「美國新面貌」？種族問題與羅利《美國之子》中的認同危機

New Face of America? The Problem of Race and the Identity Crisis in Roley's 'American Son'

布萊恩羅利的第一部小說《美國之子》描繪一對居住在加州洛杉磯的白人、菲律賓混血兄弟所遭遇的認同危機。其冷峻的筆觸深入刻畫種族間的暴力、族裔區隔、以及青少年認同危機如何穿透遭種族化的移民生活，即便是在享有「多元文化」美名、素有「族裔之州」稱號的加州。小說提供了一個觀察一九九零年代美國社會種族紛擾的窗口，揭示美國社會在多元文化主義的大旗下鬼祟蠢動的種族歧視。這篇論文將《美國之子》放在美國種族反抗書寫傳統來考察，指出《美國之子》與李查萊特的《土生之子》、卜婁杉的《美國在心中》相呼應，強調著種族主義造成的結構性問題。以歐密與與魏南特對種族議題的思考、德希達對「容忍」論述的批判作為參照，論文指出，這部在新世紀伊始寫就的小說透過對美國「多元文化」現況的細膩鋪陳，尖銳點出種族歧視如何在當代場景以更微妙的方式運作，並清楚曝顯美國在境內的白人優先不對等種族關係跟美國在世界舞台霸權位置的連動並行。藉由闡明美國歧視性種族化的樣貌如何從建國時期變形改裝而持續挺進，論文重申，敏銳而細緻地批判種族問題在這「多元文化」時代的切要性。

Brian Roley's debut novel ”American Son” depicts the identity crisis of a pair of half-white-half-Filipino brothers living in Los Angeles, California, the ”ethnic state” acclaimed for its multiculturalism. This chilling portrayal of racialized immigrant life in Los Angeles-marked by interracial violence, ethnic segregation, and adolescent identity crises-offers a window on the racial turmoil of 1990s U.S. and poignantly reveals its insidious practices of racism, despite the apparent celebration of multiculturalism. Situating ”American Son” in the tradition of racial resistance writing, this study notes its resonances with Richard Wright's ”Native Son” and Carlos Bulosan's ”America Is in the Heart” in underscoring the structural problem of racism. The multicultural condition as portrayed in the novel is examined with reference to Michael Omi and Howard Winant's reflection on the U.S. racial relations and Jacques Derrida's critique of the discourse of tolerance. It argues that this novel, written in the new century, sharply points out the subtle and insidious working of racism in the contemporary setting, and tellingly exposes the uneven race relations-formed in tandem with U.S. imperial expansion on the world stage-within as well as beyond the borders of the U.S. By illuminating the discriminatory racialization that has persisted in various configurations ever since the nation was founded, the paper reclaims the relevance of addressing the problem of race with critical acumen as well as nuance in this age of ”multiculturalism.”