Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir by Eddie Huang

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Essential reading for those interested in the modern immigrant experience in America. Huang feels neither fully Chinese nor fully American, and writes with great insight. However, although he is clearly very intelligent and capable of writing in perfect English, he mostly opts for a sweary gangsta style, a hangover from his rebellious youth. Initially this is just about acceptable as a device to convey the atmosphere of those particular years (even if the jargon is mostly incomprehensible) but throughout the book he continually drops back into 'wassup' speak. The man has a law degree and a TV show: this is no longer who he is and it's highly irritating. But if you can overlook this element it's one of the best books I've read about ethnicity in modern America.



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