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Meet Me in Venice: A Chinese Immigrant's Journey from the Far East to the Faraway West
When Ye Pei dreamed of Venice as a girl, she imagined a magical floating city of canals and gondola rides. And she imagined her mother, successful in her new life and eager to embrace the daughter she had never forgotten. But when Ye Pei arrives in Italy, she learns her mother works on a farm far from the city. Her only connection, a mean-spirited Chinese auntie, puts Ye Pei to work in a small-town cafe. Rather than giving up and returning to China, a determined Ye Pei takes on a grueling schedule, resolving to save enough money to provide her family with a better future. A groundbreaking work of journalism, Meet Me in Venice provides a personal, intimate account of Chinese individuals in the very act of migration. Suzanne Ma spent years in China and Europe to understand why Chinese people choose to immigrate to nations where they endure hardship, suspicion, manual labor and separation from their loved ones. Today all eyes are on China and its explosive economic growth. With the rise of the Chinese middle class, Chinese communities around the world are growing in size and prosperity, a development many westerners find unsettling, and even threatening. Following Ye Pei s undaunted path, this inspiring book is an engrossing read for those eager to understand contemporary China and the enormous impact of Chinese emigrants around the world."
192 pages, Hardcover
First published February 16, 2015
About the author
Suzanne Ma
1 book15 followersA Chinese teenager's saga immigrating from Eastern China to Italy. . . .A sensitive writer, Ma expertly channels the yearning and base desires of her subjects through intimate conversation and cultural analysis in a narrative full of genuine compassion and appreciation. A genial, informative chronicle of the hopes and dreams of a Chinese immigrant.
(Kirkus Reviews)
Meet Me In Venice tells of the courage, hardships, and dreams of a new generation of Chinese who are leaving their homeland to seek fortune and opportunity in faraway lands. Suzanne Ma brings beautiful writing, compassion, and humor to the story of seventeen-year-old Ye Pei, who journeys to Italy to pursue her dreams of success and independence—and along the way, to make a perfect cup of cappuccino. Ranging from the language schools of Qingtian to the mushroom farms and garment factories of Italy, Ma illuminates the contours of Chinese immigrant lives that are at once crucial to the global economy and invisible to the outside world.
(Leslie T. Chang, author of Factory Girls, former China correspondent for the Wall Street Journal)
At a time when China’s global reach is increasingly apparent, Suzanne Ma has crafted a fascinating and human portrait of what life is like for young Chinese migrants in Europe. Ma, who reports extensively in both Italy and China, has a wonderful eye for detail. She sits in on a Chinese cooking class called ‘Exit the Country,’ and she notes that a small city known for out-migration has posted huge ‘Welcome’ signs in five languages—but nothing that says ‘Farewell.’ This is a book for anybody who knows what it’s like to leave home.
(Peter Hessler, New Yorker staff writer, author of River Town and Oracle Bones)
Suzanne Ma has written a perfect little jewel of a book that gets beyond the vague big picture and into specific communities and real lives, richly rewarding us by opening wide a fascinating door into the world of Chinese emigration.
(Howard W. French, author of China's Second Continent, former New York Times Shanghai bureau chief)
Meet Me in Venice is a remarkable book, a reverse Marco Polo journey in which a dutiful Chinese teenager goes to Italy, not to find herself, but to support her immigrant parents' elusive goal of one day opening up their own business. This is a tale of hope and heartache. It is also an unforgettable glimpse into one of the fundamental yearnings of our age, the all-too-human desire for a better life.
(Jan Wong, journalist and author of Red China Blues)
The work of award-winning journalist Suzanne Ma has appeared in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, the Associated Press, The Huffington Post, and Salon, among others.
She has crisscrossed the globe, filing stories from cities across Europe, Canada, China, and the United States, where she was a reporter in New York City for the Associated Press and DNAinfo, a digital news start-up. A graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, Suzanne was awarded the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship, which helped fund her fieldwork in China for her first book, Meet Me in Venice.
Suzanne and her husband live in Vancouver, Canada.
(Kirkus Reviews)
Meet Me In Venice tells of the courage, hardships, and dreams of a new generation of Chinese who are leaving their homeland to seek fortune and opportunity in faraway lands. Suzanne Ma brings beautiful writing, compassion, and humor to the story of seventeen-year-old Ye Pei, who journeys to Italy to pursue her dreams of success and independence—and along the way, to make a perfect cup of cappuccino. Ranging from the language schools of Qingtian to the mushroom farms and garment factories of Italy, Ma illuminates the contours of Chinese immigrant lives that are at once crucial to the global economy and invisible to the outside world.
(Leslie T. Chang, author of Factory Girls, former China correspondent for the Wall Street Journal)
At a time when China’s global reach is increasingly apparent, Suzanne Ma has crafted a fascinating and human portrait of what life is like for young Chinese migrants in Europe. Ma, who reports extensively in both Italy and China, has a wonderful eye for detail. She sits in on a Chinese cooking class called ‘Exit the Country,’ and she notes that a small city known for out-migration has posted huge ‘Welcome’ signs in five languages—but nothing that says ‘Farewell.’ This is a book for anybody who knows what it’s like to leave home.
(Peter Hessler, New Yorker staff writer, author of River Town and Oracle Bones)
Suzanne Ma has written a perfect little jewel of a book that gets beyond the vague big picture and into specific communities and real lives, richly rewarding us by opening wide a fascinating door into the world of Chinese emigration.
(Howard W. French, author of China's Second Continent, former New York Times Shanghai bureau chief)
Meet Me in Venice is a remarkable book, a reverse Marco Polo journey in which a dutiful Chinese teenager goes to Italy, not to find herself, but to support her immigrant parents' elusive goal of one day opening up their own business. This is a tale of hope and heartache. It is also an unforgettable glimpse into one of the fundamental yearnings of our age, the all-too-human desire for a better life.
(Jan Wong, journalist and author of Red China Blues)
The work of award-winning journalist Suzanne Ma has appeared in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, the Associated Press, The Huffington Post, and Salon, among others.
She has crisscrossed the globe, filing stories from cities across Europe, Canada, China, and the United States, where she was a reporter in New York City for the Associated Press and DNAinfo, a digital news start-up. A graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, Suzanne was awarded the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship, which helped fund her fieldwork in China for her first book, Meet Me in Venice.
Suzanne and her husband live in Vancouver, Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 27, 2015
An extremely informative, enchanting Journalistic story. The stories of Chinese immigrants to Italy were unheard of to me until now. Ma's book is charming, mixing factual history with contemporary storytelling. You could almost feel like you were there, straddling both countries, China and Italy, as you read.
March 4, 2015
Spoiler alert!
Abso-abso-absolutely loved it! Connected to it on so many different levels!
I was completely fasciated by learning of the effects of the influx of Chinese on Italian society and vice versa, the European influences in the county of Qingtian. Loved connecting with the personal adventures and moments of joy and hardships of Ye Pei. But mostly I was surprised to come across so many familiar aspects of Chinese culture and mentality.
I came to greatly admire the perseverance and attitude of this young girl and on many occasions Ye Pei made me think about how my own mother must have been in similar positions 30 years ago. How strong she must have been and the (untold) difficulties she must have encountered. Not to mention the (also untold) sacrifices for what Ye Pei calls the greater purpose. As pointed out this is true for so many people and parents around the world working towards a better future. I believe that this is also what makes this story timeless and so recognisable for everyone.
Furthermore, this book totally makes me want to experience Qingtian with new-found perspectives, knowledge about the people and my own personal heritage. Also Ypre definitely on my to-go-to list. Maybe one day we'll learn more about the Chinese men who stayed in Europe after the world war. Can't believe I never heard anything about this while growing up in the Netherlands. Someone should write about them...Could be input for Zhang Yimou's final masterpiece...hint hint hint...
Anyway Suzanne, thank you for telling this story and very well done. Can't wait for your next book, whatever the story will be. You are very gifted writer!
P.S. Wonderful photos! Really like the one from Venice. It aided in forming a mental picture of Ye Pei and definitely shows she has got a certain joie de vivre.
Abso-abso-absolutely loved it! Connected to it on so many different levels!
I was completely fasciated by learning of the effects of the influx of Chinese on Italian society and vice versa, the European influences in the county of Qingtian. Loved connecting with the personal adventures and moments of joy and hardships of Ye Pei. But mostly I was surprised to come across so many familiar aspects of Chinese culture and mentality.
I came to greatly admire the perseverance and attitude of this young girl and on many occasions Ye Pei made me think about how my own mother must have been in similar positions 30 years ago. How strong she must have been and the (untold) difficulties she must have encountered. Not to mention the (also untold) sacrifices for what Ye Pei calls the greater purpose. As pointed out this is true for so many people and parents around the world working towards a better future. I believe that this is also what makes this story timeless and so recognisable for everyone.
Furthermore, this book totally makes me want to experience Qingtian with new-found perspectives, knowledge about the people and my own personal heritage. Also Ypre definitely on my to-go-to list. Maybe one day we'll learn more about the Chinese men who stayed in Europe after the world war. Can't believe I never heard anything about this while growing up in the Netherlands. Someone should write about them...Could be input for Zhang Yimou's final masterpiece...hint hint hint...
Anyway Suzanne, thank you for telling this story and very well done. Can't wait for your next book, whatever the story will be. You are very gifted writer!
P.S. Wonderful photos! Really like the one from Venice. It aided in forming a mental picture of Ye Pei and definitely shows she has got a certain joie de vivre.
February 4, 2016
I received an ARC for this book in exchange for my honest review. This is not the type of ARC I would normally request. I am not usually interested in memoirs unless I am already familiar with the person. But since I just moved to Naples, Italy (and I have spent time in Venice), I was interested in learning something new about other foreigners coming to Italy to start a new life. This book was so heartfelt and moving. I completely fell in love with Ye Pei and her family. This book evoked empathy for all immigrants. I thought the author did a great job of discussing the reasons people migrate here, despite all the hardship. Even though, I am not Chinese and I will not be here permanently, I could still relate to her. When she was complaining about all the rules of the Italian language, I knew exactly how she felt. And when she complained about the rules regarding whether a word is masculine or feminine, I had to laugh because I could understand her confusion. I loved the descriptions of the Italian cities and countryside, the people, the coffee, their culture and I could just go on and on. I could tell Suzanne actually spent time in these places with these people because everything was so vivid. There were just a couple of issues I had with the book: one was that Suzanne Ma included too many peoples' stories and then she went back and forth with the interviews. So sometimes I would get confused about who she was talking about, especially if it hd been a while since she talked about them. Ye Pei was my favorite person in the story and I admit to getting a bit bored when she was talking with other migrant workers. Also, as beautiful as the cover is, I am not sure the title really fits the book. The author says quite a few times that Pei and her mother never worked in Venice; they worked in a city that was a two hour train ride away and barely got to visit it. The city they did work was nothing like Venice because it didn't have any of the canals or water that surrounds Venice. But when Pei is finally able to see Venice, the descriptions are magical and beautiful, just like Venice. This was a very informative book.
May 11, 2019
Ci vediamo a Venezia racconta una storia; una storia vera; una storia di immigrazione, di persone, mamme, figli, zii, fratelli, padri che lasciano la loro terra, la Cina in questo caso, per l'Europa, l'Italia, Venezia, la città di acqua, con i ponti a forma di luna.
Si tratta di un saggio, una biografia, un racconto. Non saprei come definirlo. Ma sicuramente è un libro che fa riflettere.
Si parla di Pei che lascia la Cina per ricongiungersi con sua madre, partita anni prima inseguendo un sogno di ricchezza che però non sarà.
Pei parte sognando Venezia, e il suo sogno verrà distrutto dallo scontro con la dura realtà.
L'autrice non parla solo di Pei ma di tutti quegli immigrati cinesi che ogni giorno vediamo nei mercati, nei negozi, nei ristoranti. Tutti quegli immigrati, non solo cinesi, che un po' denigriamo, che spesso guardiamo con sospetto e a volte anche con paura; non proviamo a immaginare nemmeno per un secondo cosa c'è dietro quelle persone, che storia hanno lasciato, chi hanno lasciato, che coraggio hanno avuto nel lasciare il loro paese per andare in uno che non è il loro, stranieri in terra straniera, con usi e costumi, cultura, lingua così lontani dalle loro abitudini.
Quanto hanno faticato per prepararsi, quanto hanno sognato, quanto sono stati delusi nelle loro aspettative e quanto lavorano quelli che "ce l'hanno fatta".
Suzanne Ma racconta i loro sentimenti, le loro paure, le loro esperienze. Li racconta in modo diretto quasi fosse una cronaca, senza abbellimenti, senza commenti ma così come le viene esposto.
Ecco, questo è un libro che consiglio a tutti. È un libro che apre gli occhi, che ti fa guardare oltre l'apparenza, ti fa vedere questi "stranieri" come persone e non come "invasori". E guardarli con occhi diversi può solo migliorare la società e noi stessi.
Si tratta di un saggio, una biografia, un racconto. Non saprei come definirlo. Ma sicuramente è un libro che fa riflettere.
Si parla di Pei che lascia la Cina per ricongiungersi con sua madre, partita anni prima inseguendo un sogno di ricchezza che però non sarà.
Pei parte sognando Venezia, e il suo sogno verrà distrutto dallo scontro con la dura realtà.
L'autrice non parla solo di Pei ma di tutti quegli immigrati cinesi che ogni giorno vediamo nei mercati, nei negozi, nei ristoranti. Tutti quegli immigrati, non solo cinesi, che un po' denigriamo, che spesso guardiamo con sospetto e a volte anche con paura; non proviamo a immaginare nemmeno per un secondo cosa c'è dietro quelle persone, che storia hanno lasciato, chi hanno lasciato, che coraggio hanno avuto nel lasciare il loro paese per andare in uno che non è il loro, stranieri in terra straniera, con usi e costumi, cultura, lingua così lontani dalle loro abitudini.
Quanto hanno faticato per prepararsi, quanto hanno sognato, quanto sono stati delusi nelle loro aspettative e quanto lavorano quelli che "ce l'hanno fatta".
Suzanne Ma racconta i loro sentimenti, le loro paure, le loro esperienze. Li racconta in modo diretto quasi fosse una cronaca, senza abbellimenti, senza commenti ma così come le viene esposto.
Ecco, questo è un libro che consiglio a tutti. È un libro che apre gli occhi, che ti fa guardare oltre l'apparenza, ti fa vedere questi "stranieri" come persone e non come "invasori". E guardarli con occhi diversi può solo migliorare la società e noi stessi.
March 17, 2015
Could have been a great book. I've never been to Italy but being in the US means stories that I read regarding immigration are usually US-entered. It seemed like an intriguing pickup: a young Chinese woman decides to follow her mother to Italy to make money and to pursue a better life, a story of many immigrants before her and after her. Instead, Ye Pei finds that what she thought she would find turned out not to be so.
I really wanted to like the book. But I could tell right away that the author's writing style was off: she would jump around between talking to Ye Pei, the history of China and Chinese to talking about something else to describing Italy. This was very exhausting to follow and the author's writing was already not exactly a style that yanks in the reader. I tried sticking within for the first few chapters, but it just seemed so disjointed.
Which is a pity, because it certainly has some great information about Chinese immigration to Europe (not just Italy) as well as the broader historical contexts of why immigrants leave their homeland and what they're looking for. The author also did a good job in showing the struggles immigrants face: language barrier, culture shock, being "stuck" or trapped by the same people who may have brought them there or provided them with work, etc. Some of the issues they face are the same no matter where you are trying to go: the US, Italy, or elsewhere.
The content was good, but the writing style was very stilted. I got it from the library and would recommend the same for anyone who is interested.
I really wanted to like the book. But I could tell right away that the author's writing style was off: she would jump around between talking to Ye Pei, the history of China and Chinese to talking about something else to describing Italy. This was very exhausting to follow and the author's writing was already not exactly a style that yanks in the reader. I tried sticking within for the first few chapters, but it just seemed so disjointed.
Which is a pity, because it certainly has some great information about Chinese immigration to Europe (not just Italy) as well as the broader historical contexts of why immigrants leave their homeland and what they're looking for. The author also did a good job in showing the struggles immigrants face: language barrier, culture shock, being "stuck" or trapped by the same people who may have brought them there or provided them with work, etc. Some of the issues they face are the same no matter where you are trying to go: the US, Italy, or elsewhere.
The content was good, but the writing style was very stilted. I got it from the library and would recommend the same for anyone who is interested.
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July 27, 2015http://rabble.ca/books/reviews/2015/0...
Review by Yutaka Dirks
Three pages into Meet Me in Venice the reader learns that there are more than 214 million migrants worldwide: a startling one of every 33 people in the world alive is a migrant. Author Suzanne Ma, an experienced journalist based in Vancouver, is concerned with these facts, however, she's just as interested in the people behind the numbers.
"Why do people migrate," she asks. "And what is it like for them when they do?"
Ma finds an answer when she meets Ye Pei, a young girl from the Qingtian county of Zhejiang province in China. Pei's mother left home five years ago to work in Italy and soon Pei will join her there. "If you are born in Qingtian," the locals tell Ma, "You are destined to leave."
Today Chinese migrants, who number up to 60 million people, are the largest diaspora in the world. Ma's own great-grandfather-in-law sold peanut candy on the streets of Holland and returned to Qingtian rich enough to build new homes for their families.
A work of narrative non-fiction supplemented by research and reportage, Meet Me in Venice illuminates the journey of Chinese migrants to Europe by shining a light on one hopeful and hard-working teenager from Qingtian, Pei and her family.
Read more here: http://rabble.ca/books/reviews/2015/0...
Review by Yutaka Dirks
Three pages into Meet Me in Venice the reader learns that there are more than 214 million migrants worldwide: a startling one of every 33 people in the world alive is a migrant. Author Suzanne Ma, an experienced journalist based in Vancouver, is concerned with these facts, however, she's just as interested in the people behind the numbers.
"Why do people migrate," she asks. "And what is it like for them when they do?"
Ma finds an answer when she meets Ye Pei, a young girl from the Qingtian county of Zhejiang province in China. Pei's mother left home five years ago to work in Italy and soon Pei will join her there. "If you are born in Qingtian," the locals tell Ma, "You are destined to leave."
Today Chinese migrants, who number up to 60 million people, are the largest diaspora in the world. Ma's own great-grandfather-in-law sold peanut candy on the streets of Holland and returned to Qingtian rich enough to build new homes for their families.
A work of narrative non-fiction supplemented by research and reportage, Meet Me in Venice illuminates the journey of Chinese migrants to Europe by shining a light on one hopeful and hard-working teenager from Qingtian, Pei and her family.
Read more here: http://rabble.ca/books/reviews/2015/0...
February 5, 2015
Reader, you will never view the ‘Made in Italy’ label in the same way again . Ma tackles the hot subject of immigration with her sensitive portrayal of a young woman who makes her way to northern Italy from Qingtian, a barren mountain town. Qiantinese --‘drawn to Italy’s textile and manufacturing industries’ centered in Prato-- are the linchpin of factories owned and run by fellow Chinese emigres. In 2011 Ma connects with Ye Pei, a 16 year old high school girl and follows her from Solesino where she starts out as a barista enduring long hours, to Rimini and points south. Ambition and the dream of becoming a ‘lao ban’ (your own boss) are the twin poles of this touching journey, which includes the inevitable bumps of culture shock and the struggles to master a new language with a different writing system. Although Ma grew up in a Chinese household, she is a Westerner grappling with personal identity issues. It'll break your heart and make you think twice before you complain about your problems.
May 2, 2015
I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads contest.
It was pleasantly surprised at this book. You would think a book like this on the subject of migration workers from China working in Europe would be a dry read. The author follows the stories of workers from their home towns to their lives once they head to Italy to work. It is very personable in style and reads like an interesting news story fleshed out so you know all the details. Enough facts are inserted to help the reader understand the why's of the choices made and the how's.
I really enjoyed this book and am glad I had the chance to read Chen and Pei's stories of moving far from home and starting life in a very different culture, without knowing the language of their new homes.
It was pleasantly surprised at this book. You would think a book like this on the subject of migration workers from China working in Europe would be a dry read. The author follows the stories of workers from their home towns to their lives once they head to Italy to work. It is very personable in style and reads like an interesting news story fleshed out so you know all the details. Enough facts are inserted to help the reader understand the why's of the choices made and the how's.
I really enjoyed this book and am glad I had the chance to read Chen and Pei's stories of moving far from home and starting life in a very different culture, without knowing the language of their new homes.
January 3, 2015
I really enjoyed this book! The writing style was fantastic in not making this book seem like dry non-fiction. I became very attached to the stories of the Chinese immigrants in Italy, not wanting to put the book down before I knew which of their many dreams had been realized and which had not. I have spent much time in Italy myself, and loved how this book portrayed the "rest" of Italy, off the tourist path, from the perspective of Chinese immigrants.
July 31, 2015
Surprisingly enjoyable book about Chinese migration to Italy through the stories of many. I learned more than expected about this hundred year migration that continues today. This title saw me through a 6 hour airport wait. How ironic.
September 10, 2017
I loved this book. I live in Brooklyn, NY in a Italian/Chinese neighborhood and I see these cultures interact almost daily. Furthermore I've worked in Chinatown in NYC for the past 5 years.
I've been to Italy twice in the past 2 years and during my most recent trip I made a point to eat at some of the chinese restaurants in Italy and to visit their stores. I was super curious to see how the Chinese lived in Italy. Which led me to search for this book.
Upon reading it, I found myself glued to the stories of Pei's journey. They were told so well, along with the normal struggles I believe most immigrants face when they move to a new place. I would love to read more on this topic by this author.
I've been to Italy twice in the past 2 years and during my most recent trip I made a point to eat at some of the chinese restaurants in Italy and to visit their stores. I was super curious to see how the Chinese lived in Italy. Which led me to search for this book.
Upon reading it, I found myself glued to the stories of Pei's journey. They were told so well, along with the normal struggles I believe most immigrants face when they move to a new place. I would love to read more on this topic by this author.
July 26, 2019
A marvellous piece of journalistic work. Although it tells the story of Chinese migrants from Qingtian, really it is an eye-opener for anyone who has questioned migrants’ reasons for leaving their homelands.
The storytelling is empathic and has many fine details that make the readers feel like we are actually there. The many mouth-watering descriptions of dishes reveal that the author must be a foodie, which is no surprise considering her Chinese background.
This book still feels acutely fresh today with tendencies of fascism in the US and right wing parties rising in Europe. I hope it will have the many readers it deserves.
The storytelling is empathic and has many fine details that make the readers feel like we are actually there. The many mouth-watering descriptions of dishes reveal that the author must be a foodie, which is no surprise considering her Chinese background.
This book still feels acutely fresh today with tendencies of fascism in the US and right wing parties rising in Europe. I hope it will have the many readers it deserves.
March 11, 2022
What I enjoyed most about the book is both the author's informal writing style and her objectivity. Since this isn't Ms. Ma's personal story, it's probably easier to be objective. The book follows Ye Pei's move with her family to Italy but it also looks at several other Chinese who made the move. The story of Ye Pei's struggles in a new country with different customs and a new language is true of all immigrants. I personally liked Ye Pei who had a really good attitude but could show her frustrations. I would love to know how she's doing now, almost 8 years later.
July 27, 2019
If your family left Italy to escape poverty (only to end up just as hungry here in the United States), here's a chance to read about Chinese immigrants who dream of moving to Italy to become "rich" and who also end up impoverished.
May 6, 2023
I didn't know that so many Chinese families immigrated to Italy. This book is quite informative but I didn't like the writing style that much.
June 18, 2023
First, I take away a star for being a new hardbound book with tiny type. The font should have been 3 points larger. Very annoying. I give it 3.5 stars.
I was under the impression that the story mostly followed one young Chinese woman as she left her town Qingtian to find work in Italy, but it’s much more. Suzanne Ma's husband had family in Qingtian, as well as in several European countries, and Ma started wanted to write about large concept of Chinese emigration. She starts with the history of emigration from Qingtian, and how the town developed with remittances from overseas workers.
It’s also an investigation of where the emigrants went and how they were assimilated in various countries, up to today. Thousands paid exorbitant fees to get a job in the garment factories in Italy, and some were just robotic garment slaves until they paid off those fees. Others worked grueling hours in a bar or Chinese restaurant. Surprising to me was that 30,000 emigrants formed the Chinese Labor Corps in France in WWI. Two thousand are buried there. Not every emigrant who works in Europe wants to return to China, and as years pass, the sense of dislocation grows.
The heart of the book is the narrative of Pei, who flew to Italy at 17, hoping to work with her mother, who had indicated she was in Venice. But she was at a farm far away. A relative got Pei a job at a bar, where she worked 16 hours a day, mostly cleaning. The author meets with her at different times and poignantly tells of Pei’s frustration with language, her hopelessness and dislocation—and her obligation to put her family's needs before her own. Wrapped in that is Pei’s family story…how they (and other families) dealt with a parent being gone for years. Ultimately, Pei begins to take hold of a future for herself.
Ma writes clearly, with good imagery. You can hear sounds and smell aromas. She writes compassionately about people who have made very difficult choices. These things make a good story, but when I also learn things I didn’t know, I value the time reading the book.
I was under the impression that the story mostly followed one young Chinese woman as she left her town Qingtian to find work in Italy, but it’s much more. Suzanne Ma's husband had family in Qingtian, as well as in several European countries, and Ma started wanted to write about large concept of Chinese emigration. She starts with the history of emigration from Qingtian, and how the town developed with remittances from overseas workers.
It’s also an investigation of where the emigrants went and how they were assimilated in various countries, up to today. Thousands paid exorbitant fees to get a job in the garment factories in Italy, and some were just robotic garment slaves until they paid off those fees. Others worked grueling hours in a bar or Chinese restaurant. Surprising to me was that 30,000 emigrants formed the Chinese Labor Corps in France in WWI. Two thousand are buried there. Not every emigrant who works in Europe wants to return to China, and as years pass, the sense of dislocation grows.
The heart of the book is the narrative of Pei, who flew to Italy at 17, hoping to work with her mother, who had indicated she was in Venice. But she was at a farm far away. A relative got Pei a job at a bar, where she worked 16 hours a day, mostly cleaning. The author meets with her at different times and poignantly tells of Pei’s frustration with language, her hopelessness and dislocation—and her obligation to put her family's needs before her own. Wrapped in that is Pei’s family story…how they (and other families) dealt with a parent being gone for years. Ultimately, Pei begins to take hold of a future for herself.
Ma writes clearly, with good imagery. You can hear sounds and smell aromas. She writes compassionately about people who have made very difficult choices. These things make a good story, but when I also learn things I didn’t know, I value the time reading the book.
May 21, 2016
Goodreads First Reads Giveaway Book.
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Meet Me in Venice: A Chinese Immigrant's Journey from the Far East to the Faraway West is a story about Ye Pei, a young Chinese girl, and her family’s immigration to Venice.
Based upon several years of painstaking research, the author wrote an interesting story about the insights of Chinese immigration. She provided thoughtful discussions into the cultural analysis during this immigration, making the readers feel and understand the personal lives of the characters. It was a heartfelt and moving story.
The author was Suzanne Ma, an award-winning journalist who has written for many large international newspapers. She wrote this book from research obtained from the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship.
Meet Me in Venice: A Chinese Immigrant's Journey from the Far East to the Faraway West is a revealing and thought-provoking story into the human aspects of Chinese immigrants. A good addition to one’s library.
------------------------------------
Meet Me in Venice: A Chinese Immigrant's Journey from the Far East to the Faraway West is a story about Ye Pei, a young Chinese girl, and her family’s immigration to Venice.
Based upon several years of painstaking research, the author wrote an interesting story about the insights of Chinese immigration. She provided thoughtful discussions into the cultural analysis during this immigration, making the readers feel and understand the personal lives of the characters. It was a heartfelt and moving story.
The author was Suzanne Ma, an award-winning journalist who has written for many large international newspapers. She wrote this book from research obtained from the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship.
Meet Me in Venice: A Chinese Immigrant's Journey from the Far East to the Faraway West is a revealing and thought-provoking story into the human aspects of Chinese immigrants. A good addition to one’s library.
September 5, 2015
I read this on my way to Venice. It is not about Venice, although Venice does make a good appearance. It is about Chinese working abroad, mostly in Italy: where they came from, how they live, and where they will go. I give it 5 stars because it opened my eyes to the people around me, wherever I am. I will also look differently at "made in Italy, China or U.S.A" tags.
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