New Novel Follows Asian-American to US Citizenship
"Potato Queen" is a new novel by first-time writer Rafaelito Sy. Rafaelito V. Sy builds on his experience as a gay Filipino immigrant in the US to explore the journey to US citizenship and personal discovery.
Richmond, VA (PRWEB) July 21, 2005 -- Racism, pornography, transgenderism,
club partying, drugs and unsafe sex... Rafaelito V. Sy builds on his experience
as a gay Filipino immigrant in the US to create a cast of characters whose lives
these issues affect in his new novel Potato Queen (ISBN: 1928662064) coming out
in July 2005 from Palari Publishing.
Potato Queen starts off in Manila,
Philippines, where a young Juancho Chu is living vicariously through reruns of
US television sitcoms and dreaming of a life in the less oppressive land of
America. As a young man, Juancho makes his way to San Francisco to establish a
life for himself in the United States. While working at a travel agency
ironically selling tours to “exotic” locales like the Philippines, Juancho works
toward his US citizenship.
It’s not long before he begins making friends
and discovering the gay nightlife that San Francisco has to offer. Along comes
Gerald, a white man who is attracted to Asian men – a “rice queen.” Juancho
finds that he is usually attracted to white men, thus dubbed a “potato queen.”
Juancho and Gerald seem to be perfect for each other, but complications along
the way include a variety of very willing Asian men and a surprisingly
down-to-earth white porn star.
Will Juancho and Gerald remain “just
friends?” Will Juancho secure the US citizenship he has always dreamed of? Will
he actually meet the porn star he used to watch on the big screen in dark movie
houses?
Rafaelito V. Sy was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. He
has also lived in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris, Boston, and New York. He earned his
B. A. in English from Tufts University and his M. F. A. in Creative Writing from
Cornell University, where he taught the personal essay and creative writing.
With his story, Mr. Sy hopes to shine a much-needed focus on the process
of becoming a US citizen and learning to accept your own truths. Sy says, “I
hope this book reaches out to others who feel alone in a new country.”
Rafaelito Sy will be conducting book signings and interviews to support
Potato Queen.
# # #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb263636.htm