1.5 Generation Literature as Asian Americanist Critique

Abstract

This chapter examines 1.5 generation Asian American literature, considering its thematic, formal, and critical value within Asian American studies more broadly. The 1.5 generation typically refers to subjects who are able to mediate between generations, languages, and cultures because their migration to another country at a young age results in transnational and intercultural knowledges and skills. This model for comprehending the 1.5er can be complemented with analyses of literature that is written by and/or conceptualizes the notion of the 1.5 generation. From this perspective, 1.5 generation Asian American literature is not necessarily defined by a fixed set of themes and forms but, rather, draws attention to shifting US-Asian relations and their impact on Asian American lives. Focusing on Vietnamese American anthologies published in the 1990s, this chapter demonstrates how the increased visibility of Vietnamese American literature largely centers around the notion of the 1.5 generation as a critical posture. Foregrounding neglected Southeast Asian contexts, these anthologies posit 1.5 generation literature’s critical importance in rethinking Asian American studies paradigms.