Donald Duk
First edition cover
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| Author | Frank Chin |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Susan Nees |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult novel |
| Publisher | Coffee House Press |
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Publication date
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February 1991 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 172 pp (first edition, paperback) |
| ISBN | (first edition, paperback) |
| OCLC | 22887735 |
| LC Class | PZ7.C4423 Do 1991 |
Donald Duk is a coming-of-age novel written by Frank Chin and was first published in February 1991. It is about an eleven-year-old boy named Donald Duk dealing with the struggles of cultural identity as he learns to accept himself for who he is.
The plot deals with an twelve-year-old boy named Donald Duk, dealing with understanding and accepting his Chinese heritage. He is American born but has trouble finding the balance between accepting the American lifestyle and incorporating his Chinese heritage. Donald feels that his family completely oppresses American culture, and he finds that ironic because they are living in America. He wants to be American and to ignore his Chinese ethnicity. He often feels that Americans are prejudiced against Chinese yet at the same time, since he was born in America, he feels he is American and therefore must reject the Chinese also.
Donald Duk is an eleven-year-old Chinese-American, preparing to celebrate both his twelfth birthday and Chinese New Year. He is the son of a Chinese chef father named King Duk, and a Chinese mother named Daisy Duk. Donald has two older twin sisters named Penelope and Venus Duk. From the start of the book we are told how embarrassed Donald is of his name and of being introduced with his family.
The story begins with Donald comparing himself to Fred Astaire. Donald believes he dances as well as Fred and throughout the novel considers himself the real "Chinese Fred Astaire" (91). Donald immerses himself in old black-and-white movies, and especially admires Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films. He envies the way "everyone" adores Fred when he dances. Donald wishes he could "live the late-night life in old black-and-white movies and talk with his feet like Fred Astaire, and smile Fred Astaire's sweet lemonade smile" (1).
Donald Duk's father, King, feels Donald dreams too much in black-and-white, wanting to become as American as possible. Donald is ashamed of the way his family rejects American culture and that even when they watch television "they make everybody on the TV look Chinese!" (91). Donald does not want to be like them, he considers himself American because he was born in America. Donald's father tells him, "I think Donald Duk may be the very last American-born Chinese-American boy to believe you have to give up being Chinese to be an American" (42).
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