Wong, Norman. Cultural Revolution. Persea Books. Mar. 1994. c 192p. permanent paper. ISBN 0-89255-197-6. $21.00.
[FICTION]

Wong's collection of 11 interwoven stories begins with Wei, a Chinese immigrant and only son, as he leaves the bustling streets of Hong Kong to begin a new life on the lush island of O'ahu. Though East and West meet somewhat comfortably in Hawai'i, Wei encounters good and bad when race, class, culture and sexuality overlap. Michael, Wei's only son, wrestles with the problems of being a child of immigrant parents. His internal struggles with the role of first son, coupled with the exhilaration and fear of his emerging homosexuality and his efforts to fit into Chinese and American cultures, make for an interesting, well-written and poignant story. Wong highlights the inevitable problems that result when immigrant parents' hopes and dreams clash with their childrens' in a rapidly changing world that is very different--and yet in some ways the same--as the world they left behind. Highly recommended for Asian American fiction collections and gay and lesbian collections.

Kevin M. Roddy, University of Hawai'i at Hilo