Crazy Rich Asians

Kevin Kwan is a Singaporean American who also has deep roots in Singaporean culture. Crazy Rich Asians examines the differences between Asian American culture and Singaporean culture, especially in terms of the opulent lives of Singapore’s mega-rich. While much of the book is exaggerated for the sake of the narrative, Kwan based the characters and their beliefs and attitudes on the real-life upper class in Asia, many of whom are private about how much money they have. Rachel is also a stand-in for the Asian American experience. She is well-educated and successful and was born to a hard-working, immigrant mother. This is a familiar experience for many Asian Americans who are first- or second-generation Americans. Although the US does have its own class stratification, there is less emphasis on pedigree and family name, and how well the individual has done for themselves is considered more important.

As an Asian American immigrant himself, Kwan has a unique view of both Singaporean culture and American culture. He is able to introduce Western readers to Singapore in an authentic voice that portrays the country as complex and lived-in, not just a caricature of the East seen through an American lens. The complex and full Asian characters set the book apart in the world of Western literature. This is what can happen when an author has the lived experience to provide adequate context for the cultural markers displayed in a book. Because readers can explore Singapore through the eyes of a person who is from there, the cultural differences are easier to digest because they are not pointed out as something exotic or “other.”

Throughout Crazy Rich Asians, Kwan is generous with words such as “ang mor” or “Ah Ma.” Language is just one example of the way the book immerses the reader in Singaporean culture. This book presents a modern look at Singapore, especially the families who make up the upper crust of Singaporean society. Crazy Rich Asians is never vague about cultural context, and it even provides footnotes that explain, often humorously, the words or phrases used by the characters in question. This provides the reader with the ability to be fully immersed in the story without having to compromise on cultural aspects.

The book’s central conflict, which is whether or not Nick Young should be allowed to marry Rachel Chu, is much more relevant in the context of the Singaporean class system, which is much more pronounced than that of the United States.