Native Speaker by Chang-rae Lee The kids in my fathers neighborhood gave him trouble that first summer. One afternoon Mitt tugged at my pant leg and called me innocently, in succession, a chink, a jap, a gook. I couldnt immediately respond and so he said them again, this time adding, in singsong, Charlie Chan, face as flat as a pan. (P.103) The boat is powering up to speed, throwing its wake. Its that coloring those old guys have about the face and body, all pale and pink and silver, those veins pumping in purple heart. It says, I saved your skinny gook ass, and your mommas, too. I never understood that word, she shouts into the wind. Good. I sometimes hear it from the students. I thought it was meant for Southeast Asians. I dont get it. Everyones got a theory. Mine is, when the American GIs came to a place theyd be met by all the Korean villagers, whod be hungry and excited, all shouting and screaming. The villagers would be yelling, Mee-gook! Mee-gook! and so thats what they were to the GIs, just gooks, thats what they seemed to be calling themselves, but that wasnt it at all. What were they saying? Americans! Americans! Mee-gook means America. Thats perfect, Lelia says, shaking her head. I better ask Stew. Dont harass your father, I tell her. He wont know anything. Its funny, I used to almost feel good that there was a word for me, event if it was a slur. I thought, I know Im not a chink or a jap, which they would wrongly call me all the time, so maybe Im a gook. The logic of a wounded eight-year-old. (pp.242-243)
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 11:25:39 +0000
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