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<p>This study applies Asian Critical Theory to conduct a content analysis of the middle-grade novel <i>Maizy Chen’s Last Chance</i>. Guided by three key tenets, Asianization, transnational contexts, and (re)constructive history, we examine how the novel disrupts racialized stereotypes, challenges the perpetual foreigner narrative, and recovers marginalized episodes of Chinese American history. Findings center on three thematic insights. First, the novel’s portrayal of the forever foreigner stereotype shows how Chinese Americans, regardless of birthplace or citizenship, are repeatedly positioned as outsiders through racialized rhetoric, underscoring the persistence of Asianization. Second, the novel highlights the contrast between first-generation immigrants’ deep ties to their homeland and later generations’ more distant connections, illustrating the complexity of diaspora identities within transnational contexts. Third, Lucky’s migration from Guangdong to San Francisco to Minnesota demonstrates how multi-generational storytelling restores neglected histories, fulfilling the aims of (re)constructive history. Pedagogical implications suggest that <i>Maizy Chen’s Last Chance</i> offers rich opportunities for classroom engagement. Ultimately, the study affirms that children’s literature can serve as both a mirror and a platform for recovering erased histories, strengthening identity across generations.</p>

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“You’re the Connection”: Surfacing Marginalized Histories and Constructing Belonging in Maizy Chen’s Last Chance

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月14日

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  • Shuling Yang,
  • Tami Morton

摘要

This study applies Asian Critical Theory to conduct a content analysis of the middle-grade novel Maizy Chen’s Last Chance. Guided by three key tenets, Asianization, transnational contexts, and (re)constructive history, we examine how the novel disrupts racialized stereotypes, challenges the perpetual foreigner narrative, and recovers marginalized episodes of Chinese American history. Findings center on three thematic insights. First, the novel’s portrayal of the forever foreigner stereotype shows how Chinese Americans, regardless of birthplace or citizenship, are repeatedly positioned as outsiders through racialized rhetoric, underscoring the persistence of Asianization. Second, the novel highlights the contrast between first-generation immigrants’ deep ties to their homeland and later generations’ more distant connections, illustrating the complexity of diaspora identities within transnational contexts. Third, Lucky’s migration from Guangdong to San Francisco to Minnesota demonstrates how multi-generational storytelling restores neglected histories, fulfilling the aims of (re)constructive history. Pedagogical implications suggest that Maizy Chen’s Last Chance offers rich opportunities for classroom engagement. Ultimately, the study affirms that children’s literature can serve as both a mirror and a platform for recovering erased histories, strengthening identity across generations.