As a young child, Lac Su made a harrowing escape from the Communists in Vietnam. With a price on his father's head, Lac, with his family, was f... read full description
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Sep 26, 2009
Davina
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The scars still stirs at the tip of his tongue...I naturally get sucked in instantly with immigrant stories/books. But for Lac, his perspective as a child who witnessed the harshest and roughest life circumstances at an early age differed from a typical memoir. We connected. He speaks to his readers. So yes, life as an immigrant child..... Often, our parent's struggles are set in stone, Lac has done so in his book and vividly portrayed the life of his mother and father. However, Lac also bravely
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Dec 25, 2011
oriana
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Okay, so I've talked about the memoir continuum before, right? If I had skillz and wasn't exhausted I'd draw a picture or a graph or something, but basically there's two poles, one called "has a life interesting enough to warrant a memoir" and the other called "is capable of writing well enough to describe that life in a way that doesn't make you furious that this guy got a book deal." Somewhere else I gave examples for the four resulting categories (unique life + good writin
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Oct 22, 2011
Josephine
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Being Asian, I took one look at the title — “I Love Yous Are For White People” — and took it for granted that it’d be written by a fellow Asian.
I don’t really ever remember either of my parents telling me that they loved me — and when I mentioned this to a white friend, she just looked at me with incredible pity…but, it never really bothered me because, unlike the author of this book, I always fully realized that just because someone doesn’t tell you that they love you, often actions More...
I don’t really ever remember either of my parents telling me that they loved me — and when I mentioned this to a white friend, she just looked at me with incredible pity…but, it never really bothered me because, unlike the author of this book, I always fully realized that just because someone doesn’t tell you that they love you, often actions More...
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Jan 22, 2011
Kim
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I found this book completely entrancing. I have little knowledge of the Vietnamese culture so I learned alot through Lac Su's writing.
It's hard to imagine the escape the Su family made & what they went through in their journey to this country. As I read, it occurred to me that Pa was largely responsible for the family even getting out alive. He was a strong man, having made his own escape as a young man to Vietnam, then making a life out of nothing. He's a survivor. I really had dev More...
It's hard to imagine the escape the Su family made & what they went through in their journey to this country. As I read, it occurred to me that Pa was largely responsible for the family even getting out alive. He was a strong man, having made his own escape as a young man to Vietnam, then making a life out of nothing. He's a survivor. I really had dev More...
Aug 21, 2010
Iahc
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This book deserves all the praise and awards it has received. The story is about a Vietnamese refugee family who come to America, land up literally in Hollywood, and find (at first) the American Nightmare: violence, gangs, poverty, isolation. Yet the author narrates his own travails with such grace, and at times humor, the story is infinitely readable despite many heartbreaking, and at times infuriating, events. Despite the abuse he suffers from his father, a molester cousin, and gangmembers, La
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Sep 09, 2009
Dodie
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Lac Su arrived in the US at a young age with his Vietnamese family, determined to better themselves and thrive - without distancing themselves too much from their cultural heritage. Being poor means living in rough places, and young Lac quickly picks up on who has the power in school, on the streets, and in the family. Violence plays a large part throughout the book - meted out by Lac's father, neighborhood bullies, and Lac himself. Drugs and alcohol provide an outlet for many disenfranchised yo
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Aug 18, 2009
Nick
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Dec 16, 2011
Leonor
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I love you is for white people
By Lac Su – Memoir
One day Lac hugs his father and tells him he loves him, his father answer is simply “I love you are for white people” Drawing for deep within him, in order to transcend his limitations he needs to create a better life for himself. Lac father demonstrate his love by protecting him, throughout his journey Lac never doubts his father commitment because he looks up to him, and listens to his advice. Lac tries to earn his f More...
By Lac Su – Memoir
One day Lac hugs his father and tells him he loves him, his father answer is simply “I love you are for white people” Drawing for deep within him, in order to transcend his limitations he needs to create a better life for himself. Lac father demonstrate his love by protecting him, throughout his journey Lac never doubts his father commitment because he looks up to him, and listens to his advice. Lac tries to earn his f More...
May 16, 2010
Becky
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I made the (unfortunate) decision to recommend this book to my book club. I'd read some reviews and thought it sounded right up my alley - it is the memoir of a Vietnamese refugee growing up in California. I feel like a horrible person for saying this because it was a very sad story, but it was just so horribly written that I could barely get through it. For a very emotional story, there seemed to be no emotion in the writing. The author went through a lot of emotional turmoil and changes (c
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Apr 10, 2011
Dree
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Lac Su came to the US as a small child, with his parents and sister. His father had worked with the Americans in Vietnam, and had to flee the communist advance.
This memoir covers aspects of Lac's life in Los Angeles--the schools, trying to make friends in a largely Hispanic neighborhood, the things/people he misses about Vietnam, banging with a small Asian gang in Alhambra, and his father's expectations and cruel nature. Underneath it all is the story of his father's life: successful b More...
This memoir covers aspects of Lac's life in Los Angeles--the schools, trying to make friends in a largely Hispanic neighborhood, the things/people he misses about Vietnam, banging with a small Asian gang in Alhambra, and his father's expectations and cruel nature. Underneath it all is the story of his father's life: successful b More...
Jan 10, 2010
Hana
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A fascinating book I never would have noticed had it not been referred by someone who'd commented online about 'Push.' This is the first description of Vietnam-to-US by-boat I've ever read. As eloquently depicted through the eyes of the son [Lac Su, then 5yrs old:], the family of 4 escapes Communist Vietnam under a hail of gunfire, survives the boat ride with 300 people on a 60-footer [their two companion boats perished:], and ends up in East LA where they meet a host of other 'adventures.' This
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Aug 03, 2011
Terrific memoir. Lac Su is genious. This makes you laugh out loud and cry. It is very reminscent of Augusten Burroughs. The first chapter begins with Lac running through the Vietnamese jungle with his father, sister, and mother. They barely make it out of communist Vietnam alive, and then move to LA. Lac deals with the physical abuse from his father, sexual abuse from a cousin, and the violence and drugs he lives around. He gets himself involved with a Vietnamese gang, the Street Ratz, and
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Sep 30, 2009
Terry
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This book is well written, although (or because)it was sometimes painful to read. The chapters can stand alone as separate essays, but they are arranged chronologically; I can see this book being used in schools and colleges. That being said, it does cover three of the current standard-issue memoir topics: the immigrant experience, the father-son relationship, poverty, and how all three can contribute to the attraction of gang life for young men.
I was moved--me being me--by his sto More...
I was moved--me being me--by his sto More...
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Feb 01, 2010
Vy
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In this incredible memoir, Lac Su pulls you in right away with a heart-stopping account of his family's incredible escape from Vietnam. The adrenaline rush gives way to a flood of other emotions as you learn that that was just the beginning of what he endured growing up. The stories are disturbing and at some points, I had to just stop reading for awhile. It is courageous that the author, only in his 30's, has been able to go back and mentally revisit these relatively recent wounds in such a fr
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Jan 01, 2011
Kevminh
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The way Lac Su writes makes you feel as if you're sitting next to him at the bar and he's deftly rehashing some of the most poignant memories of his childhood. His writing is simple and entrancing, and harsh and delicate when it needs to be.
After reading chapter after chapter, I sometimes wondered how he made it out of His Life alive. The best part of the book, I think, is how it made me question the very word "love", a word I used to take for granted. I know I say it to ce More...
After reading chapter after chapter, I sometimes wondered how he made it out of His Life alive. The best part of the book, I think, is how it made me question the very word "love", a word I used to take for granted. I know I say it to ce More...
Dec 16, 2011
Katherine
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This is much scarier and depressing than Tiger Mom. I thought from the title that it would be more humorous but no...the dad that comes up with the title line is definitely abusive, which made me ponder a bit whether there's a difference between abusive with love (beating your kid because they're getting Cs) and without. I don't know, because the author did in fact keep himself out of getting extremely involved with the gang he was getting into because he was still thinking about earning his fat
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Nov 04, 2009
Madeline
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Like other reviewers for this book, I find the book extremely difficult to read at times. I wonder how a child can be submitted to such horrific experiences, and how the adult of this survived child was able to take himself back to those experiences to write this book. I give this book a 5-star because it offers a unique perspective about the asian american experience, for the courage by the author to share, to inspire, to make attempts heal old wounds. Though the book was hard to read, I couldn
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May 18, 2010
Robin
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A memoir written by Vietnamese immigrant Lac Su. He escapes with his family from Vietnam in 1979 literally running from gun fire. After a harrowing boat ride, and a stopover in China he ends up in Los Angeles. He is 5 years old. This book is a series of essays about his experience in the projects, his abusive father, his dabbling with gang life, and general experience growing up as an immigrant in Los Angeles. As with most immigrant children there is the battle between becoming American, fi
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May 09, 2010
Phyllis
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The title and the reviews on Goodreads sucked me in, and I'm glad. I've known families from other cultures (including European ones) who did not say "I love you." The chapter in which the title is explained is so painful, I wished I could give Lac a hug--or give *any* kid a hug who's going through that kind of isolation.
If your edition has the "P.S." section, read that, too--even the part about the favorite songs. His story about Whitney Houston's "The Gre More...
If your edition has the "P.S." section, read that, too--even the part about the favorite songs. His story about Whitney Houston's "The Gre More...
Feb 04, 2011
Noah
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I'm a bit conflicted about this memoir - it's not written well, but I suppose that's half the point. I also feel like there's really interesting chunks that are glossed over (and I'd hate to fault the author for not digging deep enough into his own problems, but still...), and I feel like the last chapter before the epilogue ends kind of abruptly. In the PS edition that I read, it seems clear that he's writing another one. I'm sure I'll pick it up, since I was pretty engaged with the author and
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Jan 30, 2011
Ann
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I think that a 4.5 should be available in the rating stars section. I read this book in lieu of reading the now famous Tiger Mother book. I'm fascinated by the different outlook and parenting found in Asian cultures, but didn't want to support Tiger Mother Amy Chua. This is the story of author Lac Su who immigrated from Viet Nam with his family in the early 1980s. A tale of abuse and love, mingled together, as he recounts the heavy presence of his father, the beatings he endured, and the lov
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Oct 13, 2011
Mary
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It was a fast read and at times I had to put it down for how detailed it was of traumatic experiences. The chapters read more like short stories as it didn't attempt to tie everything together into a smooth timeline. Not a bad thing, just not what I expected. I think this is the first book I've read with such a detailed account of the refugee experience; previously I've read short stories/essays or historical accounts of this experience on a broader level. Although I did not have the refugee exp
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Mar 31, 2011
Colleen
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I was excited to read this book because I'd heard so many good things about it but ultimately it was a dissapointment. There was not enough self-reflection/continuity throughout the book -- it didn't make a cohesive whole. For those who don't know this is a memoir that traces Lac Su's memories of trauma from fleeing the communists in Vietnam, to being isolated as a new immigrant, to being beaten by his father, molested by a cousin, and ultimately joining a gang. Surprisingly the story does ha
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May 03, 2010
Kimberley
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Hmm, I'm trying figure out, in words, what I want to say.
I can't even imagine having to risk everything to get the heck out the country I knew and called home. It saddened me to see how we treat people when they come to America- I don't know what the anwer is but dumping them in the hood seems harsh. I give this family major kudo's for working hard, saving and providing the best they could for their family. American's today can't even do that much.
As for the abuse- my More...
I can't even imagine having to risk everything to get the heck out the country I knew and called home. It saddened me to see how we treat people when they come to America- I don't know what the anwer is but dumping them in the hood seems harsh. I give this family major kudo's for working hard, saving and providing the best they could for their family. American's today can't even do that much.
As for the abuse- my More...
Feb 22, 2011
Julia
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This memoir was a good compare and contrast between growing up in the US with Vietnamese immigrant parents versus growing up with a white American suburban family. I resonated a lot from my own growing-up experience, with the author's parental Asian mindset, paranoid and superstitious about the great America. Some of the stories really evoke heartbreak and sadness. Lac Su's father in his hardest of hearts truly loved his family despite never saying the words "I love you" to his fami
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May 06, 2010
Casey
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This book was very well written and oh so sad, but also so inspiring. You just can't imagine what it could be like to flee your country of origin while being fired at by a machine gun at the tender age of three. The most worrisome thing I had to deal with at age three was which of my 3 Chatty Cathy dolls I would play with. Add to that a boat person type journey in a leaky craft never meant for the open sea and then ending up in the hood in L.A. it is amazing this guy wasn't just a casualty of
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May 01, 2010
Katt
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Lac's life and life choices were so interesting to me. I can't imagine how difficult it would have been for Thuy and "Pa" (I don't believe they every said his name?) to just leave your home with nothing but your children and go live in a different country/culture etc. How crazy scary would that be? Not to mention to have people treat you so poorly and to be forced to live in an area of town that is so dangerous and poor.
Lac was forced to make bad friend choices as well or not More...
Lac was forced to make bad friend choices as well or not More...
Aug 29, 2011
Brian
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This is a wonderfully written memoir that captures an immigrant's view of fitting in in America.
The author starts off running from Communist military in Vietnam. After escaping the live gunfire of the chasing soldiers, he is lucky enough to be on the one (of three) boats that survives the passage to China. He and his family then make it to West Los Angeles.
There, he's stuck in the middle of poverty and squalor, living above a brothel. There, he is forbidden from intera More...
The author starts off running from Communist military in Vietnam. After escaping the live gunfire of the chasing soldiers, he is lucky enough to be on the one (of three) boats that survives the passage to China. He and his family then make it to West Los Angeles.
There, he's stuck in the middle of poverty and squalor, living above a brothel. There, he is forbidden from intera More...
Jun 02, 2011
Katina
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Lac Su's memoir started off so strong. I was immediately brought in to his memories of growing up in Vietnam and his family's truly harrowing boat escape from the war. Many other portions of his story, once he arrived in Los Angeles, were also gripping, but the end came abruptly and felt "undone."
I'd advise that if you pick this book up, you read it more as a set of short stories than an autobiography or memoir. Although Su writes in chronological order, there's some dis More...
I'd advise that if you pick this book up, you read it more as a set of short stories than an autobiography or memoir. Although Su writes in chronological order, there's some dis More...
May 06, 2011
Toni
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It never even occurred to me to dislike the style of writing Lac Su used. To me the story was powerful enough that I hardly even noticed his word choice or sentence structure. This is a book about love, family, tradition, culture, America, youth, and pain. If you have ever felt unloved and misunderstood by your family you will probably enjoy it. Certainly, if you have a family that has been attempting to capture the American dream you will be able to relate. Wonderful book.
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