Asian Philosophy and Literature
ENG/301
February 1, 2015
Jacob Kolander

Asian Philosophy and Literature
Asian American literature flourished mostly after the 1930’s and a significant rise came after the 1970’s when Maxine Hong Kingston published several of her books. Asian literature did not emerge earlier as Asian scholars and diplomats were not brought to America; individuals that did come into this new land were solely to work on railroads or mines. This literature mostly refers to the hardships of adjusting to living in America and keeping their cultural origin. The Confucius philosophy is highly significant to the Asian culture and it is reflected in the literature in one form or another. The readings selected are Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan, The Youngest Daughter, by Cathy Song, and How I Got That Name, by Marilyn Chin. These stories reflect the difficulty of adjusting to the American culture as well as maintaining their Asian culture.
The Confucius philosophy is not a religion but a system that is based on social and ethical foundation that establishes kindness, respect, and appreciation to others. Through this philosophy, each individual is expected to be kind to the younger, the older, and every human being. In Asian American literature, many of the text includes either the mother, father, grandparents, or a relative that they care for or continue to live with. Aside from including a family member, it writes about the difficulty of mastering the English language and speaking in broken English. In the story by Amy Tan, Mother Tongue, she expresses how she speaks two languages. Tan describes her mother’s “broken” (Tan, 1990- 1995) or “fractured” (Tan, 1990-1995) language and blames her for limiting her progress. She believes that “people’s perception of the limited English speaker” (Tan, 1990-1995) makes this group a minority and a racial target. In reading this literature selections, it has shown enough proof as to what Tan implies in this specific story “Why is there not more Asian Americans represented in American literature? Why are there few Asian Americans enrolled in creative writing programs?” (Song, 1982-1995). There is no correct answer, but one may be the limitations of mastering the English language. In the end, Tan honors her mother by accepting her broken language and appreciating her demand to be heard regardless of her limited English.
In the story, The Youngest Daughter, by Cathy Song, she touches one important aspect of the Asian culture. In honoring your parents, the unmarried daughter or the youngest daughter is expected to remain living with the elder parents and care for them. The narrator, being the youngest daughter of six is caring for her ill mother. Song goes back and forth stating that both mother and daughter take care of each other as she writes this poem with irony. “My skin, tingles with migraine. Mother has been massaging the left side of my face especially in the evenings when the pain flares up” (Song, 1982-1995). Ironically, the mother is intending to ease the pain of a migraine caused by herself day after day. Song uses lines that let the reader know she has always been caring for her sick mother “It seems it has always been like this: the two of us in this sunless room” (Song, 1982-1995). As an Asian, it is their moral obligation to care for the elder mother and father. In the story, the author closes by clarifying her unhappiness as her mother “Knows I am not to be trusted, even now planning my escape” (Song, 1982-1995).
In the poem, How I Got That Name, by Marilyn Chin, she uses assimilation for the two distinct cultures she struggles to find herself in. The author talks about her father buying the name Marilyn “somewhere between Angel Island and the sea” (Chin, 1992-1995). In this line she refers to her father purchasing papers for her to be eligible to come into America; the name Marilyn was chosen because her father was “obsessed with a bombshell blond” (Chin, 1994-1995). In the first paragraph, Chin refers to Marilyn Monroe describing “tragic white woman, swollen with gin and Nembutal” (Chin, 1994-1995) she was named after. She insinuates how her father forgets about the respect and honor owed to the family as she writes “we all know lust drove men to greatness, not goodness, not decency” (Chin, 1994-1995) but sarcastically includes that her father is a man of integrity and filial piety is the standard in which he is measured.
Confucian philosophy is a major part of the Asian culture and it is expected for all Asian individuals to practice it every day. In these three stories and poems, Confucian is described in one way or another. In the story Mother Tongue, it insinuates that the mother lives with the narrator; she writes how although she once felt ashamed of her mother, she is now proud and honored for her willingness to be heard regardless her limited English. In the poem The Youngest Daughter, Song describes how the daughter is practicing her obligation of Filial piety. In the last poem How I Got That Name, Chin describes how the narrator’s father has lack of integrity but will still hold the standard to filial piety. The texts describe a minor social status as they all describe the difficulty adjusting to the American life and master the English language. The authors, such as Amy Tan, write about how “people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her” (Tan, 1990-1995). This specific literature differs from traditional American literary canon as its main focus is the strenuous adjustment to American life; the demand to learn the English language and fit into the new culture all while maintaining their original culture.
Asian American literature, although it launched later in time, is highly significant as it introduces the Confucius Philosophy to its readers. The literature emerged later than other ethnic literature as the lack to possess the language turned individuals to venture in other directions. But the publishing’s of Maxine Hong Kingston opened a new door for other Asian authors to publish their literary work.

References
Wong, S. (1995). Asian American Literature: A Brief Introduction and Anthology. New York City, New York: Harper Collins College Publishers