“Ethnic specificity in fiction goes far beyond race or color. Think about Frances McDormand’s character in Fargo,” who embodies a specific ancestry and place.”
– Naomi Hirahara, at Left Coast Crime mystery convention, 2023
I loved Clark & Division, set in the Japanese community in Chicago during WW II and focused on a California family just released from the camps who cannot return home. When they arrive, hoping to connect with the older daughter released earlier, they discover that she’s dead — and they mystery begins.
Love that quote! It’s a reminder that we have to give careful attention to all our characters, because we all come from somewhere, and retain traces of our culture. Plus I love that movie, and Marge Gunderson!
Yes! So ask yourself in your next writing section how you are reflecting that with your characters. (Me, too!)