“In the American Society” follows a family of first-generation Chinese-American immigrants as they build a life and a business in the U.S. After his investment in a pancake house proves successful, Mr. Chang begins to speak of his life and family in China. Readers realize that he came from wealth and saw his lack of success in the U.S. as shameful; only when he begins to achieve the American dream—buying a new car and fancy furniture—does he allow himself to consider the past. Financially, the Changs have achieved the American dream. They have started a successful business that provides them with more than enough resources to thrive and achieve their goals, and they have done so through hard work and ingenuity. Yet, certain aspects of American life prove elusive; they are rejected from the country club, and even the neighbors and community members who are kind to them are casually discriminatory and condescending. The American dream of a better life through hard work is, in some ways, true for the Changs but, in others, falls short. 

Moreover, the story focuses on those for whom the idea of the American dream has proved entirely false. In the case of Booker, a Taiwanese immigrant running from the law for overstaying his student visa, the dream has proven elusive. Where the Changs found success, Booker has found only struggle. Despite his willingness to do whatever is asked of him and his dedication to his job, Booker receives no benefit. He does not achieve the promised success nor finds comfort or happiness. Instead, he lives in poverty, working jobs with poor wages and nonexistent security. As he humorlessly explains: it is not “against the law to hire me, only to be me.” Through Booker and the Chang family, the author reveals the various failures of the American dream when put into practice, namely that there is no certainty of success or acceptance for immigrants searching for a better life. 

While there is very little in the way of overt racism in Gish Jen’s “In the American Society,” it would be obtuse to overlook the subtle prejudice that appears in the microaggressions the Chang family experiences. Despite their financial success and social mobility, Mr. and Mrs. Chang struggle to fit into the upper-class milieu of wealthy American society. They do not know what clothes are appropriate for certain occasions nor how to manage social expectations. Their lack of native knowledge of American conventions leads those around them to make unfair and racist assumptions about their lives; for instance, Jeremy, guest of honor at a party the Changs attend, incorrectly assumes that Mr. Chang was not invited. The only reason why Jeremy would make such an assumption is that Mr. Chang and his family look different from everyone else at the party. Jeremy sees Mr. Chang’s frugality—purchasing a jacket on sale and leaving the tag in place to ensure that he gets his money's worth—as a sign of poverty. In a similar vein, when Mrs. Lardner lacks adequate servers, she enlists Callie—and only Callie—to help. 

While no one is obvious in their discriminatory ideology, several coded markers indicate the close-minded culture of the Changs town. The process of becoming a country club member reveals the town’s quietly exclusionary practices. Rather than permitting any who can afford membership into the club, the club requires prospective members to have a sponsor—a current member who vouches for them—and to enter a lottery for a limited number of seats. When the Changs are denied membership, it initially seems like a benign slight. However, it...