How does this novel engage with the history of Chinese American communities, particularly those on the West Coast and in the Midwest? What impact does history have on the novel’s story and its themes?

The queue serves as an important recurring symbol in The Fortunes. What does it represent? Which of the stories depict characters who wear the queue, and how does the queue connect them to their Chinese heritage?

How does the novel depict anti-Chinese discrimination and racist violence? What are the connections between person-to-person prejudice and systemic inequality?