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Kung Fu Guy
In Interior Chinatown, Chinatown symbolizes Asian characters’ struggle to maintain their Asian identity as they assimilate into Western culture. In particular, it represents how Asian culture in the U.S. is oversimplified and manipulated to fit the tastes of mainstream American culture. Protagonist Willis Wu describes Chinatown as an ironic place filled with Asian immigrants like his Taiwanese parents, who traveled from their old countries to try to make better lives for themselves in America—only to end up in a “pretend version of the old country” in Chinatown. Though Willis’s parents once dreamed of taking full advantage of the opportunity they believed America had to offer, they ended up having to compromise their dreams to conform to the more modest, unthreatening success that Western culture would allow them. This meant setting aside their individuality and authentic cultural ties to perform one-dimensional, unnuanced stereotypes of how Western culture thought Asian people should act. In many ways, Chinatown is the geographic equivalent of the stereotypical roles that Willis and the other Asian characters are assigned to play—Chinatown, as the book sees it, is a fake, oversimplified vision of Asian-ness engineered to emphasize its residents’ otherness and un-Americanness, entrapping them in a physical space where they cannot forget that though they may be in America, they will never be of America.
Chinatown Quotes in Interior Chinatown
The Interior Chinatown quotes below all refer to the symbol of Chinatown . 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:
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Act 1: Generic Asian Man Quotes
Kung Fu Guy is not like the other slots in the hierarchy—there isn’t always someone occupying the position, as in whoever the top guy is at any given time, that’s the default guy who gets trotted out whenever there’s kung fu to be done. Only a very special Asian can be worthy of the title. It takes years of dedication and sacrifice, and after all that only a few have even a slim chance of making it. Despite the odds, you all grew up training for this and only this. All the scrawny yellow boys up and down the block dreaming the same dream.
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This passage introduces readers to Kung Fu Guy, a role that Willis likens to famed martial artist and actor Bruce Lee. In the world of the novel, playing Kung Fu Guy is the closest thing to stardom that Asian male actors can achieve. The role carries far greater clout than any of the bit parts that the average actor will get stuck playing for their entire career. While all the boys Willis has grown up with—including Willis himself—dream of being Kung Fu Guy, the reality is that most of them will ever see their dream come true. Not only does 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
Even for our hero, there were limits to the dream of assimilation, to how far any of you could make your way into the world of Black and White.
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This quote comes from a longer passage in which Willis gushes over Older Brother, whom young Willis (and every other Asian kid in Chinatown, for that matter) idolized growing up. Older Brother was impossibly perfect; he got excellent grades and was effortlessly cool and extremely popular. So, nobody in Chinatown was surprised when he became the next Kung Fu Guy—but they were shocked when he was fired under mysterious circumstances and then left Chinatown. Here, though, Willis considers how it makes a lot of sense that Older Brother wanted to get out—that he may have felt trapped and constrained by 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 consequat
Act 2: Int. Golden Palace Quotes
You’re here, supposedly, in a new land full of opportunity, but somehow have gotten trapped in a pretend version of the old country.
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The broader purpose of all of Act 2 is to familiarize readers with the book’s setting of Chinatown and then to analyze what Chinatown represents thematically. Here, Willis considers the irony of Chinatown: it is located in the U.S., the “new land full of opportunity” that Willis’s parents and so many of the book’s other immigrant characters moved to in hopes of seizing some of that opportunity to create better lives for themselves, and yet they’ve all ended up in Chinatown, “trapped in a pretend version of the old country.” There are multiple ways to interpret this quote. Readers may 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
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.
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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
Act 3: Ethnic Recurring Quotes
“I’m working with them now. This could be good.”
“Happy for you,” he says. He looks skeptical. Worried.
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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
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.
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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
Act 5: Kung Fu Dad Quotes
You survey the room: drawings, hair ties, notes to herself. Seemingly every species of stuffed animal or creature, real or imagined, lined up like a royal court along the walls on the floors. Her friends, her audience. Her off-screen voices. She seems both more resourceful and yet more childlike at the same time—how she’s invented a world, stylized, so that its roles and scenery, its characters and rules, its truths and dangers, all fit within one room. How small it is, and overstuffed, and ready for expansion. How bright it is, how messy. This whole place, the objects in it, all from her.
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Willis visits his ex-wife Karen and daughter Phoebe, from whom he’s become estranged; Willis and Karen’s marriage broke down after Willis chose to stay in Chinatown to chase his dream of becoming Kung Fu Guy, and he seems to have been largely absent from Phoebe’s life up to this point. In the world of the novel, every character plays a part on one TV show or other, Phoebe included—she’s the star of a children’s show that teaches kids about all manner of subjects, including cultural diversity. Now, Willis sits with Phoebe in her bedroom and considers how the way she’s 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 accu
The words coming out of your mouth, you can feel it happening, how you’re softening, changing into a different person. You were a bit player in the world of Black and White, but here and now, in her world, you’re more. Not the star of the show, something better. The star’s dad. Somehow you were lucky enough to end up in her story.
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This passage happens after Willis flees Chinatown to reunite with his ex-wife Karen and daughter Phoebe, from whom he became estranged after he chose to stay behind in Chinatown to chase his dream of becoming Kung Fu Guy while Karen left to star on her own show, taking Phoebe with her. Now Phoebe also stars on her own show, a children’s program about a young Chinese American girl, Mei Mei. Willis reacquaints himself with Phoebe, and when he enters her world, he’s shocked to find how different it is from his own. Phoebe’s world (meaning her personality as well as 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 simi
PHOEBE Can you tell me a story?
KUNG FU DAD I don’t know how. No one’s ever asked me to.
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After Willis finally achieves his dream of becoming Kung Fu Guy (and more specifically Kung Fu Dad, as he’s a father to Phoebe by the time he gets the part), he realizes that playing the role doesn’t make him feel as happy or fulfilled as he thought it would—and that all the time and effort he put in to land the role should’ve been time and effort he spent being there for his family. Realizing all this, Willis flees Chinatown and goes to live with his ex-wife Karen and reacquaint himself with their daughter Phoebe, whom he hasn’t seen much 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 p
KAREN You wanted them to find you.
KUNG FU DAD I wanted them to find us.
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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
Act 6: The Case of the Missing Asian Quotes
“Hey,” Turner says. Off-script.
“I can’t do this anymore,” you say.
Turner smiles. “Yeah, man. I know.”
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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
Get the entire Interior Chinatown LitChart as a printable PDF.
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Chinatown Symbol Timeline in Interior Chinatown
The timeline below shows where the symbol Chinatown appears in Interior Chinatown. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1: Generic Asian Man
Willis’s parents have also become poor. Now Sifu knows exactly what time restaurants in Chinatown toss out their old pork buns. He shops for food in bargain bins at the...
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...not Willis’s real brother—he’s “Everyone’s Older Brother.” He’s talented, smart, and popular: the “Guardian of Chinatown.” At one point, he and Sifu briefly starred together in a story about “father-and-son martial...
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Act 2: Int. Golden Palace
INT. CHINATOWN SRO. Willis lives in a room on the eighth floor of the Chinatown SRO Apartments. At the center of the complex is an interior courtyard, which is where...
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...whether they can trust the man. Green says they probably have no choice and that “Chinatown is a different world.” Turner reminds Green that he minored in East Asian Studies at...
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Act 3: Ethnic Recurring
...a part that needs subtitles when he used to fight dragons on the rooftops of Chinatown. Speaking in Taiwanese, he tells Old Asian Man that the police have questions. Old Asian...
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...Older Brother must be involved in a money-laundering scheme. They ask where the money in Chinatown is. Special Guest Star (Willis) looks at Old Asian Man, knowing he’ll be disappointed in...
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...forces himself inside the office. Mini Boss (Young Fong) calmly offers to let Turner “sample [Chinatown’s] exotic flavors,” gesturing toward the scantily clad women downstairs. Then he presses a button, and...
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...an Hermès bag, explaining that it’s the money: Young Fong was running a counterfeit business, “Chinatown’s number one export.” Lee turns to Willis and tells him he knows where they make...
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Act 4: Striving Immigrant
...get a job as Young Asian Man, washing dishes at the Fortune Palace restaurant in Chinatown.
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EXT. DOROTHY’S BACKSTORY. Dorothy moves to Chinatown from Ohio. She brings her meager belongings and “a memory of her mother dying in...
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On their days off, Dorothy and Ming-Chen Wu wander around Chinatown but don’t venture beyond its confines. Dorothy dresses in bell bottoms and floral prints and...
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Ming-Chen Wu and Dorothy debate the origins of their romance. Dorothy argues that Chinatown isn’t a place for love—it’s where police find dead bodies. Wu agrees but says they...
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...often don’t bother with Generic Asian Men. She asks where he’s from, and he says Chinatown. Willis guesses that she went to a liberal arts college and knows how to ride...
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...montage of date scenes: Willis and Karen sharing a bowl of tsuabing shaved ice in Chinatown, each learning about the other’s life, eventually kissing.
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...life, but Willis disagrees. He suggests they keep a long-distance relationship while he stays in Chinatown and Karen moves to the suburbs to do her show, but Karen says that’s not...
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Act 6: The Case of the Missing Asian
Older Brother continues. He explains that Asian people created Chinatown to have their own space in a country where they felt so cut off from...
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Willis says he’s spent most of his life trapped in Interior Chinatown. Then he got out and became Kung Fu Dad. But that wasn’t a real improvement—it...
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