Amy Tan was surprised by the reception of her story of four Chinese families that immigrated to the San Francisco Bay area. The vignettes about the mothers who make up the Joy Luck Club, and their daughters, models the experiences of many immigrants that try to maintain connections to their culture as their children try to adapt to a new world. A short video examines some of the challenges these families face.

Concepts

amy tan, the joy luck club, american literature, chinese culture, chinese immigration, immigration

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Invite a representative from a local Majong Club, or a pupil who is familiar with the game, to speak with the class about the symbols on the tiles and the rudiments of the game
• Host a game day during a Lunar New Year celebration and serve dim sum

Classroom Considerations

• The video can be used to stimulate interest in the novel or to launch a unit study of the novel

Pros

• The resource includes the video, a comprehension check, links to related materials, and a discussion question

Cons

• None