Nam Le Reading

The reading indicates a generational divide between his father and himself. This is a relevant issue in the Asian American community as people in the second generation struggle to meet eye to eye with those in the first generation, whether it relates to parental practices, roles of children, gender expectations, etc. For a long time, Nam has viewed his father negatively until he started to adopt another lens and genuinely tried to understand the meaning behind his father's actions through research. The reading touches on the value of stories/storytelling and the essence of passing those stories down to future generations; however, it also demonstrates the ways in which stories may distort realities and have biases. On page 11, his father's laugher may be due to his son's reasoning for sharing his story - to merely "have a better chance of selling it". His reasoning only shows materialistic interest rather than genuine interest to learn more about his father. It also seems as though his father's act in the end of the reading depicts such downsides of telling stories. Having one's story told by someone who did not directly experience may paint a different picture for the readers and consequently lose its meaning.