42 pages • 1 hour read
Lily LaMotte, Illustr. Ann XuMeasuring Up
Lily LaMotte, Illustr. Ann XuFiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Cultural Context: Taiwanese American Culture
In Measuring Up, Cici and her family immigrate from Taiwan to Seattle. According to the Migration Policy Institute, about 342,000 Taiwanese immigrants live in the United States, with many settling in California (Yi-Ying Lin, Serena. “Taiwanese Immigrants in the United States,” Migration Policy Institute). As is the case with many Asian countries, immigrants from Taiwan were restricted by anti-Asian immigrant laws enacted by the United States. After World War II, refugees and asylum seekers traveled through Hong Kong or Taiwan.
The Hart-Celler Act in 1965 set up a quota system that viewed Taiwanese immigrants as separate from Chinese immigrants (which had not previously been the case). This act laid a foundation for family reunion and employment as the two means by which Taiwanese immigrants were able to come to the United States. In 1979, Taiwanese Americans pushed Congress to pass the Taiwan Relations Act, establishing an additional 20,000 spots for Taiwanese immigrants.
According to sociology professor Aspen Chen, over 70% of Taiwanese individuals have a bachelor’s degree, which is double the number of Americans and more than all Asian immigrant groups (Chen, Aspen. “‘Going to America’: An Overview on Taiwanese Migration to the US.” University of Nottingham Taiwan Studies Programme). This statistic is particularly notable in light of Measuring Up, as Cici’s parents constantly remind her to excel in school, believing in “[g]ood grades, good college, good job, good life” (31). Academic achievement becomes a way in which Cici can find success. Her father and grandmother both remind her of this at different points throughout the journey, reflecting a general valuing of education among Taiwanese immigrants.
Historical Context: The Impact of Julia Child on American Cuisine
Cici is shocked when a librarian suggests that she borrow a book on French-trained chef Julia Child after asking for a cookbook for learning American food. The librarian emphasizes: “Trust me on this one. You want Julia Child” (110). Such an assertion alludes to the importance of Julia Child in American cooking.
Julia Child was born in 1912. She married an agent of The Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a US intelligence agency during World War II, who was stationed in Paris in 1948. In Paris, Child attended Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. In 1961, she published Mastering the Art of French Cooking with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, which was designed to introduce French cuisine to Americans. With its publication, Child’s fame as a chef launched. She began hosting her own cooking show, The French Chef, in 1963, for which she won both a Peabody and an Emmy Award. She passed away in 2004 (Spring, Kelly A. “Julia Child.” National Women’s History Museum).
Cici checks out Mastering the Art of French Cooking from the library. Her enthusiasm in following Child’s lessons reveals how Child was able to appeal to American audiences in the 1960s. Like the American housewives who used Child’s cookbook at the time of its publication, Cici and, later, her mother, follow the recipes and learn about American cuisine. Child’s relatability is suggested by the episodes of The French Chef that Cici watches. Cici repeats Julia’s statement that one “must have the courage of your conviction” while also recognizing that failure is part of the learning process (118).
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