“The reader is carried through history and time to varied locations and across several generations through mythology and storytelling that is focused on the lives of Chinese women.”
—From the Foreword by Jessica Henderson Daniel, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School

“Learning from My Mother’s Voice is a rewarding journey of transformation. This unique memoir blends mythology and narratives in a healing tapestry. Highly recommended.”
—Lillian Comas-Diaz, Ph.D., Transcultural Mental Health Institute and Clinical Professor, George Washington School of Medicine

A compelling saga of mothers and daughters, survival and striving, women, family, and culture that will resonate with all Americans who have immigrant roots.

This fascinating book takes a new and different look at the immigrant experience of Asian Americans. Through the voice of her Chinese mother, the author examines perennial themes of separation, loss, guilt, and bicultural identity in the lives of immigrant families. Grounded in a historical context that spans events of more than a century—World War II, McCarthyism, Civil Rights, the Women’s movement—this volume:

• Uses oral history to show how families rely upon myth and legend as they adjust to a new culture.
• Illustrates how strong cultural and intergenerational bonds can both support and oppress Chinese American families
• Uses Asian mythology and symbols to understand the psyche of Chinese Americans and their immigration experience, illustrating the contrasting world views of Asian and Western culture.
• Provides strategies for coping with the immigration experience for use by counselors and other professionals.

Jean Lau Chin, Ed.D., ABPP is Systemwide Dean of the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University in San Francisco. She is a licensed psychologist with over 30 years of clinical, educational, and management experience in health and mental health services.