Rachel Khong's 'Real Americans' Explores Chinese Migrant Identity Across Generations
Rachel Khong's novel 'Real Americans' navigates Chinese migrant family experiences, racism, and identity in the US across three timelines: 1999, 2021, and 2030. The story follows Lily Chen, a young Chinese-American working as an unpaid intern at a New York travel magazine in 1999. The book addresses the question of what constitutes a 'real American' amid debates on racist immigration policy under Trump, but does not focus on the administration's repressive methods. Khong, born in 1985 and based in Los Angeles, presents a sprawling yet fascinating generational saga of a family that migrated from China to the US.
Key facts
- Rachel Khong wrote 'Real Americans'.
- The novel covers three time periods: 1999, 2021, and 2030.
- Lily Chen is a Chinese-American character working as an unpaid intern at a New York travel magazine in 1999.
- The book explores racism and identity in the US.
- It addresses debates about racist immigration policy under Trump.
- Khong was born in 1985 and lives in Los Angeles.
- The novel is described as 'brick-thick'.
- The story follows a family that migrated from China to the US.
Entities
Artists
- Rachel Khong
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- New York
- China