Rachel Khong’s sophomore novel, Real Americans, is an intriguing story of the lives of three generations of an Asian-American family dealing with identity, choice, and the American obsession with money and wealth. The author offers a bold and thoughtful look at race and socioeconomic class, asking the fundamental question: Can we change who we are, or are we inevitable?
The novel unfolds in the form of three novellas rather than one constant narrative, with each focusing on a different member of the Chen family. It begins with Lily Chen, who, in 1999, navigated the challenges of Y2K and the volatility of 9/11. The daughter of a Chinese immigrant scientist, Lily is working as an unpaid intern when she meets Matthew, the heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, who is trying to live independently from his family’s wealth. They connect instantly, and the ensuing romance highlights the racial and socioeconomic differences between them.
Khong captures the sense of dislocation and insecurity Lily feels quite succinctly: “In our reflection, I saw an all-American man with a foreign woman, even though I was also all-American.” This thread continues throughout the novel, offering a complex look at the American dream from an Asian-American perspective.
Continuing that theme, we meet Nick, Lily’s teenage son, in 2021. He has grown up not knowing his father and is constantly questioning his identity and place in the world. His journey to connect with his biological father has him confronting the choices his mother and grandmother made, revealing just how little control he truly has over his own life.
The final section is based on May, Lily’s mother, who escaped Maoist China to pursue the American dream. May’s perspective is the most interesting, as it offers a critique on the limits of control and choice, particularly the latter, as Khong notes that choices, despite being made out of love, can chart courses that are often hurtful.
Khong’s deeply layered novel critiques the pursuit of money and control, of identity and being American, illustrating how these forces shape lives across generations. The result is a compelling read that will keep you thinking long after you’ve finished.
Rajiv Ashrafi is a Librarian at the Cambie branch of Richmond Public Library.
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