1. W hat was your biggest takeaway from the book? Has it changed your perspective on your own background? 2. Th is country has a complicated—and sometimes downright horrifying—history with its citizens of Asian descent. What are some incidents or events you were already aware of? What surprised you?
THE LONELIEST AMERICANS DISCUSSION Q U ESTI O N S
3. D id any scenes from the book challenge your belief or understanding of what it means to be Asian American today? That affirmed your belief or understanding? 4. G rowing up, the author says he learned about Black people through the books he read rather than the people who lived in his town. Do you think it’s common to keep people who are different from us at arm’s length? Can you give examples where that’s true and where it isn’t? 5. C overing the “Civil Rights” beat for Vice, Kang says he developed a system for predicting which shootings would or wouldn’t lead to mass protests. What do you think about his criteria? Do you agree or disagree with them? 6. K ang asks: “Why do we, the children of immigrants, feel the need to fulfill some hyphenated identity when our parents seemed perfectly content to either live as Koreans or Chinese or Indians or Vietnamese in America—or if they felt particularly optimistic— insisted that they, too, were Americans?” Do you identify with that question? What might your answer be? 7. I n what ways do his parents’ experiences in America influence the author? 8. T alk about Kang’s friend Doug and his interest in the MRAZNS reddit subgroups. Why do you think Doug is drawn to it? In what ways do you think social media has impacted the way we look at ourselves or the way we see others? 9. H ow did this book impact you? Do you think you’ll remember it in a few months or years? 10. I f you got the chance to ask the author one question, what would it be? 11. Did you reread any passages? If so, which ones?
CROWN
12. Th e relationship between race and class is a topic of fierce debate, especially among academics. Which do you think the author finds most salient? Why? Do you agree? 13. Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not? 14. What did this book make you most curious to learn more about?