Miles Turner Character Analysis in Interior Chinatown

Miles Turner is a Black detective and a star of Black and White. Before starring on the show, he graduated from Yale University and then worked on Wall Street. He joined the police force after his father, a veteran with the NYPD, was killed on the job. Turner is handsome and has obvious on-screen (and possibly off-screen) chemistry with his costar, Sarah Green. His character makes racist remarks against the show’s Asian characters and clashes with Willis during their on- and off-script interactions. Turner claims that Willis can’t complain about “the system” stereotyping and discriminating against him, since climbing up the system (as Willis has done to secure increasingly better roles on Black and White) only strengthens that very system. In short, Turner claims that Willis is complicit in his own discrimination, a point to which he testifies during Willis’s trial.

Miles Turner Quotes in Interior Chinatown

The Interior Chinatown quotes below are all either spoken by Miles Turner or refer to Miles Turner. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Black and White always look good. A lot of it has to do with the light. They’re the heroes. They get hero lighting, designed to hit their faces just right. Designed to hit White’s face just right, anyway.

Related Characters: Willis Wu (speaker), Miles Turner, Sarah Green

Page Number and Citation: 25

Explanation and Analysis:

Willis describes the stars of the police procedural on which he plays an array of background parts. The show stars detective duo Miles Turner and Sarah Green. Turner is a Black man and Green is a white woman, hence the show’s title, Black and White. Here, Willis describes how Black and White appear on screen, noting that the stars “get hero lighting, designed to hit their faces just right.” In specifying that it’s the lighting that makes the characters and the actors who play them look so good, he implies that Green and Turner themselves aren’t innately good-looking or good Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae vo

GREEN (turns to you) You speak English well.

GENERIC ASIAN MAN Thank you.

TURNER Really well. It’s almost like you don’t have an accent.

Shit. Right. You forgot to do the accent.

Related Characters: Sarah Green (speaker), Willis Wu (speaker), Miles Turner (speaker)

Related Symbols: Chinatown

Page Number and Citation: 92

Explanation and Analysis:

This passage comes from a scene of Black and White in which Willis is acting alongside the show’s leads, Turner and Green. At this early point in the novel, Willis is still playing background characters for the most part, so he’s excited when the role he’s playing in this scene, Generic Asian Man, is at least a speaking part, even if it’s still not that interesting. But Willis is unused to having speaking parts, and in his excitement and nervousness he forgets to put on the phony Asian accent that the part calls for, and Turner and Green (or the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperia

“I’m working with them now. This could be good.”

“Happy for you,” he says. He looks skeptical. Worried.

Related Characters: Sifu/Ming-Chen Wu/Old Asian Man (speaker), Willis Wu (speaker), Miles Turner, Sarah Green

Related Symbols: Kung Fu Guy , Chinatown

Page Number and Citation: 108

Explanation and Analysis:

This is a discreet conversation that occurs between Willis and his father as they film a scene for Black and White. Willis has risen through the ranks to snag a role as “Special Guest Star” on Black and White. It’s not all that important or robust a role, but it is a speaking part, which is a rare thing for Asian actors like Willis to come by in this novel. As Willis and the detectives enter Golden Palace, Willis encounters his father (who is playing the stock part of Old Asian Man, practically the only role that the show will Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Excepturi ullam nobis. Ducimus odio quo

No. But you’re going along with it. Look where we are. Look what you made yourself into. Working your way up the system doesn’t mean you beat the system. It strengthens it. It’s what the system depends on.

Related Characters: Sarah Green (speaker), Miles Turner (speaker), Willis Wu

Page Number and Citation: 113

Explanation and Analysis:

Willis, playing the role of “Special Guest Star,” is shooting a scene of Black and White with Miles Turner and Sarah Green when Green calls him “Chinaman,” though she appears instantly mortified and insists that she didn’t mean to do it. Willis apparently breaks character to criticize her, but Turner interrupts, arguing that Willis is overreacting and that there are worse names one can be called (Turner is a Black man and is most likely referring to the n-word). Furthermore, as he outlines in this quote, Willis has only himself to blame for accepting a role on Black and White, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Exce

Are you doing the right thing? Something about this feels wrong.

But this is Black and White. They let you have a part. You can’t stop now.

You look at your dad. He shifts his eyes away, and you know in that moment that he is disappointed. But he won’t ever say it. You’ll never talk about it again. He’s gone, slipped back into Old Asian Man. He’s not going to make the choice for you. It’s your role to play.

Related Characters: Sifu/Ming-Chen Wu/Old Asian Man (speaker), Willis Wu (speaker), Miles Turner, Sarah Green

Related Symbols: Chinatown

Page Number and Citation: 118

Explanation and Analysis:

Willis, as “Special Guest Star,” is shooting a scene of Black and White with Turner and Green when the detectives demand he tell them anything he knows about where the money in Chinatown comes from. Willis knows that there’s an illegal gambling den in the SRO apartments above Golden Palace and ultimately does decide to lead the detectives there, but in this moment, he undergoes a fleeting moral crisis about where his allegiance ought to lie. If he tells Green and Turner about the gambling operation, the Chinatown residents operating the den—good people who Willis knows are just trying to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Vol

KAREN You wanted them to find you.

KUNG FU DAD I wanted them to find us.

Related Characters: Willis Wu (speaker), Karen Lee (speaker), Phoebe , Miles Turner, Sarah Green

Related Symbols: Kung Fu Guy , Chinatown

Page Number and Citation: 227

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote occurs after the police arrive at Willis’s ex-wife Karen’s house to arrest Willis for stealing the car. Willis fled Chinatown—and his new job playing Kung Fu Guy—after realizing that his single-minded ambition to become Kung Fu Guy had caused him to lose his sense of self and get his priorities wrong. Willis and Karen’s marriage failed because Willis had been so preoccupied with his ambition to become Kung Fu Guy that he let his obligations to his family take the backseat. Once Willis finally becomes Kung Fu Guy—something he’s dreamed about his whole life—he immediately feels disillusioned and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. M

But at the same time, I’m guilty, too. Guilty of playing this role. Letting it define me. Internalizing the role so completely that I’ve lost track of where reality starts and the performance begins. And letting that define how I see other people. I’m as guilty of it as anyone. Fetishizing Black people and their coolness. Romanticizing White women. Wishing I were a White man. Putting myself into this category.

Related Characters: Willis Wu (speaker), Miles Turner, Sarah Green

Related Symbols: Kung Fu Guy

Page Number and Citation: 259

Explanation and Analysis:

After the jury returns a guilty verdict to Willis in “The Case of the Missing Asian” (rather bizarrely and surreally, he’s being tried for his own disappearance following his sudden, unannounced departure from Black and White), he delivers an emotional monologue in which he explicitly admits to his “guilt” for the first time in the novel. In this quote, Willis elaborates on what, exactly, he’s guilty of. He admits to playing the stereotypical Asian characters on Black and White, in particular that of Kung Fu Guy, and “letting it define [him].” He also alludes to “internalizing” the role’s demeaning, dehumanizing Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro p

“Hey,” Turner says. Off-script.

“I can’t do this anymore,” you say.

Turner smiles. “Yeah, man. I know.”

Related Characters: Miles Turner (speaker), Willis Wu (speaker)

Related Symbols: Kung Fu Guy , Chinatown

Page Number and Citation: 266

Explanation and Analysis:

After the jury delivers Willis’s guilty verdict, Willis delivers an emotional monologue in which he appeals to his fellow Asian American sitting in the courtroom, pleading with them to stop being the stock characters and living out the stories that other people have written for them and to start living life on their own terms; only once they see themselves as individuals will the rest of the world do the same. The courtroom then erupts in violent chaos, which ends with Willis being “shot” and killed. This is yet another confusing scene that blurs the line between the plot of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem imp

Miles Turner Character Timeline in Interior Chinatown

The timeline below shows where the character Miles Turner appears in Interior Chinatown. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...“the most accomplished young detective in the history of the department.” Black Dude Cop (Miles Turner) is “a third-generation cop who left Wall Street to honor his father’s legacy.” They’re in... (full context)

INT. GOLDEN PALACE CHINESE RESTAURANT—NIGHT. White Lady Cop (Sarah Green) and Black Dude Cop (Miles Turner) enter the restaurant, where Dead Asian Guy is dead, a sheet partially covering his body.... (full context)

...of Black and White feature White Lady Cop (Sarah Green) and Black Dude Cop (Miles Turner) driving around in the police car, though they’re detectives, so this doesn’t really make sense.... (full context)

The screenplay next introduces Black Dude Cop. Miles Turner, 33, is tall, handsome, and extremely muscular. He went to Yale and then worked on... (full context)

Turner thinks he hears something. Turner and Green draw their weapons. Willis, meanwhile, stands off to... (full context)

INT. GOLDEN PALACE CHINESE RESTAURANT—NIGHT. Dead Asian Guy is dead, and Green and Turner are investigating. Green reminds Turner that they need “to be sensitive here.” Just then, Old... (full context)

Finally, Turner, trying to intimidate Old Asian Man, suggests that they take him down to the station.... (full context)

...of the shot, and Willis, the “Special Guest Star,” is in the background. Green and Turner engage in flirty banter, and it almost makes Willis forget his lines to see them... (full context)

Green and Turner flirt some more. Willis (as Special Guest Star) interrupts their banter to announce that Older... (full context)

...extras seated at tables. He doesn’t see anyone he knows and gestures for Green and Turner to follow him into the kitchen. (full context)

Willis tells his dad that he’s working with Green and Turner now and that it’s a good thing. Old Asian Man praises Willis but looks skeptical... (full context)

Turner asks if Old Asian Man will help them, and Willis (as Special Guest Star) says... (full context)

Willis (as Special Guest Star) claims that Turner, too, is part of the system: his name is in the show’s title. Turner counters... (full context)

Willis (as Special Guest Star) lunges at Turner. Turner might be big and muscular, but Willis has been working on his Kung Fu.... (full context)

...and thanks him for his cooperation, her voice louder than normal, almost like she’s shouting. Turner asks Old Asian Man when he last saw Older Brother. Old Asian Man says it’s... (full context)

...Oriental) is at the door. Willis (as Special Guest Star) approaches him with Green and Turner in tow, and Fatty Choy whispers his congratulations to Willis. But Turner threatens to arrest... (full context)

INT. GAMBLING DEN-BOSS’S OFFICE—CONTINUOUS. Willis (as Special Guest Star) leads Turner and Green to the boss’s office. Young Fong is here, already back at work, though... (full context)

Turner forces himself inside the office. Mini Boss (Young Fong) calmly offers to let Turner “sample... (full context)

...in the building if he doesn’t cooperate. Mini Boss asks for immunity, but Green and Turner say they can’t do that. Fong gives a signal, and bottles start to be smashed... (full context)

Green breaks character to applaud Special Guest Star (Willis), though Turner (also breaking character) grumbles about Willis deviating from the script. Turner resumes his acting, roughing... (full context)

Lee turns to Turner and Green and tells them that Fatty Choy knows something but will never talk. Turner,... (full context)

...that he hates smoking. He looks up at a billboard for Black and White, Miles Turner and Sarah Green’s large faces staring down at him, “the light hit[ting] their faces just... (full context)

...for Black and White. He knows he has to get out. He sees Green and Turner’s car parked nearby. He goes to it, breaks in, hotwires it, and then drives off.... (full context)

...and Phoebe that everything is okay—they’re there for him because he stole the police car. Turner and Green call out for him to surrender and nobody will get hurt. Karen tells... (full context)

The judge enters the courtroom. Willis notes Green and Turner seated behind him—they’re going to testify for the prosecution in “The Case of the Missing... (full context)

Eventually, though, the prosecution calls their first witness (Miles Turner) to the stand. In his interrogation, Turner calls Willis “a punk.” The judge reminds him... (full context)

As the jury exits the courtroom, Green and Turner approach Older Brother and compliment his performance, suggesting he come to work for the DA;... (full context)

...Older Brother nods to Willis, and Willis, speaking as “Generic Asian Man,” addresses the judge, Turner and Green, and the jury. (full context)

INT. GOLDEN PALACE CHINESE RESTAURANT—NIGHT. Green and Turner look down on Kung Fu Guy’s body and observe that he is dead. A crime... (full context)

Miles Turner Character Analysis

Miles Turner Quotes in Interior Chinatown

Act 1: Generic Asian Man Quotes

Act 2: Int. Golden Palace Quotes

Act 3: Ethnic Recurring Quotes

Act 5: Kung Fu Dad Quotes

Act 6: The Case of the Missing Asian Quotes

Miles Turner Character Timeline in Interior Chinatown