Cultural Tension and Familial Bonds in the Select Works of Jean Kwok

Abstract

This paper examines Jean Kwok's Girl in Translation, Mambo in Chinatown, and Searching for Sylvie Lee through the interconnected lenses of cultural conflicts, family ties, gaping generations, and the differences between conventional and modernized value systems, with a focus on class, gender, language, and diaspora identity. It claims that Jean Kwok's heroines occupy "in-between" areas linguistically, emotionally, and geographically. They must translate not only words but entire cultural conventions to survive, defend their families, and negotiate selfhood. Across factory floors, Chinatown eateries, dancing classes, and transatlantic search journeys, Jean Kwok reveals how systemic inequities, racialized labor, and gendered expectations exacerbate intergenerational misunderstandings while simultaneously deepening loyalty and caring among immigrant families. The paper looks at Kimberly Chang, Charlie Wong, and the Lee sisters' journeys from sacrifice to partial empowerment, shedding light on postcolonial issues such as belonging, invisible work, and the impact of memory, guilt, and aspiration on second-generation identities. Finally, the study suggests that Jean Kwok confuses the dichotomy of "Cultured" vs "Westernized" society by exposing mixed, dynamic identities formed via negotiations rather than simple integration or rejection.

Keywords: Cultural Friction; Immigrant Family; Intergenerational Gap; Transnational Identity