My mother’s book, Fifth Chinese Daughter, is part of the Asian American literary canon. Before her, there were only one or two other Asian American writers. She preceded the generation of authors such as Maxine Hong Kingston and Amy Tan.
In writing an autobiography, my mother had to balance several priorities. She had to tell her story and introduce Chinese concepts that the average American reader found unfamiliar, yet she had to be discreet in what she revealed about her family.
Jade Snow Wong Studios was the shop where she sold her books (and mine), her pottery and enamels, imports, and where she and my father also ran a travel agency. She was open to the public six days a week. I repeatedly heard customers come in and exclaim that her story was exactly like theirs—even though they were from far away countries. European, South American, African, Middle Eastern, and other Asian women said they recognized their fathers in hers and that they had struggled to find themselves as she had done. Thus, in writing about being Chinese American in the mid-20th century, my mother wrote a universal story. Isn’t that what every artist hopes to do? In being true to the personal, they find the truth for everyone.
My mother was committed to community work too. She sat on nonprofit boards. She helped to raise funds for the first Chinese Culture Center in San Francisco and the new San Francisco Main Library. When she was gone for meetings, my father anxiously paced in front of the house until she came home. They were that close. Like any couple, they had their conflicts and arguments. But it often goes unacknowledged that he supported her career. He did all the accounting, business arrangements, metal spinning, working with importers, graphic and furniture design, shipping, travel agency work, led tours with her—and he could cook too. It’s often said that behind every great man stands a great woman. My parents’ case was the reverse.
What does it take to be a Chinese American icon? In my mother’s case, it was being true to herself, hard work—and having a devoted spouse. The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), 215 Centre Street, has a great display of Chinese American history. One wall shows prominent people—including Jade Snow Wong. In obeying her inner impulse she contributed to her community.
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