I believe under the binary situations of integration and alienation, “A Part” or
“Apart,” indeed, is nothing but a matter of choice. Actually, the two novels remind me of one of my best friends, who is a Taiwanese-born Japanese. He does not tell me that he is a Japanese until I see his identification card. He thinks he does not have to reveal his dual nationality due to his perfect assimilation and integration into the Taiwanese culture. Nevertheless, he is also afraid that more or less the classmates might treat him differently because of his Japanese identity, which would make him uncomfortable. As a result, he chooses to conceal the truth. After knowing this, in fact, I often play a trick on him over his Japanese identity, which enrages him. Thinking back, I consider this is the experience that helps resonate me with Henry and Hata when reading Native Speaker and A Gesture Life. All of them just want to be treated as local people only and can live well without racism. After reading the novels, I realize I do something wrong to my friend. This is because the moment I pay attention to his identity, discrimination kicks in actually even though I am innocent, which now I consider is what my friend cares about. Accordingly, I am convinced that the novels not only inspire Korean Americans to be what they are, but also convey the message that people should change their thinking toward
new residents. Aside from this, for Asian Americans or people with dual or many identities, it is very important to have deep conviction that they are special. To be
“A Part” or “Apart,” that is the question. Here, we should try to imagine that “A”
metaphorizes the Asian Americans, while “Part” symbolizes mainstream white culture. When the Asian Americans have a tendency to approach the white society through assimilation, the result of “Apart” probably suggests distance and
separation. On the other hand, if they can keep their selfhood and racial uniqueness, the outcome of “A Part” insinuates a real integration instead of division on the surface of the phrase. Namely, for the Asian Americans, “A Part” and “Apart” are just different ways of thinking about the same issue, which I think is what
Chang-rae Lee tries to convey in his novels as well.
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