Half and Half

Introduction by Claudine Chiawei O’Hearn vii
 
LOST IN PLACE by Garrett Hongo 1
 
THE MULATTO MILLENIUM by Danny Senna 12
 
THE DOUBLE HELIX by Roxane Farmanfarmaian 28
 
CALIFORNIA PALMS by lê thi diem thúy  38
 
MORO LIKE ME by Francisco Goldman 49
 
THE ROAD FROM BALLYGUNGE by Bharati Mukherjee 71
 
REFLECTIONS ON MY DAUGHTER by David Mura 80
 
LIFE AS AN ALIEN by Meri Nana-Ama Danquah 99
 
LOST IN THE MIDDLE by Malcolm Gladwell 112
 
THE FUNERAL BANQUET by Lisa See 125
 
A WHITE WOMAN OF COLOR by Julia Álvarez 139
 
A MIDDLE PASSAGE by Philippe Wamba 150
 
FOOD AND THE IMMIGRANT by Indira Ganesan 170
 
WHAT COLOR IS JESUS? by James McBride 181
 
POSTCARDS FROM “HOME” by Lori Tsang 197
 
FROM HERE TO POLAND by Nina Mehta 216
 
TECHNICOLOR by Rubén Martinez 245
 
AN ETHNIC TRUMP by Gish Jen 265
 
About the Authors 269
As we approach the twenty-first century, biracialism and biculturalism are becoming increasingly common. Skin color and place of birth are no longer reliable signifiers of one's identity or origin. Simple questions like What are you? and Where are you from? aren't answered—they are discussed. These eighteen essays, joined by a shared sense of duality, address the difficulties of not fitting into and the benefits of being part of two worlds.  Through the lens of personal experience, they offer a broader spectrum of meaning for race and culture. And in the process, they map a new ethnic terrain that transcends racial and cultural division.
"The future is here in these fascinating looks at complicated identities. Insightful, hilarious, and often heartbreaking. I can't wait for my daughter (part Cuban, part Japanese, part Jewish) to grow up and read it."
—Cristina García, author of The Agüero Sisters