Betrayal and Other Acts of Subversion Feminism, Sexual Politics, Asian American Women’s Literature

223 Pages·2001·1.639 MB·English

by  Bow, Leslie

BETRAYALAND OTHERACTSOF SUBVERSION

BETRAYAL AND OTHER ACTS
OF SUBVERSION
FEMINISM, SEXUAL POLITICS,
ASIAN AMERICAN
WOMEN’S LITERATURE
Leslie Bow
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS PRINCETON AND OXFORD
Copyright(cid:211) 2001byPrincetonUniversityPress
PublishedbyPrincetonUniversityPress,41WilliamStreet,
Princeton,NewJersey08540
IntheUnitedKingdom:PrincetonUniversityPress,
3MarketPlace,Woodstock,OxfordshireOX201SY
AllRightsReserved
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Bow,Leslie,1962–
Betrayalandotheractsofsubversion:feminism,sexualpolitics,
AsianAmericanwomen’sliterature/LeslieBow.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-691-07092-X(alk.paper)
ISBN0-691-07093-8(pbk.:alk.paper)
1.Americanliterature—AsianAmericanauthors—Historyand
criticism.2.Americanliterature—Womenauthors—Historyand
criticism.3.Feminismandliterature—UnitedStates.4.Women
andliterature—UnitedStates.5.AsianAmericanwomeninliterature.
6.AsianAmericansinliterature.7.Sexroleinliterature.I.Title
PS153.A84B69 2000
810.9¢9287¢08995—dc21 00-058488
ThisbookhasbeencomposedinSabon
Printedonacid-freepaper.‘
www.pup.princeton.edu
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
(Pbk.)
Acknowledgmentgoestothefollowingpublishersforpermissiontoreprintpreviouslypub-
lishedmaterial:“The Gendered Subject of Human Rights: Asian American Literature as
PostcolonialIntervention.”CulturalCritique(Winter1999):37–78.“LeLyHayslip’sBad
(Girl) Karma: Sexuality, National Allegory, and the Politics of Neutrality” published in
ProseStudies, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 141–60 by Frank Cass Publishers, London. “Cultural
Conflict/FeministResolutioninAmyTan’sTheJoyLuckClub.”InNewVisionsinAsian
AmericanStudies:Diversity,Community,andPowered.FranklinEng,JudyYung,Stephen
Fugita,andElaineKim,WashingtonStateUniversityPress,1994.235–47.“TheIllusionof
theMiddleWay:LiberalFeminismandBiculturalisminFifthChineseDaughter.”InBear-
ing Dreams, Shaping Visions: Asian Pacific American Perspectives ed. Linda A. Revilla,
Gail M. Nomura, Shawn Wong, and Shirley Hune, Washington State University Press,
1993.161–75.
To Russ and Julian

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
1. Introduction:TheorizingGenderedConstructionsof
EthnicandNationalCollectivity 3
2. ToEnjoyBeingaGirl:SexualityandPartialCitizenship 37
3. TheTriumphofthePrefeministChineseWoman?:
IncorporatingRacialDifferenceThrough FeministNarrative 70
4. ThirdWorldTestimonyintheEraofGlobalization:
LeLyHayslip’sBad(Girl)KarmaandtheArtofNeutrality 115
5. TheGenderedSubjectofHumanRights:DomesticInfidelity
inIrrawaddyTangoandTheScentoftheGods 137
Afterword: MultiplyingLoyalties 168
Notes 179
WorksCited 197
Index 209

Acknowledgments
THIS PROJECT could not have been completed without the support and
inspiration of mentors, friends, colleagues, and family members. I am
indebted to Akasha Hull, Helene Moglen, and José David Saldívar,
whose guidance and commitment brought this project to fruition and
whose scholarship serves as amodel for my own. Iwant to thank Nora
OkjaKellerandLauraHyunYiKangfortheirinspirationandfriendship
at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Renny Christopher, Ellen
Hart,EkuaOmosupe,andMiriamWallaceallofferedmevaluablefeed-
back and encouragement. I am most grateful to Elena Tajima Creef,
whoseunequivocalsupportisequaledonlybytheshiningexampleofher
ownworkinAsianAmericanStudies.
My heartfelt thanks goes to C. Lok Chua, Tassie Gwilliam, Wendy
Hesford, Daniel Kim, Elaine Kim, Wendy Kozol, Josephine Lee, Robert
Lee, Frank Palmeri, Sangeeta Ray, Malini Johar Schueller, Mihoko
Suzuki, Lindsey Tucker, Sau-ling Wong, and Robyn Wiegman, who gra-
ciously read and commented on parts of the manuscript in its various
manifestations. Your astute feedback has sustained and motivated me
throughout the writing process. I wish to thank Peter Bellis, Shari Ben-
stock, Suzanne Oboler, and Sandra Pouchet Paquette for their support
and collegiality. To those who make up the Humanities Colloquium at
theUniversityofMiami,especiallyDavidGlimpandMichaelRothberg,
yourcommitmenttointellectuallifeprovidednecessarynourishmentand
engagement. To Janice Okoomian, Susette Min, and Lynn Ink: your
work challenged me to give my best. I cannot thank Thomas LeBien at
Princeton University Press enough for his professionalism at a crucial
stage of this manuscript’s production. The artistHu(cid:176) o(cid:176) ng graciously as-
sented to the reproduction of her painting, “Students,” to adorn this
book’scover.IamgratefultoWendyLaw-Yone,FionaCheong,andJade
SnowWongfortheirwillingnesstotalkwithmeabouttheirwork.
To my parents, Willie and Sue Mae Bow: without your sacrifices and
lovethisworkwouldnothavebeenpossible.JulianTycontinuallyenter-
tainedanddelightfullydivertedmeinthecourseofthisproject.
Mostofall,RussCastronovostimulatedandchallengedthisworkand
Iamgratefulforhisenergy,faith,andlove.
This book was completed with the generous fellowship support of the
OfficeofthePresidentoftheUniversityofCalifornia,theCenterforCul-
tural Studies and Oakes College at the University of California, Santa