A Different Kind of Suburbia

Dear Willow S. Lung-Amam,

I found Tresspassers extremely enlightening in its relevance to my lifestyle and the people I know. Most of my friends at school in Hsinchu, known as "Taiwan's Silicon Valley," are from Fremont, Cupertino, or surrounding areas in Silicon Valley. Although I grew up as an Asian-American myself, I often found it hard to relate to their experiences in America because, as Irene Li says, "I almost felt like I'd moved to another country" from them. I grew up in East Setauket, NY, part of the most segregated suburb in America. Like the experience of Timothy in your book, I was among only 3 Chinese students at my school; compared to the experiences of my Taiwanese classmates, who had grown up in the Bay Area, I indeed felt the gaping differences between immigrant-saturated communities and my own, despite my parents' efforts to engage in a local Taiwanese-American association.

However, what I found most interesting in your book was the lack of discussion on interrelationships between different Asian immigrant groups. For example, you mention Sikhs, Indians, Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipinos, with an emphasis on the barbell economy of Silicon Valley that consistently placed Asian immigrants in either top or bottom level positions. However, I was confused that you didn't explore this idea further, as I was curious to know if there was any animosity between these groups or social stratification due to economic status, especially as Asians in America typically must unite under the all-encompassing racial banner of "Asian-American."

Sincerely,
Dana

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