Paper Tigers by Wesley Yang
Selected as part of David Brook’s 2011 Syndey awards, Paper Tigers gives voice to the many frustrations of being a first generation Asian-American these days and, for those of us who had noticed that Asians make up the overwhelming majority in ivy leagues schools but failed to noticed that the same cannot be said for their presence at the top of the business world, he spends some time introducing the vicious bamboo ceiling.
Rather than strive to make himself acceptable to the world, Huang has chosen to buy his way back in, on his own terms. “What I’ve learned is that America is about money, and if you can make your culture commodifiable, then you’re relevant,” he says. “I don’t believe anybody agrees with what I say or supports what I do because they truly want to love Asian people. They like my fucking pork buns, and I don’t get it twisted.”