An age-old issue

While I appreciate any coverage of Asian American writing, I must address Susan Salter Reynolds’ portrayal of nontraditional subjectivity in the genre as somehow being a recent phenomenon (“That Was ‘Joy Luck,’ This Is Now,” June 29).

Certainly, if we look at mainstream Asian American writing over the past two decades, commercial success has overwhelmingly favored traditionally accepted subjectivities (mother- daughter relationships, immigrant experience, etc.) written about by female authors. Rather than supporting the article’s premise, however, this history only demonstrates the hurdles facing the countless Asian American writers who have attempted to push the boundaries of contemporary fiction without mainstream acceptance. This will continue as long as our work is perceived through the lens of “immigrant fiction” rather than fiction.

Kip Fulbeck

Santa Barbara

Kip Fulbeck is a professor of art and Asian American studies at UC Santa Barbara.