Interior Chinatown

“Take what you can get. Try to build a life. A life at the margin made from bit parts.”

Willis articulates his basic beliefs about life as an Asian American early in the novel. His people have learned to cobble together a life made of bits and pieces. In this instance, “bit parts” refers to the types of acting roles that Willis can get. 

“Black and White always look good. A lot of it has to do with the light. They’re the heroes. They get hero lighting, designed to hit their faces just right. Designed to hit White’s face just right, anyway.”

Willis is acutely aware of racial differences; in fact, he’s obsessed with the subject. This quote refers to the stage lighting that shows the stars to their best advantage. Asian people don’t get hero lighting because they never get to be the show’s heroes. The scripts relegate them to the visual shadows on the periphery of the set—as well as the metaphorical shadows of never being the center of the story. 

“He’d aged out of his role and into the next one, his life force depleting with every exertion. Wisdom and power leaking from him with each passing day and night. He’d played his role for so long he’d lost himself in it.”

This is the first of many ominous observations that Willis makes about his father. He doesn’t overtly mention the parallel that is beginning to form: His father became lost in his role; Willis is in great danger of doing the same thing.