Lisa See - Writer

Tracing her family's Chinese-American journey from the small impoverished village of Dimtao to the wild, dusty streets of Los Angeles in the 1870's, Lisa See's family memoir On Gold Mountain weaves a complex tapestry that is vital to the history of Los Angeles. The stubbornness and perseverance of Lisa See's great-grandparents Fong See and Lettice Pruett, create the perfect foundation for understanding the realities of Chinese Americans in Los Angeles, and the ways cultural and racial assimilation has - and continues to - affect the narrative of our country. We sat down with Lisa See at one of her family's early business enterprises in Pasadena, the F. Suie One Co., to speak about her family, career, and the future of Chinese Americans in Los Angeles.

Family Roots
"Choices made by both sides of her family over multiple generations."

Dragon's Den and the Chinatown Bohemia
"A particular blend of art, food, and Hollywood."

A Sense of Identity
"Lisa See communicates feeling orphaned through circumstance and accepted through family ties."

LA's Multi-Ethnic Beginnings
"Chinatown was also a hub for different ethnic communities that has always grown."

Waves of Migration
"Lisa See dissects the differences and and discusses effects between generations who have moved from China."