英文摘要 |
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.” |