Home or Residence

When reading Birds of Paradise Lost, I noticed the theme of home recurring. In "Sister," Ivory struggles with a sense of home after her brother calls to inform her that he called their childhood home, and got through to "an old lady. She had a Hanoi accent" (114). Ivory's brother is playful and excited about the call, but Ivory does not seem to share his enthusiasm. She is even surprised by her reaction, but does not, (initially) choose to try calling too. After this incident, the story reveals that Ivory is a realtor. Ivory's struggle with calling home reveals a potential longing to move forward. but a consistent pull toward the past due to her nightmares and flashbacks (116). Since Ivory's career involves showing and selling homes, this seems to reveal her unconscious need to feel at home in America, as well as her even more unconscious need to reconnect with her home in Vietnam. When she mentions "how can I? [...] Go back to what" (121); this shows that Ivory does feel a sense of loss towards her new home. However, her reluctance to call depicts her fear of knowing that life goes on, and that she must move forward.

-Kristen P.

Steps Toward Reconciliation

“Step up and Whistle” demonstrates the correlating lives of Randy Tran, a member of the 1.5 generation, and his uncle, Barry Le. Having lost his family upon steps, Uncle Bay travels for refuge without his family and is later heartbroken, learning of his wife’s arrangements. Nonetheless, he still continues to live life, with the desire to be with those that he loves. Suffering from Tourette’s syndrome, Randy Tran embarrasses him, yet he also embarrasses himself. From which point he decides to run. In the drawing above, the dress shoes and pants figure is Barry Le and the exploding lines represent his troubled past and sudden jerks due to his disease. The running shoes are representative of Randy as he decides to run regardless of the weather. The rain in his section is symbolic of the sadness he puts himself in. Regardless, they both climb in order to let go of their past. Barry Le is walking less steep stairs significant of his old age, and unlike Randy who is walking the steeper stairs in order to recognize his mistakes and the karma of having a child with TS.

By Alfredo R.

Growing a New Identity

Two of Lam's stories which discuss Vietnamese immigrants' passages of boats to their new homes are "Sister" and "Yacht People." The hardships they face influence their new identities as refugees. I was inspired by the woman in "Yacht People" who brought mango seeds with her on the boat. The mango seeds are a physical reminder of Vietnam for the woman; it is all she can manage to save from the home she is leaving. Despite (or as a result of) the hardship experienced, those seeds sprouted. I drew a mango tree growing from a boat in stormy seas. The storm represents both the physical and emotional turmoil which plague the refugees as they make the journey, their identities stuck in limbo between the past and their futures in a new country. Two children are by the tree, which symbolize these two stories. One child remains in the shade and protection of the tree. She represents a refusal to abandon traditions. For her, the tree represents strong-rooted tradition and culture which is worth saving. The other child is climbing the mango tree, looking to the sunshine above the clouds. This represents hope for the future in a new country and culture, as well as a departure from tradition and a Vietnamese past. The mango tree is symbolic of the growth of the children's new identities as a result of this boat ride to the United States; the direction in which each child's identity grows is dependent on the individual.

By Paige M.

Roots of Transition

The seemingly simple sentence, “I was seven when I came to America, old enough to remember, young enough to change” in the story “Close to the Bone" has profound significance (165). This quote speaks to the plight of the Vietnamese diaspora and encompasses the challenges of identity, homeland, and assimilation, which plague those who are exiled. The emotional effects caused by exile can vary by circumstance, but is often linked to age as evident in the lives of David, Ethan, and his parents. Those that are older when exiled often battle with a torn identity. Their roots and culture are transplanted onto new soil and only time can tell whether it will bear fruit. Those that are older when forced to migrate have a greater attachment to the life they lived, and the longing for their homeland engulfs literature with their stories of transition. For those that are younger, the ties felt are relegated to their parents, but assimilation often comes much easier as their new experiences enforce their sense of belonging in the new world. Being able to change and adapt to a new way of life while still honoring the past is easier for the younger generations where the memories and roots are not as strong and developed. The discrepancy between age and assimilation is interesting to observe throughout Lam’s collection of short stories, especially in “Close to the bone”. The generation gaps and familial tensions it raises reflect the challenges of exile.

By David T. 

The Power of Language

"Show and Tell" is about Robert and his new fellow student Cao, a Vietnamese refugee. Through Cao's inability to speak English, Andrew Lam stresses the power of language and communication. He links the impact of language barrier to the inability of expressing oneself which leads to being judged by society without knowing the person or one's background. 

At the beginning Cao is presented as quite primitive, "like he just found out for the first time that he was wearing shoes" (25). In addition, he cannot defend himself when he is attacked by Billy because he does not know English, "so he just bit[es] his lip and blush[es]" (25) and ignores Billy's offensive comments. However, Cao uses drawing as a way of communication with Robert and when Robert realizes that Cao's drawing "was really, really good" (28), his impression of the refugee changes: he starts respecting Cao more. 

The turning point comes when Cao is confronted with the horrors of the Vietnamese war because of Billy's presentation (29). At first, he cannot control his emotions, but he soon realizes that Robert - who understands him - and his own drawings are his way to communicate his sufferings, his story, thus who he is: "So I went on. And he went on. I talked. He drew. We fell into a rhythm" (31). Cao is able to regain control over the situation, to make the others listen to him and to "Show and Tell" the trauma he went through as a refugee. Thus, Lam represents in Cao the power of communication and how language is a tool to not only process trauma, but also to set your status in society. 

All in all, Lam is able to show the hardships of immigrants who do not only have to struggle with the trauma of war, but also with the trauma of exile. Due to language barriers, refugees are faced with prejudices and judged by people. But Lam does not only show how powerful language and language skills can be, as he also shows how powerful it can be to express oneself in order to process trauma.

By Storai K.

Sly Fox

In "Close to the Bone" after David's funeral, Ethan describes a moment where, "a mangy fox stood staring at me, its tongue hanging out. It was neither afraid nor surprised. If anything, it had an expression of bemusement" (Lam 182). The fox is symbolic of David's personality and characteristics. His trickster nature is shown throughout the story. 

In the beginning, David taunts Ethan's father with breaking the bricks in class, and later Ethan's parents by showing support for Ethan's sexuality during a discussion at dinner. Over and again he seems to push the envelope on what is considered proper, while at the same time showing respect for the ancestral culture. It is through this sort of wily and unpredictable behavior that he inspires both Ethan and his father to challenge themselves in different ways. Ethan's father seems to struggle to find purpose until David gives him a means to channel the life he feels that has been lost. Through David he finds the son he wishes he had, and at the same time in some ways connects to his own son. Ethan is inspired to find his voice and break down walls by standing up to the oppression he feels has been inflicted on him. He openly confesses who he is and sees himself to be because of David's support. 

David's wry actions caused the family to break down barriers and forcibly reevaluate their relationships. The fox's appearance reflects the irony of what is, as well as the potential hopefulness of what could be.

By Jennifer V.

A Storm of Nation

As I traced a running theme of homosexuality in Andrew Lam's Birds of Paradise Lost, I considered the struggle of sexual identity as a representation of the struggle of developing a national identity and the ongoing storm that Vietnamese refugees experience. In "Close to the Bone", Ethan recounts the development of his sexual identity as a storm which his partner, William, served as a safe port (174). By illustrating two conjoined men wrapped in both the American and Vietnamese flag, I meshed images of sexual and national identity. Choosing mostly pencil to create my illustration, I imagined the minimal color as representation of the often black and white singular view that a person must be of one nationality and renounce another, or that a person of must be of only one sexual orientation. Combining both flags and a conjoined image of a homosexual couple pressed against a stormy sky symbolizes the struggles and complications of duality and biculturality. 

By Lauren S.