(Un)Doing the Missionary Position: Gender Asymmetry in Contemporary Asian American Women's Writing

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While the writing of other ethnic women has already been receiving considerable attention, the writing of Asian American women has not. (Un)Doing is the first feminist theoretical work to look at writing by such contemporary Asian American writers as Amy Tan, Fae Myenne Ng, R. A. Sasaki, Gish Jen, and Cynthia Kadohata. Viewing them as feminist and postfeminist writers, Kafka argues that gender asymmetry in all its varied forms and guises is the major issue that they confront. Satirizing this world-wide oppression as the missionary position, Kafka urges ethnic and women of color feminist critics to focus more on commonalities rather than view differences as impenetrable barriers.

Author Bio

PHILLIPA KAFKA is Professor of English Literature and Former Director of Women's Studies at Kean College of New Jersey. A pioneer in Ethnic American Studies since 1976, she is author of The Great White Way: African American Women Writers and American Success Mythology.