Immigrants come to America for various reasons, whether it is due to war or because they want to build a different life for themselves. Chinese-American children are one of many groups that face much pressure culturally, mentally, and emotionally to meet the expectations of their parents and American culture.
Grace D. Li’s novel, Portrait of a Thief, dives into the complexity of this dilemma. The story begins with Will Chen, an art history student at Harvard, who is unexpectedly contacted by a dubious Chinese benefactor with an illegal job offer to steal back five Chinese artifacts from museums around the world. Together with his friends Irene, Daniel, Alex, and Lily, the group of young Chinese-Americans attempt to accomplish the impossible.
How Does the Novel Fit Into the Chinese-American Experience?
The plot of Li’s Chinese heist novel provides an opportunity for economic and cultural gain for her characters. The characters would earn fifty million dollars for the success of the mission. On the other hand, “if they fail, it will mean not just the loss of everything they have dreamed for themselves but yet another thwarted attempt to take back what colonialism has stolen.”
Portrait of a Thief is based on a series of real-life art heists in the 2010s centered around taking back China’s stolen artifacts. Writer Alex Palmer notes, “The government in China does not think [artifacts stolen from the Old Summer Palace by the British and French in 1860] are stolen objects” because they originally belonged to China. Many museums scrambled to send their Chinese artifacts back to China quietly. Other museums stood their ground to argue that China should be willing to share part of its history for cultural enrichment.
Will and his friends also find great cultural importance in recovering these artifacts, even if they have lived in America for most of their lives. The way the five characters in the book navigate their daily lives, in addition to a secret art heist, mirrors each other in a way that contradicts the traditional Chinese values they were raised with. In contrast, Daniel’s father notes that his reason for immigrating to America is “with the hopes of a better life” and, as a result, he “will do what is expected of [him]” (Li 302).
One of the themes of Portrait of a Thief is the cross-generational struggle of reclaiming Chinese heritage vs. assimilating to American ideals. The desire to achieve many professional goals in life is a top priority for many Chinese-American children to make their parent’s sacrifices worth it. Will and his friends understand that playing by the rules of American society may achieve the goal of becoming successful individuals but does not fulfill their personal desire to reconnect with their culture.
How Do Asian Americans Struggle with Mental Health?
One of the dilemmas that Will and his friends face is wanting to reclaim part of a culture that was lost to them. By engaging in art heists, the Chinese-American characters feel they can better embrace their Chinese heritage in a way they could not before.
Nina Bai notes how less than 9% of Asian Americans reach out for mental health services compared to 18% of the US population. She suggests that many Asian adults associate mental health struggles with a social or moral deficiency. Bai also emphasizes how it is essential to have a therapist that can effectively address the effects of culture on mental health.
In an NPR interview with Claudio Sanchez, Amy Lee provides her experiences as a child of Chinese immigrants and her disputes with her parents. Lee struggled with not meeting her mother’s traditional expectations and the conflicting inability to hate her mother because of the pressure she put Lee through. During this interview, Professor Vivian Louie from Harvard University notes how Chinese parents want their children to acquire upward mobility but can not come to terms with losing their children to the cultural norms of America.
As a result of this parent-child dynamic, many Asian Americans push aside their mental health struggles. An article by Mental Health America notes that some of the difficulties Asian Americans face pursuing mental health resources are affording those resources and translating feelings adequately through a language barrier.
How Can People Involve Themselves in Fixing the Issue?
One of the first steps in alleviating mental health issues due to cultural influences is to let people know that they are not alone.
The Pew Research Center recently started a study documenting the Asian diaspora to portray the different ethnicities and identities within the Asian American community. In the various focus groups, researchers discuss the unique experiences of intersectional identities, including sexuality, gender, and lesser-known ethnic groups.
Forming an identity between two cultures can seem like a dilemma with no simple answer. The importance of openly discussing an individual’s cultural experience opens the dialogue for different individuals and communities to relate to one another and realize that they are not alone in their struggles. Like the characters in Portrait of a Thief, Asian Americans can learn how their combined Asian and American identities can create a welcoming space.
