Author Lisa See visits California Literature classes

Reva SantoStaff PhotographerOne hundred sixty California Literature students sat eagerly in the Humanities Center awaiting the introduction of the esteemed Chinese-American author of “Shanghai Girls,” Lisa See. Each student’s expression quickly shifted to one of confusion as a petite, redheaded woman stepped on the stage and began to speak.“How do we identify ourselves?” See asked, immediately shifting attention to her story — the reason why California Literature teachers Pete Barraza and Jenna Gasparino had worked so hard to bring her to speak to the classes.See, who is one-eighth Chinese, began to talk about her childhood growing up immersed in Chinese heritage. She explained that, despite her appearance, the way she was raised shaped the person she identifies herself as, and influenced the subject-matter of her novels.See emphasized the importance of remembrance through her literature, telling the stories of those who experienced extreme fear and grief, whether in China with the Great Leap Forward, or in Los Angeles with the Red Scare. In the process of writing “Shanghai Girls,” See scavenged the Los Angeles area, searching for “history lost, forgotten, and deliberately covered up,” that caused Chinese people to forget their humanity and live in constant fear.Though See mostly discussed her artistic influences, students took away many different things from her visit.Some students were especially affected by the affirmation of the history as real events, rather than fictional ones.“I asked Ms. See about ‘swap babies make food’ [referring to a section in the sequel ‘Dreams of Joy’ in which people swapped and ate each other’s babies in order to stay alive] and was surprised that it was true. I didn’t believe that it was really that bad,” senior Christopher Abdallah said.Other students were more interested in the personal connections that See discussed.“It was interesting to hear about her inspirations and to learn that the stories she wrote were really a part of her in so many different ways,” senior Jackie Stearns said.Some were simply excited to see the author in action.“Being able to see the author in person, observe her mannerisms and ways of expressing herself really gave me a new perspective and added a new dimension to the novel,”senior Daud Gonzalez said.Barraza and Gasparino said that they try get speakers like Thomas Steinbeck and Lisa See to speak to their students whenever they can.“It’s important for students to hear local writers because they share the same locale and phenomenon, and it gives students a chance to be appreciative of those who represent their community,” Barraza said.Seniors appreciated getting to hear an author speak because it gave them more insight into what they have been reading.“The books that we read give us history about California, where most of us grew up, and open our minds to what’s around us,” Abdallah said.We identify ourselves by a combination of our cultural histories and our families. It is See’s goal to convey this in each of her books, and leave students with a sense of duty to take all that they have learned about California in the class and learn a little bit more about themselves.Seniors found See’s visit insightful and valuable to their understanding of the text and the history behind the text. See left the originally confused seniors with an important reminder that our cultural histories and our families make up a large part of who we are.rsanto@thesamohi.com