Episode 20 10/15/2022

"Hua Hsu Is True to the Game: His new memoir is both a coming-of-age story and an evolutionary step for Asian American literature."

https://www.vulture.com/article/hua-hsu-stay-true-profile.html?utm_source=pocket_discover

#relentless R-E-L-E-N-T-L-E-S-S

​not stopping; not getting less strong

1. Miranda's relentless pursuit of perfection made her a tough boss to please.
2. His parents were not the relentlessly aspirational Asian immigrants of the popular imagination, those who force their children to master the cello and ace their standardized tests.

#dilemma D-I-L-E-M-M-A

a situation that makes problems, often one in which you have to make a very difficult choice between things of equal importance

1. She faced a dilemma about whether to accept the offer or not.
2. That’s the dilemma of life: you have to find meaning, but at the same time, you have to accept the reality.

#rift R-I-F-T

a serious break in the relationship between people or organizations

1. Efforts to heal the rift between the two countries have failed.
2. In his relationship with his immigrant parents, there was a rift born out of not a lack of affection but the fact that they come from different cultures.

#yearn Y-E-A-R-N

to want something very much, especially when it is very difficult to get

1. The people yearned for peace.
2. One of the refreshing aspects of the novel is that the protagonist does not yearn to be accepted; rather, he develops a healthy disdain for the society that has made him feel like a foreigner,

#arbitrary A-R-B-I-T-R-A-R-Y

(of an action, a decision, a rule, etc.) not seeming to be based on a reason, system or plan and sometimes seeming unfair

1. The choice of players for the team seemed completely arbitrary.
2. To me, Asian-American was a messy, arbitrary category, but one that was produced by a collective struggle.