When I started writing, I made it clear that I was only giving my own experiences and did not presume to be speaking for other Chinese from laundry families or for other Chinese from the Deep South I was worried that other Chinese would have experiences that differed widely from mine. It has been most reassuring, in one sense, that I have received numerous e-mails and in-person conversations with Chinese who share very common experiences with me. For example, other Southerners are quick to confirm my reflections just as Chinese who grew up in laundries report very similar feelings and experiences about their lives.
One striking example was an e-mail from North Carolina recently from a Chinese who noted that in Southern Fried Rice, I had essentially written "his" life story. He went on to explain that his family was also the only Chinese in his town, and that he and his brothers had encountered similar experiences that I described in my book. I was grateful that he took the time to share his reactions to the memoir with me.