"To Emily--You can change the world!"
Amy Tan Captivates Her Audience: Reflections of an Adoptive Mother
By Lynne Spina 
Lynne
Spina and her daughter Emily met with Amy Tan
Not only is Amy Tan's literary talent superior, she also has mastered the art speaking in front of a live audience. In an intimate setting at the Sheldon Concert hall on March 3rd, Tan captivated her audience.
From the start, Tan had the audience laughing at the memory of being in a book store when she discovered that her book, The Joy Luck Club, was among those many literary works that are "honored" as Cliff Notes. By reading through the Cliff Note analysis, she learned things about herself she never knew such as: that she ran with a tough and organized crowd in her teens, and in real life, according to "Cliff", she is most like one particular sister in her book. Additionally, she learned that some descriptions intended to be merely factual when she wrote them, were actually deeply rooted with symbolism...according to "Cliff".
Somehow, ever so subtlety Tan steered the audience from laughing at Cliff Notes to chuckling continuously at amusing stories about her mother. Tan skillfully painted a picture of her family's life by anchoring her talk in the period of minutes before her mother's death. Tan verbally created the image of her mother lying in a reclining chair with her family beside her. While describing those last minutes, she interjected numerous entertaining flashbacks of earlier family episodes. It was clear that Tan had a strong devotion to her mother, who died shortly before the Bonesetter's Daughter was published. In fact, she had finished the book by the time her mother died, but a changed Tan went back and rewrote the story. The devotion and respect felt toward her mother evolved over the years. Tan gained an increased understanding of her mother as she moved away from her turbulent teen and young adult years. The strong influence Tan's Chinese born mother had on her was vividly communicated to the audience.
I don't think I am going out on a limb to say that Tan's life growing up was far different from most of the Caucasian Americans in the audience. Anyone who has read her books, or who knows of her mother's struggles as a Chinese immigrant, is aware that Tan writes from a deeply seeded cultural identity. Although Tan was born in the United States, she is just one generation "close" to her mother's experiences of the ancient traditions and superstitions that were embedded in her mother's personality. 
As a mother of an adopted Chinese daughter, I wondered how, or if, this relates to my family. Certainly some of the challenges that Tan faced in her life and incorporates into her writings may too be confronted by my daughter Emily as she grows up--just because Emily looks Chinese. However, the angle is different. At home, Tan was immersed in the Chinese culture, strongly influenced by her mother who lived the culture in her homeland. One step outside her home Tan entered a very American America into which she was born. This American culture was her life experience.
Although at home we embrace Emily's heritage, the bottom line is that she is being raised in a western home by "American" parents. Her parents are three generations removed from immediate cultural ties; Emily's world is very American. A closer parallel can probably be drawn between all first generation immigrants to the United States, no matter what the country of origin, rather than to our immediate family.
No matter how American Emily is, one fact will always remain. Emily is forever linked to culturally rich China by birth. But because her environment is western, the Chinese culture that surrounds her will result from the efforts of her American parents of Polish and Italian decent and not from generations of Chinese traditions. These efforts include exposure for Emily to the Chinese culture by taking her to cultural events, keeping in close touch with the other adoptive families who traveled to China with us, staying involved with FCC (Families With Children from China), playing Chinese music at home, having Chinese art and furniture in our house, involving her in Chinese school and making sure she knows Chinese children, Chinese adults, and other culturally blended families like ours. We do this to help Emily establish a strong sense of identity. If she grows up to feel like her hearts' home is somewhere between two countries, our hope is that a strong and confident feeling of identity will help her work through issues.
Interestingly, during the question and answer section of Tan's presentation, she referred to an emerging phenomenon--the blended family some of us have unassumingly defined by adopting Chinese babies--that falls within the coexistence of cultures. When asked if she had advice for Chinese American children growing up in America, Tan's response centered around the importance of one's sense of identity. This applies not only to the traditional Chinese American family, but also the culturally blended family created by adoption. I sat proud and squeezed Emily as Tan recognized the committed group of families ours is a part of.
As Emily sat by my side, I wondered what this little seven year old would take home from the afternoon. After all, she was only one of a few children in the audience at a presentation intended for adults. Later at the book signing reception, it appeared that the most memorable part of the day for Emily would be when she got to play with Tan's two tiny brown dogs. They obediently stayed by Tan's side as she autographed books and pleasantly spoke to admirers. Meeting Amy Tan seemed to be overshadowed by an excited Emily preoccupied by the cute little dogs.
When we arrived home, Emily proved to me that she had things more in perspective than I gave her credit for. Emily quickly called Grandma to tell her about her afternoon. She exclaimed, "Today I met Amy Tan, a real author! She signed my book, The Chinese Siamese Cat.!"
Tan wrote in Emily's book, "To Emily--You can change the world!" 
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