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In Lisa Ko’s The Leavers, it can be seen through the lives of Polly and her son Deming how difficult it can be transitioning to a life with no remnants of one’s previous culture. For Polly, she moves to the United States from China, and for Deming, he moves in with a white family away from family for the first time. In both cases, the characters are forced into attempting to adjust to a new life vastly different than the one they had come accustomed to, and there are no resources to help them in their transition. To help ease this transition, neighborhoods such as Chinatown in numerous big cities have been established, with hopes of providing aspects of Chinese culture and life that America simply can’t.

The early history of Chinatown saw growth in two parts according to an article from the National Park Service, first by immigrants from the west coast who were pushed out by “mob violence and rampant discrimination”, and the “Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965”, which overturned the “immigration quota system” (U.S. National Park Service). This influx of Chinese immigrants left many coming to New York in hopes of living in a neighborhood that had aspects of their culture, leading to what would eventually become Chinatown. According to the Tenement Museum in NYC, Chinatowns’ setup was successful because the neighborhood was located “close to jobs and Chinese cultural intuitions” (Steinberg). This made the early Chinatown more attractive to those coming to the US, leading more to choose Chinatown as their new home, resulting in success for the neighborhood.

Chinatowns across the US have become quite prominent today, continuing to have an impact on those coming to the US from China. In a National Geographic article, Peter Ng describes why this is so, stating that when he lived in Chinatown, “there were only a couple of authentic Chinese restaurants” and that made “everyone come here” (Ng). By continuing to be one of the only places where aspects of life in China is prevalent, Chinatown has allowed itself to remain prominent, offering what others can’t. This continues to have an impact on those immigrating to the US, as Chinatown provides a place where the transition to a new life is smoother, ensuring that new residents don’t have to let go of all they once had, something that Polly and Deming didn’t always have the luxury of.  

Works Cited

“Chinatown and Little Italy Historic District New York, New York (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/places/new-york-chinatown-and-little-italy-historic-district.htm.

Ng, Rachel. “Why Does the U.S. Have so Many Chinatowns?” Travel, National Geographic, 17 June 2021, www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/why-does-the-us-have-chinatowns.

The Leavers tells the story of Deming Guo, who was left by his mother at  11 years old. Polly Guo, his mother, was an undocumented Chinese immigrant who originally came to New York because she wanted an abortion, but was unable to in China. When she comes to New York she finds out that because she´s well in to her third trimester she cannot get an abortion there either. She starts working at a nail salon and meets her new partner, another Chinese immigrant named Leon. After six years she gets a job opportunity in Florida, but Leon refuses to leave, and Polly agrees to not move. One day she gets taken by immigration authorities and gets deported.

According to The Migration Policy Institute Chinese immigrants are listed as the third-largest foreign-born group in the United States and they came in two waves, 1800s and late 1970s. It motivated by labor, they can get jobs like mining, construction and other jobs. Late in 1882 the future of Chinese immigration looked not so bright anymore, the Chinese wanting to emigrate to the US was set on hold because of the Chinese Exclusion act. This resulted in a strong decrease of immigrants until the law was not in place anymore in 1943. The second wave started around 1965 when immigration act in the US when they started migration pathways for non-europeans again.

Polly had the mentality that if she seeks new experiences and are open to possibilities, her life will improve and this mentality is what drove her to move to the United States. She believed that change and a life in America would ultimately make her happier, so she struggles a lot when it all got flipped upside down and she was deported back to China. Back in China she marries a successful man and lives in an expensive apartment, but she feels trapped. So she eventually moved to Hong Kong and that’s where she starts feeling free, and that freedom is what makes her realize that a wealthy life doesn´t mean happiness. Freedom does. Her story is written in first person which gives the readers a good look of what happens during her immigration struggles, how does the portray of immigration services make you feel?

Bibliography

Re-Imaging Migration, Chinese Immigration, Past and Present, conducted oct. 30, 2021

https://reimaginingmigration.org/chinese-immigrants-to-the-us-past-and-present/

Lisa KO, The Leavers: A Novel, conducted oct. 29. 2021

http://lisa-ko.com/theleavers/

The New York Times, Gish Jen, Migration, a Makeshift Family, and Then a Disappearance, May 16, 2021

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/books/review/the-leavers-by-lisa-ko.html

Lisa Ko highlights how the transracial adoption of children contributes to a “liberal racism” seen in contemporary America, where U.S.-born children are displaced from their original culture and families while their undocumented, immigrant mothers are ostracized in society (Ko). The second half of The Leavers elaborates on Peilan’s life from her perspective which maximizes her voice and further complicates her character since her introduction in the first half of the novel. Unlike Deming, who is named Daniel by his adoptive parents and has less agency, Peilan chooses the name Polly in an attempt to fit into the new, dominant culture that impacts her life.

Currently there is a flawed adoption and detainment process in the United States for children of undocumented or deported parents. Despite the end of the former “zero-tolerance” plan, children still remain in detention centers in addition to foster care who may not be eligible for reunification or release (Burke and Mendoza). Welfare agencies are also brought into the situation when the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement tries to establish a plan for children of undocumented parents who are no longer in the United States, further complicating the care of the child (Burke and Mendoza). Language barriers are taken advantage of throughout the separation process as well. In 2018, Central American parents were “coerced into signing paperwork they did not understand, affecting their rights to reunify with their children”(Burke and Mendoza). A plethora of issues arise when children are separated from their parents, regardless of whether they are U.S. citizens or not because multiple U.S. institutions must come together to resolve the child’s case and must remain actively involved under the current system, or else the case is forgotten.

In the second half of The Leavers, Peilan elaborates on the cultural differences between her generation and Deming’s generation, the racial discrimination she faced, and her personal restlessness over the decisions she has made throughout her life. Still today, Asian Americans are seen as “model minorities” or “perpetual foreigners” a narrative their second-generation children are discovering which Ko explains through Peilan’s character (Pan). As The Leavers progresses, Peilan and Deming’s relationship is revitalized when she receives a call from Deming and they remain in contact. Ko explains how their relationship as mother and son are complicated by various places and identities over time despite Peilan leaving in the beginning. The Leavers illustrates how place can strengthen, fracture, or complicate connections between family and why it is important to remain cognizant of migration and contested citizenship processes used in the U.S. today.

Works Cited

Burke, Garance, and Martha Mendoza. “AP Investigation: Deported Parents May Lose Kids to Adoption.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 9 Oct. 2018, https://apnews.com/article/immigration-us-news-ap-top-news-international-news-arrests-97b06cede0c149c492bf25a48cb6c26f. 

Ko, Lisa. Interview by Barbara Kingsolver. Algonquin Books, 2017, http://lisa-ko.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/kingsolverinterview.pdf

Pan, Deanna. “Young Asian Americans Struggle to Get Immigrant Parents to Open up about a Painful Issue: Racism – The Boston Globe.” BostonGlobe.com, The Boston Globe, 6 July 2021, https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/05/metro/young-asian-americans-struggle-get-immigrant-parents-open-up-about-painful-issue-racism/. 

“The Leavers” is written by Lisa Ko and is a novel portraying the life of a young boy, Deming, as he struggles with deportation as his Chinse Immigrant mother, Polly Guo, abandons him in the United States. This novel expands on his journey to overcome this in relation to his surroundings and limits. His mother insisted they move together and is not taking no for an answer. The next day he is awakened to the disappearance of his mother without any notice or communication. He is left to fend for himself and is left with the blame his mother placed upon him. He is left with his siblings and friends, as well as the confusion of why his mother left him introducing the upsetting truth and awakening of his life.

This course discusses the topic of negotiating identities, where change in one’s life can alter one’s identity. The article, “Lost in Transition,” expands on the Social Identity Model of Identity Change where new surroundings and change requires vulnerability where there must be recovery, as well as discovery. When one is exposed to change, they must rely on themselves and what they know to adapt. It provokes a sense of “starting over,” and having to enforce new roles and establishment. Interactions must be placed as well as a sense of embeddedness, where one’s mental health is severely impacted. With change there may be an association of introduction as well as abandonment. Abandonment introduces trauma, which elicits behavioral change. According to the article on “Parent Abandonment: A Unique Form of Loss and Narcissistic Injury,” there is a sense of hope affiliated with abandonment as one may fantasize on reunion. This causes one to distort reality, which further impacts their development.

In this novel a boy’s life changes where his mother leaves him in the United States where he is introduced to a new awakening in his life. His mother is an immigrant who moved to the United States in search of money, but as soon as things fall apart, she leaves her family behind. As mentioned in the articles, this change provokes a sense of reality where one must learn to adapt and rely on themselves. Their comfort is altered, as well as their sense of “home.” The young boy must find his sense of belongness without his mother figure guiding him, as he is demented by the fear and confusion of her disappearance. What are other impacts change has on one’s identity?

Ballentyne, Susie, et al. “Lost in Transition: What Refugee Post‐migration Experiences Tell Us about Processes of Social Identity Change.” Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, vol. 31, no. 5, Sept. 2021, pp. 501–514. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1002/casp.2532

Hines-Martin, Vicki P. “Community Displacement, Environmental Change and the Impact on Mental Well-Being.” Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 22 Oct. 2020, eds-a-ebscohost-com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=1103c21d-3e85-4047-a052-c83256856098%40sessionmgr4008&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#.

Mishne, Judith. “Parental Abandonment: A Unique Form of Loss and Narcissistic Injury.” Clinical Social Work Journal, vol. 7, no. 1, Spring 1979, pp. 15–33. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/BF00761356.

In Lisa Ko’s book The Leavers we follow along with the story of Deming, a Chinese boy who is abandoned by his mother, Polly, in the United States. Some themes that come up throughout the first half of this book involve migration, deportation, and Chinese employment. Deming grew up in China with his grandfather while his mother worked in America to save up money. When his grandfather passed away, Deming arrived in America to live with his mother. At the beginning of the story, we learn that Polly wants to move to Florida because she found work at a restaurant. She gets into an argument with her boyfriend who does not want to move. The next day Polly goes to work at a nail salon and never returns. We eventually learn that she was deported back to China.

Labor exploitation in America is something many undocumented immigrants face, and this holds true for undocumented Asians. Many Americans hold the belief that undocumented Asians are successful, law-abiding people who don’t work the low wage “unskilled” jobs that Latinx immigrants face. However, this is a myth. Undocumented Asians do face unprotected workplace exploitation, typically in restaurants and nail salons. One of the largest economic exploitations that immigrants face is wage theft. Examples of wage theft include workers being paid less than minimum wage, not getting paid for overtime, not being allowed to take breaks, or employers taking tips from workers. Immigrants who live in America but are not permitted to work are taken advantage of by employers who know that they are in vulnerable situations. These undocumented Asians work the jobs that Americans typically don’t want to work because it reduces the risk of being discovered as undocumented.

In the United States, 40% of all immigrants come from Asia, and out of the 18 million Asian Americans, 1.7 million are undocumented. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up about 6% of the total population and are the fastest growing racial group in the US. However, these immigrants are deported at a rate three times more than that of all immigrants. Out of the 1.7 million, more than a quarter live below the poverty line. Undocumented Asian immigrants tend to remain in the shadows as researchers or policy makers focus on undocumented Latinx when talking border security. When they are brought up, the media applies the stereotype as them being the “model minority”.

Citations:

Akbar, Farah. “South Asian NYC Wrestles with Wage Theft.” City Limits, 1 Dec. 2015, https://citylimits.org/2015/12/01/south-asian-nyc-wrestles-with-wage-theft/.

“Addressing Labor Exploitation: An Examination of Undocumented Asian Americans in the Workplace.” Asian American Policy Review, 3 Sept. 2020, https://aapr.hkspublications.org/2020/06/02/addressing-labor-exploitation-an-examination-of-undocumented-asian-americans-in-the-workplace/.

Kim, Soo Mee. “Undocumented Asians, Left in the Shadows.” Contexts Undocumented Asians Left in the Shadows Comments, 1 Jan. 2019, https://contexts.org/articles/undocumented-asians-left-in-the-shadows/.

“Not Just a Latino Issue: Undocumented Asians in America.” Asia Society, https://asiasociety.org/northern-california/not-just-latino-issue-undocumented-asians-america.

Labor exploitation is a huge problem in the United States when considering undocumented immigrants. These immigrants are working in low-wage, “unskilled” jobs without proper papers and most of the time will not speak up about missed wages and harassment because of their fear of being deported. When thinking about labor exploitation and undocumented immigrants we are familiar with Mexican and Latino American immigrants but usually overlook the Asian American immigrants. Over 40% of migrants to the United States are from Asia, with over 1.7 million of them being undocumented. More than a quarter of them are living below the poverty line.

Most undocumented Asian American immigrants usually find themselves working in the service industry. The two most common being restaurants and nail salons. Restaurants and other food services represent over 600,000 workers, nail salons and other personal care services represent over 180,000 workers. In these industries undocumented Asian American immigrants face many forms of labor exploitation.The most common form of labor exploitation is economic exploitation, the most significant example being wage theft. These immigrants are often not paid for all hours worked, are not paid the agreed rate, and have their tips confiscated. Other examples of economic exploitation that these immigrants face are scheduling long hours with no break, dangerous work environments and unlawful termination. Undocumented Asian Americans are more likely to work in jobs with these conditions due to high poverty rates, lack of english and stereotypes.  

According to a report by Desis Rising Up & Moving, within the restaurant industry 74% of South Asian immigrants make less than minimum wage and 94% make less than New York’s “Self Sufficiency” Standard in New York City. Represented in Lisa Ko’s “The Leavers” by Polly Guo, Deming’s mother, nail salons are the second most common place of employment for undocumented Asian American immigrants, especially women. Women working in nail salons face the most evident forms of labor exploitation by being paid less than minimum wage, having to pay a training fee and not being paid for the first few months of working.  Undocumented Asian American immigrants are especially vulnerable to facing these abuses in the service industry because they most-likely will not do anything about it due to fear of being deported.

“Addressing Labor Exploitation: An Examination of Undocumented Asian Americans in the Workplace.” Asian American Policy Review, 3 Sept. 2020, https://aapr.hkspublications.org/2020/06/02/addressing-labor-exploitation-an-examination-of-undocumented-asian-americans-in-the-workplace/.

“Not Just a Latino Issue: Undocumented Asians in America.” Asia Society, https://asiasociety.org/northern-california/not-just-latino-issue-undocumented-asians-america.

Ray, Mohar. Undocumented Asian American Workers and State Wage Laws in the Aftermath of Hoffman Plastic Compounds. https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals%2Faslj13&div=7&g_sent=1&casa_token=&collection=journals. 

Persepolis is an autobiographical graphic novel written by Marjane Satrapi. The graphic novel was later turned into a film. During the film Persepolis, it discusses Satrapi’s early childhood and young adult life living in Iran. At a young age, the Iran Revolution had broken out which had eventually led to the Iraq-Iran War. These childhood events had a lasting impact on Satrapi, which shape her into who she is was as a young adult and now as an adult.

The Iran Revolution is a very important part in Iranian history and to be honest, world history as well. It started in January of 1978 when thousands of religious school students who were tired of the regime. During the Iran Revolution, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was the Shah of Iran and had been for quite a few years leading up to this point. He took protests as a threat to himself, and the regime and many people were killed by the government forces. This generated a cycle where each death would cause more and more protests. It seemed like a never-ending cycle. The regime ultimately imposed martial law which led to other events such as the government employees being on strike and the oil industry collapsing. The Shah eventually fled the country in February of 1979 (Iranian Revolution).

Satrapi was 8 years old when the Iran Revolution broke out. Imagine being that young and seeing so much damage and violence. We see the rather harsh rules in place during the movie as well as in the novel. It makes the reader and viewer think about how they would handle themselves during these times. How would this impact you and how it would affect your family? The Iran Revolution was very impactful for Satrapi. During periods of time when there is war and seeing that firsthand at such a young age would definitely impact you in many ways. Satrapi is so outspoken on her thoughts it is even clear at a young age she is this way. The childhood event of the Iran Revolution carved Satrapi into the intelligent, independent, and rebellious woman that she is still to this day.

Citation:
“Iranian Revolution.” Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Iranian Revolution. Encyclopædia Britannica, from https://www.britannica.com/event/Iranian-Revolution.