Necessary Absence: Familial Distance and the Adult Immigrant Child in Korean American Fiction

Abstract

In the novels Native Speaker by Chang-rae Lee, The Interpreter by Suki Kim, and Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee, adult immigrant children feature as protagonists and experience moments of life-defining difficulty and distance associated with their parental relationships. Having come to the U.S. as young children, the protagonists are members of the 1.5 generation and retain some memories of their home country while lacking the deep-seated connections of their parents. They also find themselves caught between first generation immigrants who feel strongly connected to their home country and their second generation peers who feel most connected to the U.S. The absences caused by this in-between status become catalysts for characters addressing the disconnect between their adult selves and their aging or deceased parents. The reconciliation of these disconnections often leads to further examination of competing cultures in these characters' lives as they struggle to form distinct identities. These divides highlight the chasm between the American dream and the daily realities faced by immigrants in the U.S. and point to larger themes of loss and identity that can be more broadly applied.