Dragonwings

Seven-year-old Moon Shadow Lee, the narrator, lives in China with his mother and grandmother and works on the family farm. Moon Shadow longs for his father Windrider Lee, who emigrated to America, the “Land of the Golden Mountain” (1). Father and son have never met, as Windrider left before Moon Shadow was born. His mother is busy with work and often takes him to the temple to pray for Windrider’s safety. Moon Shadow is conscious of the dangers that Chinese men face due to discrimination by white Americans, whom he calls “white demons” (1). The family has long been separated because Chinese immigration in America is impeded from two directions: the white Americans who prevent full families from arriving, and the nation of China itself, which needs the income that the Chinese men send home. Despite the struggles the family faces, Moon Shadow’s mother assures him that “the people of the Tang” (3), a name Chinese people call themselves, are “a tough, hardy, patient race” (3). Moon Shadow listens to his mother’s stories about Windrider, who is an expert in crafting kites. Moon Shadow’s grandmother explains that many men left China to find gold, but racial tensions and violence cause hardships to the Chinese immigrants.