The 20th century global diaspora has brought along with it a discourse of hybridity in life narratives as mentioned in the afterword of Diamond Grill. The “compounded composition” of the book that Fred Wah put forward, consists of many cultural aspects such as languages, how the chefs shout out hybridized swear words: “You mucka high! Thloong you”; or even the cuisine in the cafe itself: from the colonial “mixed grill” in Hong Kong to the down-to-earth “mixee grill” of Nelson. Those entanglements, whether the mixture of Chinook/English language or the masterful improvisation of the chefs, are all necessary counteractions resisting against the archival silencing according to Carter.
In Carter’s article “Of Things Said and Unsaid: Power, Archival Silences, and Power in Silence”, two forms of silencing are introduced: natural silencing and unnatural silencing. Natural silencing occurs by choice, while in unnatural silencing the marginal is forced to be silent “through the use of power.” Keep that in mind, Fred Wah writes “Hybridize or disappear; family in place” (20). Possibly, the portrayal of such character’s hyphenated identity is an effort to contest natural silencing, which could occur as a result of the fragmented diaspora he has to endure. The dislocation promotes a spacial and cultural distance between the characters and the locale. For instance, there is a subtle discrepancy within Wah Sr. as Fred notices “he silently talks to himself (in English?)… and he says to himself (in Chinese?)” (3-4). Hybridized and hyphenated, the silence observed could be an early form of archival natural silence.
Even though the above precautions against silencing are employed, there are traces in the book where silence prevails, or at least becomes more apparent. Particularly it is the case of Aunty Ethel who refuses to talk about her experience in China. The hyphenated identity of her clearly does not allow for a disclosure thus create natural silence.
As a reader, I am curious about the role of silence in global diaspora literature. Is this silence all natural by choice, probably not.