Learning from My Mother's Voice

Wisconsin Bookwatch, June, 2005

Learning From My Mother's Voice

Jean Lau Chin

Teachers College Press

1234 Amsterdam Avenue, NY, NY 10027

www.tcpress.com

0807745510 $19.95 1-800-575-6566

Written by a female Chinese-American psychologist with over 30 years of experience in mental health services, Learning From My Mother's Voice: Family Legend And The Chinese American Experience is both a cathartic memoir and a strong testimony of the experience of immigrant Chinese-Americans and their families throughout history, yet particularly in the past half-century. Chapters discuss common Western myths perpetuated about Chinese men and women, including infamous movies and characters that deified white men and repeatedly reduced Chinese women to the roles of victims or whores, the role of storytelling in helping families adjust to difficult situations, cultural symbols and universal bonds, the daily experience of Chinese-American family life, and more. Particularly examining the life of her mother, the author applies the cultural lessons learned from studying her mother's life to better understand life as a Chinese-American. An eye-opening examination that will prove extremely revealing for anyone seeking to better understand the psychodynamic and cultural forces behind the Chinese-American family, and especially recommended reading for anyone who career or daily life takes them into contact with Chinese-American communities.