LibGuides: English 1: The Joy Luck Club Project: Main Guide

USEFUL DATABASES

The following links are articles from our subscription databases. Note - You may need to login first to get to the articles. Need passwords? Email the library.

HISTORY

Chinese Civil War (1927-1950) The Chinese Civil War, which lasted from 1927 to 1950—and was temporarily halted to fight the Japanese in World War II—pitted forces loyal to the anticommunist Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) government against forces loyal to the Chinese Communist Party.
Japanese Invasion of Manchuria (1931) - ABC-CLIO Describes the invasion of Manchuria, China, by the Japanese in 1931.
China: The Long March Reference article describing the Chinese revolutionaries' 2 year journey across China to escape the Chinese National Party army.

MYYH & LEGEND & BELIEFS

Article: "The Myths that Shaped China" - ProQuest

SCHOLARLY ARTICLES ABOUT THE JOY LUCK CLUB

'Mother Tongue' an article by Amy Tan Amy Tan writes how she came to have an ideal reader in mind when she wrote her fiction.
The Role of Mah Jong in Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club" Article describes how Mahjong is a central motif in the novel, illuminating structures, characterizations and theme.
Encountering Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club Stories in Seventeen and Ladies Home Journal Seventeen and Ladies’ Home Journal first published two stories from the book that were edited to isolate the relationships between Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-born daughters. This emphasis in turn simplified the stories’ representation of Chinese-American families and peer groups, offering a way for the magazines to appeal to theiraudiences’ existing cultural assumptions.
The Impact of the Characters' Traumatic Memories on Their Family Patterns in The Joy Luck Club This paper attempts to analyze the traumas of four couples of mothers and daughters in the novel, explore the sources of these traumas, as well as explore the impact of these traumas on the relationship between mothers and daughters.
Daughter-Text/Mother-Text: Matrilineage in Amy Tan's "Joy Luck Club" Analysis of The Joy Luck Club begins near the bottom of page 3 of the article.
American Rules and Chinese Faces: The Games of Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club"

PODCASTS & VIDEOS

Podcast: BBC World Book Club: Amy Tan Amy Tan joins an audience of World Service listeners to discuss her novel The Joy Luck Club.
Another Podcast Featuring Amy Tan Talking about The Joy Luck Club
Chinese Mythology Podcast Chinese Mythology Podcast is the first and only English podcast focusing on Chinese mythology, Join host Yang as she tells her husband, Eric, about the myths and legends she grew up with.
In Our Time Podcast: The 2nd Sino-Japanese War Podcast from BBC exploring the war between China & Japan in the 1930's
Podcast: China 1949, Year of Revolution In 1949 Mao Zedong led the Chinese Communist Party to victory in the long and bloody Chinese Civil War. The impact of this victory was felt not just within China itself, but globally throughout the Cold War and into the modern era.

Google Books

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY LIBRARY SEARCH

Contra Costa County Library Search
Use your CCC library card to find and reserve a book. Have it sent to the county library branch nearest you. Items usually arrive within 2-3 days of placing the hold.

USEFUL WEBSITES

General Information

Asian American Links 2024
Current nonfiction topics, mainly newspaper articles and podcast episodes, involving Asian Americans.
Original NY Times Review of 'The Joy Luck Club' (1989)

Amy Tan: Multimedia Presentation about Relationships in The Joy Luck Club

Filial Piety

Amy Tan: Parental Expectations
National Geographic: Confucianism
Definition & Explanation of Xiao/Confucianism Xiao (Chinese: “filial piety”), Japanese kō, in Confucianism, the attitude of obedience, devotion, and care toward one’s parents and elder family members that is the basis of individual moral conduct and social harmony.
Parenting Styles and Children's Satisfaction with Parenting in China and the United States Has some good info historically, as well as specifically about parenting styles following the enactment of the One-Child Policy in 1979 in China.
Examples of Filial Piety in Ancient China From Kenyon College - several examples of what is considered "Xiao" (filial piety) in ancient China.
New York Times: Filial Piety Now a Law in China An article about a new law in China (2013) that requires adult children to visit their aging parents. Also includes historical info about filial piety in Chinese culture.
Younger Chinese Annoyed by Older Generations From Public Radio International, an article describing the conflicts between old and young in modern China. Some younger Chinese are fed up with "filial piety" and the behavior of some of the older generation.
"Frontiers of Psychology": The History and the Future of the Psychology of Filial Piety From an NIH journal article (Jan. 2019): Looks at the research into aging populations across the world, contrasting the Chinese way of "filial piety" against the Western mode of elder care, looking at how Western societies could learn from Chinese culture. Includes the history of filial piety.
VIDEO: "Passport to China: Filial Piety" (PBS) Learn about the cultural importance of "filial piety" to China.
Filial Piety and Ancestor Worship From Columbia University, short description of Confucian teachings and filial piety, includes a short video

Japanese Invasion of China

Japanese Invasion of Manchuria 1931-1932
China's War with Japan, 1937-1945: The Struggle for Survival Although a book review (in The Guardian newspaper), this article goes into good detail about how China, after invasion by Japan, was able to overcome it and go on to be one of the great world powers.
Life Histories and National Narratives: Remembering Occupied Manchuria in Postwar China

The Impossible Task of Remembering the Nanking Massacre

Revolutionary Chaos in China

War Between Nationalists & Communists The conflict between the two groups in the 1930s, led to outright civil war following WWII and the Japanese Occupation. Includes info on the Long March.
China in the 20th Century From Kings College history department, a brief overview of the 20th century, including revolution, WWII, Cultural Revolution, The Great Leap Forward and Nanking Massacre.
US Office of the Historian: Chinese Revolution
Chinese Revolution (1945-1949) From Encyclopedia Britannica, information about the Chinese Civil War that occurred between Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists after World War II, resulting in the establishment of the People's Republic of China.
The Long March 1934-1936 From the Columbia University "Asia for Educators" program - long descriptive piece on the Long March.

Chinese Emigration/Chinese Diaspora

'Last Boat Out Of Shanghai': The Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution Her whole life, Helen Zia wondered about why and how her family left China 70 years ago.
My Escape from Shanghai: a Memoir 60 years ago, Julia Lin was a scared 20-year-old trying desperately to get out of China before the Communists closed its ports.
US Views on Chinese Americans, 1930 - 1990 From the U.S. House of Representatives' Office of the Historian, article looks at Chinese immigrants and refugees throughout the 20th Century and how they were viewed depending on the era.
Immigration to the US During the Cold War Covers various acts and exclusions for immigrants from a number of nations, including China.

Chinese Myths

Myths & Legends of China an online e-book, through Project Gutenberg, a very comprehensive monograph of Chinese mythology, translated in 1922 by a British scholar from the leading Chinese texts on the subject.
Chinese Myth and Legend Site covers several Chinese myths

Bad Luck & Omens in Chinese Culture - Consequences & Effects of Superstition

AHS Library Catalog

Books with Asian American Characters & Themes An Asian American author lists - by genre! - some of her favorite books.