Donald Duk

Grant Avenue in Chinatown, view north toward the intersection with California and the distinctive Sing Fat and Sing Chong buildings dating to 1906

The novel, written in 1991, is set in then present-day Chinatown, San Francisco, though it makes reference to many other historical periods.

Donald Duk is an eleven-year-old Chinese-American, preparing to celebrate both his twelfth birthday and Chinese New Year. He is the son of a Chinese chef named King Duk, and a Chinese mother named Daisy Duk. Donald has two older twin sisters named Penelope and Venus Duk. From the start of the book we are told how embarrassed Donald is of his name and of being introduced with his family.

The story begins with Donald comparing himself to Fred Astaire. Donald believes he dances as well as Fred and throughout the novel considers himself the real "Chinese Fred Astaire" (91). Donald immerses himself in old black-and-white movies, and especially admires Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films. He envies the way "everyone" adores Fred when he dances. Donald wishes he could "live the late-night life in old black-and-white movies and talk with his feet like Fred Astaire, and smile Fred Astaire's sweet lemonade smile" (1).

Grant Avenue during Chinese New Year (2006).

King Duk fears Donald sees the world too much in black-and-white, wanting to become as American as possible. Donald is ashamed of the way his family rejects American culture and that even when they watch television "they make everybody on the TV look Chinese!" (91). Donald does not want to be like them; he considers himself American because he was born in America. Donald's father tells him, "I think Donald Duk may be the very last American-born Chinese-American boy to believe you have to give up being Chinese to be an American" (42).

Having to put up with harassment due to his uncomfortable name, Donald also listens to his father's advice on standing up to bullies.

As Donald and his family welcome the Chinese New Year, Donald's best friend, Arnold Azalea, stays over at Donald's home in Chinatown in order to observe Chinese culture and celebrate the new year. On the first day of the New Year, Donald's family begins to talk about Chinese immigrants working on the Central Pacific Railroad end of the Transcontinental Railroad. Donald begins to have dreams of being a lion dancer, urging the Chinese gandy dancing railroad men on in a race to Promontory Summit. As these dreams progress, he is inspired to read up on the work the Chinese immigrants put into this track-laying and finds that the photos in the history books of Promontory Summit only show white workers: the role of Chinese labor had disappeared from history.[1] Suddenly Donald finds himself claiming that white people are racists. King reminds his son that not all white people are racist and that up to that point, Donald had been the one acting ashamed of his cultural identity.

Hallucinatory dreams are interwoven with trips to the Chinese apothecary with his father and with tales of illicit firecracker dealers from the neighborhood gang. Subplots include Donald stealing and destroying one of the model airplanes his family has been making for the festival; Donald and Arnold getting in trouble with the police for blowing up fireworks in traffic; Donald's annoyance at the UC Berkeley idealism of his schoolteacher concerning Chinese Americans; and Donald's discomfort at learning that a Vietnam veteran in his neighborhood has been incorrectly arrested for a murder that happened while he had been with Donald.

Donald Duk is a Chinese American boy turning twelve who lives with his family in Chinatown, San Francisco. "Donald Duk hates his name. He is not a duck. He is not a cartoon character" (1). Donald wishes he was Fred Astaire and aspires to be like him. He loves tap dancing and sometimes daydreams he is talking with Astaire. Donald is ashamed of being Chinese and wishes he was only American. He finds his culture stupid, boring and embarrassing. The story covers his search for identity and his path to accepting his culture.

Arnold Azalea is Donald's best friend and attends the same school as Donald. He is white and is very fascinated by Donald's culture. He stays with Donald for a couple weeks so he can spend Chinese New Year with Donald and his family. He can't understand why Donald hates his culture and Chinese people so much. At one point, he and Donald get into a fight over Arnold's interest in the Chinese. It is also implied that he sometimes shares Donald's dreams about the railroad workers.

King Duk is Donald's father. King owns a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, of which he is the chef. He is recognized by his community as having the most authentic Chinese food. King is also the one who provides Donald with tough love rather than pity when Donald complains of the bullies in the neighborhood. King's response is, "You walk like a sad softie...you look like you want everyone to beat you up" (3). He is direct with Donald and refuses to allow him to linger in self-pity but rather provides him with insight to allow him to accept his heritage. King had assimilationist parents and learned about his Chinese heritage only after he ran away from home and studied Chinese opera overseas.

Daisy Duk is Donald's mother. She is the reasonable one in the family. Daisy keeps the balance within the family when Donald upsets his father with anti-Chinese remarks.

Penelope Duk is Donald's older sister. Penny has a twin sister named Venus. She is eccentric and likes to make pop culture references often when the mood is sour and in order to lighten it.

Venus Duk is Donald's other older sister. She is Penny's twin and with Penny, she discusses pop culture and both provide the book with a sense of humorous relief.

Uncle Donald Duk is Donald's uncle, a Chinese opera performer touring with his troupe. He provides a lighter tone when issues arise between Donald and his father. He provides Donald with insight into his heritage and helps him understand the accomplishments of his race in America. He is also especially the one to tell Donald of the work Chinese immigrants put into building the Central Pacific Railroad.

Larry Louie is Donald's dance instructor. He is also known as "The Chinese Fred Astaire." He keeps himself looking very thin in order to physically resemble Astaire. Larry Louie enjoys tap dance but he also enjoys flamenco and because of this, Donald feels he is the true "Chinese Fred Astaire." Donald doesn't think that Astaire enjoyed flamenco and therefore Larry Louie shouldn't either.

The Frog Twins are local residents who used to be Hollywood actresses. Late in the novel, they have a conversation that illustrates some of the difficulties of being an Asian or Asian-American actress at the time.

American Cong is a Vietnam veteran that Donald meets early in the novel. He is Chinese American, but talks about himself as white, since he grew up in Iowa. He is arrested for murder, but Donald's testimony that they were together at the time of the murder (coupled with corroboration from the Frog Twins) gets him released.

Concept of Identity

This story deals with the issue of cultural identity. Donald Duk is ashamed of being Chinese and ridicules a lot of things about his culture in the beginning of the novel. As the novel progresses, however, he begins to accept who he is and embrace his culture. Named for a Disney character—also the subject of a widely circulated Marxist essay first printed in Chile in 1971 (How to Read Donald Duck)—the novel explores the manner in which culture is woven into the individual.

Concept of Racism

This novel also deals with the issues with racism. As Donald Duk accepts his culture more and more, he begins to see the racism around him more and more. He sees the racism in school with the way his teacher, Mr. Meanwright, portrays Asians as passive and noncompetitive. He sees it in the country's history, which doesn't acknowledge the help of Chinese workers to build the Central Pacific Railroad. He also sees it in himself. "What's wrong with racists, anyway?" Mom asks. "We have been living with them for over a hundred years now, and we get along with them fine." (p. 150) As time moves on this consciousness of racism allows him to appreciate the famous figures who tried to change this view and he learns to be proud of who he is.

Donald Duk is recognized by many critics as "a small masterpiece" (novelist Tom Robbins, back cover of book). Kirkus Reviews described the novel as a "wonderfully zany coming-of-age journey that deals with the interpenetration of Chinese myth and American popular culture".[2] Donald Duk has also become required reading at many schools, "having sold 45,000 copies, many through college course adoptions".[3] Donald Duk has been the subject of several scholarly works by academics, and remains one of Chin's more popular and studied works.

Donald Duk earned Chin a 1992 Lannan Literary Award for fiction,[6] as well as a selection as one of the Best Books for Young Adults by the New York Public Library.[7] Chin was the first Asian American to receive recognition from the Lannan Foundation.

Author Frank Chin in San Francisco, 1975

1991, United States; Coffee House Press ISBN 0-918273-83-8; Pub date Feb 1991; Paperback/Second Edition

• Artists on the Cutting Edge: Frank Chin on YouTube (reading the first chapter from Donald Duk, 1999)