Chapter 1 Amy Tan's background Amy Tan was born in America (Oakland, California) in 1952 of Chinese immigrant parents. The clash of values and sensibilities between first generation and second generation people of Chinese heritage who have immigrated to America has been one of her constant preoccupations. We see these conflicts in "Two Kinds" as well as in her novels, "The Joy Luck Club" and "The Kitchen God's Wife". Another common theme in her work is the struggle of women, especially younger women, to attain status and power as individuals in careers and pursuits of their own choosing. The adversaries these young women face are frequently their own mothers, sometimes also husbands and fathers, the accepted rules of family and society, and sometimes, of course, even the young women themselves. One of these conflicts is the battle of the daughter in the family to either fulfill or deny the expectations of her parents. In her own life, Ms. Tan had parents who wanted her to become a neurosurgeon, a very prestigious and demanding occupation. Her talents, however, led her in other directions. After high school in Switzerland, a period in her life she has described as tumultuous, she returned to the USA to attend college, first at Linfield College in McMinville, Oregon, a school with a reputation for a strong religious perspective, and then at San Jose State University in San Jose, California, from which she graduated. In the 1980s she worked as a business writer and business consultant. In 1985, she published her first story, "Endgame," which became a chapter in "The Joy Luck Club". Her writing career has been eminently successful, bringing her both critical acclaim and considerable financial reward. "The Joy Luck Club" was made into a movie and a play, both of which have been seen around the world. Her works have also been translated into many languages.
	Contents ••• Title Page ••• The author ••• Pre-story ••• In-story ••• Exercises ••• Follow-up