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Public Affairs Television "Becoming American: Personal Journeys" Interview With Gish Jen

BILL MOYERS: A lot of people still face terrible discrimination and economic difficulties.

GISH JEN: Yes. I have to say both. But compared to many other societies where they don't ever see that kind of change to begin with, there was something there that was fast and American and full of possibility. But even that kind of leading edge of change --

BILL MOYERS: How do you think this will all play out in your children's lives? You've got Irish and Chinese in there.

GISH JEN: I think my children will be fine. I'm hoping. I mean luckily my children are not from the Middle East. [My children] are not gonna be the first target of a lot of the backlash.

But I have to say that as a country, I think that so much of the progress we were able to make was based on a sense that we were secure. We could be open. We're like the Tong Dynasty, we were the top of our gig. We could afford to start to be open. I think now people are worried and afraid. I hear it's already very much more difficult for immigrants to get visas. I don't know what will happen. But I have to say it doesn't feel very hopeful.

BILL MOYERS: What are you going to do in China next month?

GISH JEN: Oh, well, it's a personal thing. I am going to China for six months on a Fulbright. I'll be teaching. I am bringing my two children. My husband is gonna come visit. Unfortunately, he can't stay the whole time. But I'm going for many reasons. Partly, of course, I want to bring my children. Partly I want go while my parents can still go. My father's 84. There won't be too many more trips. And partly, I guess I do realize that I'm at the age where I have to know all the family stories, that I can't rely on my parents to be the repository. I'm not always gonna be able to ask them. So I am going in some ways, to really make that link with China as strong as I can, just so that it's not lost. Like I say, I don't think it defines me. But that's our heritage. I don't want my children not to know where my parents came from. I want them to know.

BILL MOYERS: So, it's a roots trip?

GISH JEN: Yeah, it's a roots trip. (LAUGHS) Finally, who can believe it?

BILL MOYERS: And yet, all of your experience has been in this country as an American?

GISH JEN: I've been to China a couple times to visit. I mean, I was there to teach in '91 and I've always been interested, but I've been more interested in sort of the journey from the old world to the new world than I have in just the old world per se.

I've always been interested in the becoming, in the transition. Well, this is a little bit different. This is all different.

BILL MOYERS: Helen Zia says in her book and told me when I interviewed her, "The issue for us isn't anymore becoming an American.

"We've shown that we are American in every way of our-- we like hot dogs. We like baseball. We like fast cars. The issue still for us is being accepted as an American." Do you agree with that?

GISH JEN: I think there were times when it's still an issue. I think two things. One thing as-- what I have come to realize is that this business of not being accepted an American does not only affect Asian-Americans.

It affects so many people. You sort of wonder who really feels unequivocally American, honestly. It seems that many, many people are subject to this feeling of slight estrangement. That's the first thing.

And the second thing I would say is that in my experience, if you claim America, no one will dispute your claim. No one's gonna hand it to you but if you say, "Well, this is mine," no one is gonna stop you, either. And that's been very empowering for me.

BILL MOYERS: Thank you very much.

GISH JEN: You're very welcome.

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