Charles Yu's "Interior Chinatown" (2020 National Book Award) is a groundbreaking satire about the difficulties of Asian Americans in Hollywood. It follows the journey of Willis Wu, an aspiring actor who grew up in Chinatown, dreaming of the day he elevates from being a background actor ("Generic Asian Guy") to become "kung fu guy" (the pinnacle for Asian actors). Full of humor and wit, "Interior Chinatown" touches upon present day dilemmas for Asian/Asian Americans: the bamboo ceiling, the model minority myth, and being perpetual foreigners in America.

"Charles Yu’s 'Interior Chinatown' is a biting commentary on racism and pop culture in America, told in a form so original it will have readers questioning both the characters' reality and their own. But at its heart, it's also a moving family story of a man learning to be a son, brother, father, and partner in a world that treats him as barely human." —Anna North, author of "The Life and Death of Sophie Stark"

For this virtual event, alumni will breakout into small groups (up to 6 participants) to discuss the novel.