Book Review : Transitive Cultures : Anglophone Literature of the Transpacific
Part II : “ Mobilities ” centers on Patterson ’ s examination of how “ novels of transpacific travel ” showcase the shifts in various racial , gender , and sexual identities that can occur when protagonists must question and compare their identities at home versus abroad ( 27 ). His readings of Peter Bancho ’ s Cebu and Lydia Kwa ’ s This Place Called Absence as social satires instead of social realist texts are particularly compelling . This viewpoint , which goes against the prevailing scholarship that reads these works at face-value , showcases how the protagonists ’ complex relationships to the United States and Canada , respectively , lead them to denigrate and abandon the motherland in a manner appealing to Western audiences .
In Part III : “ Genres ,” Patterson analyzes how the “ literary tone , form , and style ” of novels can challenge preconceived notions on “ diversity , tolerance , and racial harmony ” ( 28 ). Patterson ’ s focus on the understudied genre of Anglophone speculative fiction brings to light how Asian authors may move beyond the nation-state to assert that these issues take place on a larger scale . Yet , the complexities and possible consequences for this broader perspective are not lost on Patterson , as he utilizes his own experiences of using a more ethnic sounding pen name , Kawika Gulliermo , to give readers a direct insight into how cultural currency is used in the publishing world . This personal connection illustrates the great debate for or against cultural authenticity given that this concept can be used to reinforce both traditional notions of white representation of minorities and shifting minority identities that do not fit neatly into strict categories of race , gender , and sexuality .
While Patterson focuses on how various pieces of Southeast Asian Anglophone literature expose the abuses done in the name of multiculturalism and tolerance , his scholarly purpose is to question and open a dialogue on these issues rather
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