"Who's Irish?" and "Grass Roof"

Paper Summary:

This paper compares and contrasts Gish Jen's short story "Who's Irish?" with Dao Strom's novel "Grass Roof." The reviewer describes how both works investigate the complex problems that arise from the clash between the Asian and Western cultures. The paper further discusses the authors' styles and also the conflicts found in both works. The reviewer concludes that both stories give a painful and complex account of identity loss, displacement and racial discrimination in the lives of their characters.

From the Paper:

"Gish Jen's short story is narrated in broken English by a Chinese grandmother living with her daughter's family in the Unites States. Jen uses a multiple ethnic context, emphasizing the problems arising from the many cultural differences. The title of the short story, Who's Irish? directly questions identity and ethnicity. First of all, the story is about a Chinese American family who is now at the third generation of immigrants in the United States. Moreover, the family itself is a blend of ethnicities: the Chinese American daughter, Natalie is married to an Irish man, John Shea. The conflict in the story is thus a multiple one: there is an inner conflict between the Irish and the Chinese influences, repeatedly voiced in the Chinese grandmother's discourse. Sophie, Natalie and John's little girl, is obviously at the center of this conflict."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Jen, Gish. Who's Irish?. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1999
• Strom, Dao. Grass Roof, Tin Roof. Boston: Mariner Books, 2003

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