On Gold Mountain
Encyclopedia
On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family describes 100 years of author Lisa See
’s family history, providing a complex portrait of her family’s hard work, suffering, failures and successes as they moved from China
to the United States
. Speaking of the Chinese side of her family, See has said: "Things were so fractured and wild at home ... But the weekends with my grandparents became the real center for me ... It was the side of the family I identified more with. It was fun, romantic, solid". The book has inspired both an opera, and a museum exhibition. It also provides helpful context for See's most recent novel, Shanghai Girls
. The time frame for Shanghai Girls is 1937-1957, corresponding to Parts IV and V of On Gold Mountain.
". So many others left China with the same dream but ended up with their dreams shattered. Fong See, the family patriarch, became the richest man in Chinatown and was recognized by the powers of Los Angeles
proper. In China he had even more influence as "Gold Mountain See". Although Ticie was a perfect partner for Fong See in helping him develop his growing number of stores and being the proud mother of many of his children, in the end their marriage was destroyed. Keenly aware of his wealth and influence, as Fong See grew older he felt that the Chinese view of men's superiority to women was correct. In marrying a 16-year old Chinese girl, he found what he wanted—the perfect wife in her complete subservience to her husband. Ticie’s love for Fong See was so strong, that after her separation from her husband, she gradually fell apart.
Although See treats her male ancestors with detailed and objective commentary, it is the women's perspectives that seem the most powerful—for example, those of Lettice Pruett, Sissee See, Stella See, the actress Anna May Wong
, who has the chance to speak to the reader "From the Grave", and Carolyn See
, Lisa See's mother.
The memoir reaches out to a broad audience because of the way See connects her family's history to that of America and China—treating the role of Chinese men who were badly mistreated in laying track for railroad expansion, the "Roaring 20's", the Great Depression, World War II
, and the years after the war. On Gold Mountain develops several very important themes—the difficulty of making connections across cultural and racial divides; the painful contrast between the dream ("Gold Mountain") and reality; the challenge of keeping love alive in the context of family problems and change. As See herself writes: "History is not just about wars and dates; it's something that happens to real people. Do they rise to the occasion and challenges or do they fail? This theme is in all of my books . . ."
On Gold Mountain is centered on problems Chinese men and women have faced in coming to America. In the three novels that follow (the Red Princess Mysteries), See reuses many of these elements—but shifts the focus to the difficulty Americans face in coming to and understanding China.
Lisa See
Lisa See is an American writer and novelist. Her Chinese-American family has had a great impact on her life and work. Her books include On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family and the novels Flower Net , The Interior , Dragon Bones , Snow Flower and the...
’s family history, providing a complex portrait of her family’s hard work, suffering, failures and successes as they moved from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Speaking of the Chinese side of her family, See has said: "Things were so fractured and wild at home ... But the weekends with my grandparents became the real center for me ... It was the side of the family I identified more with. It was fun, romantic, solid". The book has inspired both an opera, and a museum exhibition. It also provides helpful context for See's most recent novel, Shanghai Girls
Shanghai Girls
Shanghai Girls is a novel by Lisa See. In an important sense, it returns to the beginning of her major writing career. After publishing three murder mysteries largely set in China and then following them up with two in-depth studies of the struggles of Chinese women in the 19th and 17th centuries...
. The time frame for Shanghai Girls is 1937-1957, corresponding to Parts IV and V of On Gold Mountain.
Overview
The memoir centers on Fong See, the author’s great grandfather and his second wife, Lettice Pruett (Ticie). Fong See was one of the few who realized the dream of coming to the U.S. and finding "Gold MountainGold Mountain
Gold Mountain is the name given by the Chinese to western regions of North America, particularly California, USA and British Columbia, Canada. After gold was first discovered in the state of California in 1848, thousands of Chinese from Toisan in Guangdong , began to travel to California in search...
". So many others left China with the same dream but ended up with their dreams shattered. Fong See, the family patriarch, became the richest man in Chinatown and was recognized by the powers of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
proper. In China he had even more influence as "Gold Mountain See". Although Ticie was a perfect partner for Fong See in helping him develop his growing number of stores and being the proud mother of many of his children, in the end their marriage was destroyed. Keenly aware of his wealth and influence, as Fong See grew older he felt that the Chinese view of men's superiority to women was correct. In marrying a 16-year old Chinese girl, he found what he wanted—the perfect wife in her complete subservience to her husband. Ticie’s love for Fong See was so strong, that after her separation from her husband, she gradually fell apart.
Although See treats her male ancestors with detailed and objective commentary, it is the women's perspectives that seem the most powerful—for example, those of Lettice Pruett, Sissee See, Stella See, the actress Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong was an American actress, the first Chinese American movie star, and the first Asian American to become an international star...
, who has the chance to speak to the reader "From the Grave", and Carolyn See
Carolyn See
Carolyn See is the author of nine books, including the memoir, Dreaming: Hard Luck and Good Times in America, an advice book on writing, Making a Literary Life, and the novels There Will Never Be Another You and The Handyman....
, Lisa See's mother.
The memoir reaches out to a broad audience because of the way See connects her family's history to that of America and China—treating the role of Chinese men who were badly mistreated in laying track for railroad expansion, the "Roaring 20's", the Great Depression, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the years after the war. On Gold Mountain develops several very important themes—the difficulty of making connections across cultural and racial divides; the painful contrast between the dream ("Gold Mountain") and reality; the challenge of keeping love alive in the context of family problems and change. As See herself writes: "History is not just about wars and dates; it's something that happens to real people. Do they rise to the occasion and challenges or do they fail? This theme is in all of my books . . ."
On Gold Mountain is centered on problems Chinese men and women have faced in coming to America. In the three novels that follow (the Red Princess Mysteries), See reuses many of these elements—but shifts the focus to the difficulty Americans face in coming to and understanding China.