From the Obstructive “Mountain” to the Free “Water”: Examining the Evolution of Transculturalism in Ling Zhang’s Immigrant Narratives

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ling Zhang, a well-known overseas Chinese author in contemporary Sinophone literary circles, has written extensively about Chinese immigrants in Canada. However, the Anglophone versions of her remarkable novels Gold Mountain Blues (translated into English; 2011) and Where Waters Meet (composed in English; 2023) are not widely acknowledged. Gold Mountain Blues describes immigration to Canada as a mountain that obstructs the Chinese diaspora’s communication with their homeland, and Where Waters Meet describes water as a free medium that facilitates transpacific connections. This article conducts a comparative reading of the two works of fiction and argues that the titular contrast implies Zhang’s evolution in addressing ethnocentrism, deterritorializing locality, and degenderizing subjectivity through the change in her writing language. The association of Zhang’s progressive strategy with her devotion to translingual practice reflects the boundary-crossing trend in her writing career and suggests a broader space to examine the literary transformation of ethnic minority authors.