Ching Chong Chinaman Reading Response

Written by Lauren Yee, the darkly comedic play “Ching Chong Chinaman” explores the dynamics of a family as they encounter challenges in both self and cultural identity. The story follows each of the four family members after the arrival of Jinqian, a man from China tasked with doing Desdemona and Upton’s homework to allow them to achieve their own goals—getting into Princeton and winning a World of Warcraft championship. Grace Wong, the mother of the two and wife to Ed Wong, is initially characterized as an overlooked and ditzy mother preoccupied with her desire to become pregnant. However, over the course of the play, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery with Jinqian through their shared love for dance—a universal language.

Grace’s time is painted as futile, as she never seems to do anything proactive. However, her and her husband seem to take pride in the “picture-perfect” nature of their household as Ed assures her, “Someone’s got a nice family, hmm?” (27). This concluded their discussion about Grace herself, who is scarcely a topic of interest, after they considered “what else [is she] good at?” (27). Instead of finding her a hobby like they intended, Ed insisted that she found comfort in her role as a mother. He then gives her the opportunity to pick his tie as he tells her, “you get to decide,” which leaves her at a loss when she responds, “oh, I’ve never done that before,” (27). Grace always had her story prewritten, with her fate as a housewife always defining her future and limiting her dreams. She was never given the opportunity to think for herself, nor consider what she truly wanted. This is a common cultural stereotype that has held women back from making “selfish” plans that don’t fit into the ideal picture-perfect family. However, this scene begins her journey to defy her expectations.

Later, in conversation with Jinqian, Grace gains his trust by affirming “who would I tell? No one ever listens to me anyway,” (52) revealing the way she views herself in the family dynamic. This is evident throughout the play as she lacks a strong backbone to ever defend herself. However, I believe this served as a catalyst for her journey of self-discovery, as she was able to use her invisibility in her favor. Jinqian accepted this fact and shared his dreams with her, to which she cluelessly replied, “but aren’t you dancing here already? What else do you want?” (52). In this, Yee is able to reflect Grace’s almost brainwashed mindset in which she believes that growth is unnecessary, since she has been convinced that she has everything she could ever want, “A house. A husband. Children. No one asks me for anything, I don’t have to do anything. I just sit around all day, bored. It’s wonderful!” (52). However, Yee’s satirical writing makes it clear that Mrs. Wong might have longed for a different life, one where she could have pursued a career and personal ambitions rather than settling into the role of a housewife. This conversation humanizes Mrs. Wong and shows the audience her unfulfilled dreams and aspirations. It challenges the expectation that Asian mothers are solely devoted to their families and have no personal desires beyond their roles as caretakers.

One of the pivotal moments in her character development is when Grace decides to leave her family temporarily and pursue her dreams. Initially, she had told Jinqian to go to Hollywood without her, to which he insisted, “”with you. I need you, Grace,” (74). However, considering her long-desired and finally successful pregnancy, she disappointingly tells him, “yes, but other people need me now, too. Sorry,” (74). This scene highlights her everlasting longing to be needed, since she desired the pregnancy so badly in order to have a purpose. This was made clear back in scene 7 when she claimed that she “like[s] babies when they cry,” (26). Thus, she felt as if she fulfilled her prophecy after finally becoming pregnant.

However, her decision to then leave is a significant departure from traditional expectations and demonstrates her agency and desire for personal fulfillment. It surprises the audience by challenging the stereotype of Asian mothers as solely self-sacrificing figures. She finally confronts her husband when she claims, “No, Ed… That’s not enough,” (75). However, he confidently dismisses her comment when he states that, “she’ll be back,” (75). Moreover, Desdemona then demanded her mother, telling her, “you never have anything to do,” (76) as she finishes packing her bag. She leaves her daughter saying, “You’ll be fine, dear. You always have been,” (76). This emphasizes the way that Grace must have felt useless in their lives, even though her entire life’s purpose was to be there for them. In this, she leaves her unappreciative household to pursue a genuine passion. Yee is able to use this character development to show the inner battles within mothers and the challenges they are branded with due to cultural responsibilities.

These moments in Mrs. Wong’s character journey contribute to the play’s exploration of individuality, unfulfilled dreams, and the complexity of family dynamics. Mrs. Wong’s character challenges stereotypes and reveals her own desires and ambitions, ultimately altering the audience’s perspective on her role in the family and the choices she makes throughout the play. It highlights the idea that individuals, regardless of their cultural background, may have their own aspirations and desires beyond their familial roles.