1.
Lac’s family flees left
communist Vietnam by boat when Lac is a very young child. How do you feel think those experiences
influenced the way his parents behaved toward him?
2.
How did the story of Lac’s
friend Vu affect the way you view Lac?
Why do you think he included that story in particular?
3.
Pa beats Lac mercilessly to “discipline”
him for things many kids do. While today
it may not be as common, how much do you think this influenced Lac’s choices in
life?
4.
Lac Su has been quoted saying: “My
relatives had taught him (Pa) that his duty as a father was to make sure his
children succeed by any means necessary”.
Do you think Western culture (in the US) is any different?
5.
Do you feel Lac’s family lived
the “American Dream” by their standards?
6.
The book has some funny and
bittersweet vignettes about being an immigrant in the US. Which one did you enjoy? Which maybe surprised you?
7.
Is it an especially white thing
to say "I love you" a lot? Or maybe, to say it lightly? And to put
less emphasis on instead showing it? Do
you think white people tend to say that more often than members of other racial
or ethnic groups? And if so -- why might
that be?
8.
The book seems to end
abruptly. What questions did you still
have after you finished reading the book?
