"I am an American writer. I’m not a white American, but I’m writing American stories."

“I write as a person, as a woman, as an Asian American, and, if I fulfill my political obligations in being honest, then great…”

“As a woman, I was very much influenced by the Japanese culture. My saving grace is that my mother was an extremely strong woman, a person in her own right; she took no guff from anybody, including white people, and I think that helps…”

“There are only a few stories that I've ever wanted to tell…I wanted to record our lives so they wouldn't be lost. I didn't realize what a responsibility that was. I only wanted to put down a few footprints of our sojourn here, at this time, in this place.”