Asian American” and often have shared experiences, there is clearly a difference in life experiences, especially between persons who identify as biracial, first-generation, second generation, and adoptee Asian Americans. This led to a discussion about the meaning and various contexts in which the term “Asian American” is used. For example, the usage of the term typically refers to East and Southeast Asians in America while South/Southwest Asians do not usually identify with the term. We determined that this is a result of the racialization of the term after being commonly used to refer to only East and Southeast Asian Americans.
Although Zauner’s memoir focused mainly on her relationship with her mother, the segments in which she described her struggles with her identity were significant and generated meaningful discussion about the Asian American identity. Through examining Zauner’s experiences as a biracial Korean American and our experiences, we come to understand and continue to reflect on what being racialized as an Asian American and the effects of racialization has not only within the US but also transnationally. With beauty standards that pervade East/Southeast Asia, a question that remained was whether racialization and cultural beauty standards had to do with the country’s history/culture. Nonetheless, as seen in Crying in H Mart, Zauner’s different racialization in South Korea and the US complicates her identity as a Korean American.
This coming Friday, we will be listening to and analyzing songs from Japanese Breakfast, the band of which Michelle Zauner is the lead singer. Hope to see everyone there!
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