A new book by Yoo Sun-mo explores the lives of four generations of Korean Americans writers.
Yoo spoke to such high profile authors as Chang-rae Lee, Helie Lee, Susan Choi and Mira Stout and is a result of ten years of research, according to the Korea Herald.
“I began my research because I saw the bright potential of ethnic literature in America,” Yoo writes in the book, Understanding Korean-American Literature.
“As the 1990s approached, new writing blossomed from ethnic writers at the same time as a lack of new, interesting work from mainstream American writers. Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize for literature, which inspired other ethnic writers.”
The highlight of the book is Yoo’s interviews with the authors themselves such as his interview with Chang-rae Lee about cultural identity.
“America is an immigrant country ― without that kind of heritage and identity and identification, I don’t think that you can be a whole person. I don’t think that you can actually be someone who has a sense of family and be a valuable member of society.”
You can read the thoughts of other Korean American authors in the Korea Herald,